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Hi, it's a me, Nicole!

My Newsletter Re-imagined

Published over 1 year ago • 4 min read

Welcome to Inkpot Droplets

Welcome to Inkpot Droplets, a monthly newsletter this is basically replacing what was once known on my blog as "Bookish Breakdown" or a monthly wrap up.

**Apologies to the eight of you who are getting this one twice! I have some wonkiness I'm still working on learning ConvertKit.**

Ultimately, my vision for this newsletter is to be the first peak into any publishing news and my publishing journey (alongside with Patreon, which will be my primary writing update platform). But, since we're not quite there (yet) and I still wanted to have a newsletter and start allowing it to grow--especially with social media sorta both collapsing and my own mental health personally struggling with interacting with social media...well, here we are!

I decided to organize my platforms into three main areas:

  • Newsletter: monthly wrap-ups, including life updates, books consumed, content I've enjoyed and others
  • Patreon: writing updates, from progress, musings, advice, short stories and anything related to my writing career
  • Thoughts Stained With Ink blog: this is where my bookish content (reviews, discussions, memes and tags) and more personal musings will live!

That way, each thing has a purpose--especially ones that aren't duplicated elsewhere. Feel free to connect with me in only the areas you're most interested in or all three places. Regardless, I'm really happy you're here.

What I've Been Consuming

This is basically the highlight reel from the last month of content I'm been consuming. Considering that I felt like the entirety of 2022 was nothing but just trying to survive, I didn't get to engage as much as I always want to. So, hopefully, knowing I'll have to check-in each month will help me stay accountable!

Since we're sending this newsletter in December as a test run for everyone, to see if you like it, below is some media I hope to enjoy in the next few weeks, while I'm off from work.

Books

Friends, I have been in such a reading slump. I don't even want to talk about it. That doesn't mean I don't still love reading, but good lord, has it just not been in the cards for my brain. However, I have a few books I'd really like to read soon, if at all possible:

  • The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish: I have yet to read a Dalglish novel and I feel like that's a personal failure on my part.
  • The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart: Considering the first book in this series, The Bone Shard Daughter, was one of my favorites, I really need to read the second one before the third one comes out!
  • On Good Authority by Briana Una McGuckin: I miss romance.
  • Reign and Ruin by J.D. Evans: I also miss reading self-published books, so I'm really hoping I get this one for the holidays.

Games

Video games has also been a mixed bag this year. While Horizon: Forbidden West absolutely consumed my heart and soul in the absolute best of ways, everything else this year has felt kinda...meh? I've played a lot of Destiny 2 and Apex Legends with my partner and his best friend (including streaming it on Thursday evenings), but it's mostly been as filler, waiting for the next game to come and fill my soul.

Other gamers: what are you looking forward to (that's available for the PS5)? I need something to be excited about and fill the hole that Horizon: Forbidden West left within me.

Media

I don't watch a ton of movies or TV, since gaming is my main hobby. However, I am absolutely thrilled to watch Glass Onion here in the next few weeks. It's going to be wonderful, I just know it. I also really need to finish watching Rings of Power. Oh, and the Dragon Age adaptation on Netflix is definitely going to be my jam.

Music

Well, my Spotify Wrapped came out and exposed me as the little screamo diehard that I am. I have been absolutely obsessed with Wage War, Bad Omens and The Devil Wears Prada recently. I highly recommend the following tracks:

Highlights From the Blog

This section will mainly be highlights from what I posted over at the blog that month. Since I've been on hiatus for the month, as an example, here's a sampling of posts that I am very proud of from this year. (Even cooler: you can click on the link and it'll take you directly to the post!)

Advocacy Action

For this space, I want to highlight one action that everyone can take, to help make the world a better place to live. It could be a petition to sign, a place to donate to, BIPOC and LGBTQIA members to support, or an article on social justice and anti-racism that I found really important.

For example: if you haven't supported the Harper Collins Union during their ongoing (almost thirty day) strike, now is a great time to get involved! You can learn more about what you can specifically do to help them here.

Highlight Corner

This is space I want to reserve to highlight others! Whether it's another freelance editor I wanna hype, a client I want to shout out, a blogger I admire; having a space to be able to celebrate others is super important to me! This will start up in 2023, as the newsletter fully ramps up, but I'm very excited about it!

Thanks for Reading!

Thank you all for joining me on this newsletter! The fact that any and all of you care enough to sign up and let me invade your inboxes potentially once a month will forever be absolutely humbling.

Tell me how you're doing, though! Do you like this format? Are there things you wish you could see here? Things you want me to highlight? I'd love to hear about it. 🖤

Until then, I hope the holidays are wonderful, full of rest and restoration. And I hope the new year is kind to you. I'll be back in your inboxes at the end of the month in January, but until then, cheers!

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Hi, it's a me, Nicole!

vas Normandy ▪️ She/Her ▪️ Bisexual SF/F Writer ▪️ Freelance Editor ▪️ Book Blogger ▪️ Gamer Believes in: dragons, the power of books and you. 🖤

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