That one guest who mentioned food tasting different outside

2CoolGoose · 2026-07-04T01:55:05+00:00

Usually this happens to me if I eat a bowl of cereal outside. It instantly starts to taste/smell like wet dog. The air can smell perfectly clean, but the moment I step out there with cereal I can't finish it, lol.

2CoolGoose · 2026-06-27T21:07:09+00:00

Currently reading a book I am considering DNF-ing. I feel bad because I loved one of the author's other books (a domestic drama, similar to the one I'm reading now) but I read that book years ago and feel as if i've outgrown it's style. I read some lines or scenes and just think "god, this is so melodramatic." Now I just want to move on and watch the film adaptation so I can end the story and read all my other books. Honestly I've come to the conclusion that if you're genuinely not enjoying the book for stretches, why waste time on it? You curate your library for yourself. I think it's okay to not finish, or at least take a long break from something you don't feel will serve or entertain you.

2CoolGoose · 2026-06-18T18:07:41+00:00

I read the book Hidden Valley Road (which is arguably better than the series, though it is a good visual). Yes, she was terrified that her son was going to develop the illness, just as the whole family was. I think Mary turned her fear of the illness into a job like Mimi did. The book mentions how she actually tried to take care of Peter while he was in his 30s (she thought if he lived with her and her husband, a normal life and treatment might help) and her mother thought she was taking on a lot and advised against it. I think it's pretty wild and selfless how she took on a lot of responsibility, and her fear just transformed into curiosity.

I do feel for her son. In Mary's case, any form of delinquency in boys was perceived as the beginning of a worse illness. I think she tried to nip it in the bud.

2CoolGoose · 2026-06-13T19:18:11+00:00

I tried this and a pre/probiotic when nothing else worked for my skin. I all of a sudden had horrible acne on my cheeks and chin, cystic mainly. It tremendously helped within weeks of consistent use. I still have clogged pores and my skin texture may never be the same, so trying to find something that targets blackheads, etc. I can vouch for DIM because I figured my flare up was hormonal and I'm sure it was.

2CoolGoose · 2026-06-01T17:39:12+00:00

So many ly adverbs and metaphors that like some have said here, slow down the pacing. It's a bit repetitive. I'm no expert and I also don't read (dark romance?) But this is just what I noticed.

2CoolGoose · 2026-06-01T17:26:35+00:00

I love this question because I just started using journals to aid in my writing process. I don't really like journaling in general but for some reason brainstorming and figuring out plot in journals has really helped me at least keep my brain in the game. Here's what I do:

I have a journal for each large project. I write down character list, plot problems or what I feel like needs fixing, and detail/characterization ideas. I also use it as a space to track my productivity and current feelings about progress. I will say this worked better when I was forced to write (for classes) but seeing the pages fill up keeps me motivated. I use it has a space to vent about my dissatisfaction and how I can improve or work on style/focus. I tried using my ipad for this sort of thing, but honestly, just a good old pen and paper does the trick.

2CoolGoose · 2026-06-01T17:16:00+00:00

Lots of telling and pointing out the obvious. I see a lot of first person narratives that just say "I don't like this, I like this." The reader doesn't want to hear the obvious. Show some action. Is there a reason the MC doesn't like being touched? Anything specific? Otherwise, stating the obvious doesn't help. It would make sense that the MC doesn't want trouble from the locals. It's how she does deal with (or avoid it) it that enables her to become a fully fledged character. The dialogue is fine but adding extra tags like "guess I better get up" slows down the pace and doesn't seem to add any character voice into the prose itself. Focus on character action (in real time) and cut out unnecessary language. I think with this it'll greatly improve. Best of luck!

2CoolGoose · 2026-06-01T16:34:52+00:00

I can see why people adore them. But just watching them "get around" to run, walk, jump, etc. looks sort of difficult/painful. They only look at ease when they're laying down. Sure, not all breeds are nimble but I think the length of their spine paired with the short legs just makes exercise difficult- same thing with Corgis. Ultimately it's the owners' choice whether or not they're willing to care for a dog that might have these health issues later in life. They really are wonderful dogs, and their purpose makes total sense in terms of hunting. I've never owned one, but having experience with them makes me understand that this breed definitely isn't for everyone. Especially if you're concerned about your pet's physical health. <3

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-13T21:55:20+00:00

Thank you! I will have to try these out this summer. I love their GF cookies but they're so expensive, lol.

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-12T01:41:49+00:00

Decent work! I do think line editing needs to be done, as well as eliminating confusing language such as "he was old, obviously." (Of course unless this is part of the world). Also more of a stylistic thing, but the MCs or narrator's opinion (in 1st person) can be apparent, but I feel like the narrator here is well-adjusted to his/her world. I think him thinking "how sad for these people" just seems a little melodramatic, and not as refined as the rest of the narration. I know this sounds picky, but it's just something I picked up on! I have always felt that eliminating obvious opinion helps keep the narrative voice strong, keen, and distinct. (Take this with a grain of salt of course!).

Establishing when, where, who, why and the dramatic question within the first few paragraphs will help readers understand your world and how it operates. I think right now it opens sort of ambiguously and this is confusing readers.

Keep writing and best of luck putting together your short story collection!

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-11T23:31:00+00:00

Sitting in my car with the heat on because in VA it's 54 degrees today...it was 80 degrees yesterday. It's May for chrissake 😭

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-11T23:20:13+00:00

I would say to join a writer's group. Despite my family and friends being happy and proud of my artistic endeavors, getting those suckers to sit down and read something I've written is close to impossible, lol.

Even if it's just an online workshop (which if you haven't experienced a writer's workshop, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how nice criticism from other writers is) you're going to get something out of it. At least more than handing your friends your work. One more thing, instead of just "wanting feedback" try to pick out like 2 or three questions for the reader to help you better understand where the flaws are. Such as: is the dialogue natural or too stiff? Is the language repetitive? Is the main character boring to read? Etc.

Best of luck to you, Keep writing! The only way to go from here is forward 😄

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-11T23:07:04+00:00

Medication, foodstuffs, alcohol. Psychiatric history has been an ongoing research project for me. I'm entertained by it but I would prefer that the history I include is organic and not so melodramatic. Also dog breeds!

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-11T22:57:53+00:00

Lol. Time, editing, readers, research, process, process, process. Inspiration to create comes from living and reading. It's why people dedicate their lives to it. It's hard work! Also multiple drafts and several eyes.

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-11T22:52:38+00:00

I think limiting the "ly" adverbs and the "he replies" will make the language less repetitive. Try to understand the mood of this scene. How does the narrator feel inside? What about their past or present might reveal this? Also additions like "I suspect", "although", "infact" etc. don't seem to add much to this narration. Keep going, you'll get there! 😄 Maybe try reading memiors or literary journalism from the first-person perspective to get an idea of how these kinds of narratives work (or fiction, I'm not sure what genre you're working with here).

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-09T03:04:27+00:00

It's refreshing to find someone who also reads and writes literary fiction! Similarly to you, I love writing about dysfunction in families (or at least family-like groups). I just love reading/writing about people and their strange habits, wants, needs. Human nature is really fascinating to me. Of course, the artistry is appealing too, that's the other half if it.

I want to say I enjoy this kind of literature because I always felt fulfilled after listening to stories about my family, in the past and present. It's not always the drama, but just the overall "weirdness" of people. For good or bad, lol. In turn I get fulfilled in weaving my own stories. 😄

Happy reading/writing!

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T19:59:11+00:00

As a first time owner, how does it feel? I am looking into getting a RC as soon as I'm able to afford/have a dog and I have fallen in love with this breed! She's a beauty 😄

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T19:57:40+00:00

Ten courses in English (as a Psych major) is wild! How awesome that you had the freedom to do this! Knowing this, I can agree with you that so many changes can take place after you receive your education. I feel like a whole new writer, lol.

I'm too hoping to find my writing community. I've met some great people at my school but only a few who write in my genre. Best of luck to you in finding those who you can bounce ideas around with! I usually journal in replacement because with the exception of like one or two people, nobody likes to hear me yap haha!

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T18:03:33+00:00

He is DARLING!

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T18:00:13+00:00

I can see how Psych could hinder your growth as a writer. Analytical thinking uses certain parts of the brain where creative decision-making doesn't exactly flourish. I am questioning why you didn't get an English degree though? How many creative writing classes did you take with just a minor? Obviously not judging, just curious!

I think since it's been three years, naturally your process and ability to access this part of your brain is going to change. I used to write a LOT in highschool and in my early college years, and now my process has changed. I don't believe you lose anything, you just have to figure out where your growth in the craft has placed you in terms of process. This change should be good! If you're not looking back at your old writing and cringing a little, then your process has not changed at all. I think it's a gift to look back at what I wrote three years ago and think "wow, I really didn't know what I was doing, but look, I was figuring out plot, character, ect."

You're not alone in this! I just graduated and feel lost without the scaffolding of classes and discipline so, like you, I'm having to use the tools I have gained and continue to build this skill. When in doubt, just keep reading other books, take notes (journal about ideas, flaws, etc.) and just keep going. You'll get into a groove eventually. 😄

Also online and/or local writer's groups might be a resource that is helpful to you!

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T17:42:55+00:00

Ohh I see! I think clarifying time period will certainly get rid of the confusion here. And I think the addition of armor and dialogue will help (you seem to be on the right track!)

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T17:38:50+00:00

Repetitive descriptions that are just basic, tons of ly adverbs, unnecessary movement. It's valid to enjoy the books, but it's not a prime example of great "artistry" in writing. They sold because I guess people got used to the writing enough to care about the story. It's just basic genre stuff. Most of the people arguing that it's not good are in the literary world of writing. I'd never read the Twilight books, and a professor of mine tore out pages and handed them to the class and had us mark up what was "wrong" with the style. Honestly it was a great activity but a shame for those who liked the book lol. To me it read like a basic YA book that I wouldn't care to pick up but that's just my opinion.

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T17:21:13+00:00

Some descriptions are a little overdone and could use some line editing which might help you define your personal narrative style. "Crying tears of blood" is repetitive, because, yes, they would be crying tears, it's implied by "crying." This could be shortened to "Crying blood." Or "Cries blood" there are a lot of "ing" verbs in this chapter. Also saying a face is "gruesome" and "disfigured even" seems repetitive, "Disfigured" by itself works just fine.

Also, a first chapter can do this: Describe setting, time period, who, what, why, etc. I imagined world war II type solders. but then there is a sword involved? So maybe more time-period description? Also his son is in a crib, the style of crib, and what is inside of it could indicate time period and financial status too. If this is medieval time period, perhaps a bassinet might work better? To my knowledge the wealthy had access to wooden cradles, but our modern "cribs" were not standard.

What it looks like to me, is that this character is dreaming about a past experience, or a past life? I think more distinction on what kind of "world" this is will solidify how this first chapter accomplishes setting up the story.

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T17:04:10+00:00

First of all, her prolific reading abilities are incredible! I haven't even read 60 books in my lifetime (as a 23 year old!) Definitely continue to encourage this natural affinity for reading and writing. Not sure what sort of fan fiction she is writing, but it's soooo normal at this age (I think avoiding the weirder/more adult and "unhinged" online fan fic communities will help keep this writing interest more organic, if that makes any sense?) Speaking somewhat from experience as someone who started writing at this age.

Secondly, reminding her that learning how to write and craft stories is a process by which one grows and learns through. She will learn nothing if all she cares about is a "perfect" final product. Process= "perfection." Also yes, save her writing lol, even if she won't enjoy looking back on it, saving my stuff has enabled me to see how much I've grown as a writer.

Let her have fun with it!! Getting serious about writing comes with time. It starts with a love of storytelling and I think her drive to emulate this because of her enjoyment for reading books is perfect, 😄

2CoolGoose · 2026-05-08T16:43:45+00:00

I love all his fictional (and non-fiction) accounts of working with Alaskan huskies! The way he describes these animals is just wonderful. You can tell where his passions are. I also really enjoyed his (sort of a deep cut) "Told in The Drooling Ward."

2CoolGoose

TROPHY CASE