A few weeks ago, I talked a little about how I came to realize the way I experience the world isn't how the majority of people experience it. As a result of that particular journey and the things I learned along the way, I came to realize I had written at least two of my characters as autistic without actually setting out to do so. Having come to this realization, I had a choice.

Rewrite them to be neurotypical, which is another way of saying "normal," which in and of itself is just a way of describing how the majority are, or I could keep them as they were.

The thing is, I cannot really imagine either Pyrrha or Asa being any other way than how I have been writing them. Plus, for me at least, nothing has really changed about how I view either character. Both are still strong, intelligent, kick butt women. They have places where they struggle and places where they shine like anyone else. There's just a concrete, neurological explanation behind some of theirs. 

I wish I could say returning to writing after almost a year and a half of barely writing at all, aside from business correspondence, has been a breeze. Well, I suppose I could, technically speaking, but it would be a lie.

Truth be told, returning to writing and soaping has been difficult and rather frustrating. It isn't for lack of trying or a lack of desire to begin creating again. I'm just horribly rusty, so it's a bit like returning to a sport after sitting on the sidelines for a season or two.

Creativity, much like any other mental skill, has been compared to a muscle so much it has become a bit cliche. The thing about cliches though is they come to be because they contain an element of truth. "Use it or lose it" applies to mental skills the same way it applies to physical dexterity and strength.

​Okay, I know I'm supposed to be publishing another back to basics article today, but between the prep and aftermath for Nerdy Noel 2.0 and being sick the last several days, I just can't seem to find the brain cells for a full on article. Besides, it's the holidays. It's time for something fun, so I've decided to do The Naughty List tag, created by Jenna Moreci. 

I had a really difficult time trying to decide between doing this tag for The Icarus Project and the Myth and Science universe, since I am working on a short story anthology for that one. So I decided to do them both! Today's post is for The Icarus Project, and I'll have the one for Myth and Science up next Tuesday.

Have you heard the advice about taking a break between steps in the writing process? As with many things when it comes to matters of art making, there are multiple schools of thought on the practice. Some say it's a waste of time. Others say it's essential. Some prefer short breaks or "pauses," and others believe anything less than months at a time is the same as just plowing through.

Personally, I hold to the pause method. One, just because that's the way I've always worked on an instinctual level, but also because I've learned I need those pauses to produce better work.

Who's up for a bit of fluff? This week's flash fiction features two of The Icarus Project's supporting cast outside the novel's main events. There are no spoilers for the planned trilogy.

The audio for this one will have to wait a bit because I don't really have a voice right now due to a cold.

Today marks the first day of NaNoWriMo otherwise known as "National Novel Writing Month." Those participating attempt to write a 50,000 word "novel" within the month of November. To do this, participants try their best to write at least 1600 words each day.

Will you be participating this year?

I've given it a try for several years, and I've never managed to hit the goal working on any one manuscript. Life gets in the way, especially now that I'm a grown woman with adult responsibilities and a family of my own. I mean, it falls right at the start of the holiday season, and I run a handmade business. Still, I think I might try to follow the spirit of the event if not following lockstep with the rules.

We're back in the Icarus universe today with a story set about a year before "Warning Tremors" and roughly twenty-one years before "Icarus Awakens."

If you've been wondering what happened to Steven, Evie, and their kids after the events in "First Shocks," you'll enjoy today's story. For those of you just tuning in, you may want to read or listen to the two previous stories featuring the Reynard family: "Warning Tremors" and "First Shocks."

Audio versions of each may be found on my YouTube channel.

I never intended to make any sort of continuing series out of these flash fictions, but the idea I got from today's prompt put me back with Evie and her family from "Warning Tremors." Today's story is set about three days later.