This past Saturday I made the decision to turn my phone off for several hours in order to get things done.

It was effective and refreshing.

At 9am Saturday morning I quickly scrolled through my apps and email then simply turned my phone off.

I turned on some music and got to work on tasks that needed my attention. I sat down to read. I played and snuggled my animals. I took a nap.

And yes, I did reach for my phone (less than I thought I would) throughout that time I was “disconnected” but I managed to regroup and refocus.

I stayed off the gadget until about 5pm. It was really nice. I think this is definitely something I need to do more often and I absolutely understand why people step away from social media and take breaks. It’s good for us.

What are some of the ways you “disconnect” or “step away” from time to time?

Two Moons: Stories (2018) by Krystal A. Smith is the simplest joy you can give yourself, especially if you are Black and a lover of speculative work. A few years ago, it was rare to find a gem such as this. You had to hunt for it. But now, especially with more focus on the work […]

Finding Strange and Simple Joy in Krystal A. Smith’s “Two Moons” — Gather the Magic: sources on Activism and survival

Yesterday a fellow writer asked me how I get motivated and stay motivated to write. It’s great to feel motivation and inspiration. But motivation is unreliable. I can’t wait for it, I can’t fake it when it’s not there. Writing is writing. Put the words out onto the page or screen then revise, revise, revise! Having a writing practice is key to success. Whether you write 10 minutes a day, one day a week, everyday, whatever, develop a practice that works for you. Honor that practice. Let no one and no thing separate you from that.

Join me Tuesdays and Thursdays for virtual write-in at 7pm-8pm EST or set your own write-in and use the hashtag #writenight

This past Wednesday I did a thing. My first twitter chat. Lauren Cherelle of Resolute Publishing and Black Lesbian Literary Collective (BLLC) was kind enough to host and she asked me some great questions.

I know not everyone has twitter and that’s okay. I still wanted to share what transpired during the chat. So below you’ll find the tweets mapped out in order as the questions were asked. It’s almost like being there. There are two things that you should know before you begin: 1.) Question 4 is no where to be found on twitter. 🙂 🙂 I swear I have searched, hashtag queried, and scrolled all up and down twitter. Based on my answer that somehow survived, the question had something to do with why all my protagonists in Two Moons were woman. 2.) Question 8 and answer have also gone AWOL. And I don’t remember what the question was at all. LOL

*Question 4 is missing

*Question and Answer 8 no where to be found 🙂

I enjoyed talking Two Moons and writing and answering questions It’s nice too having one-on-one with another writer. Thanks, Lauren. And Thanks to Michelle for asking a question and interacting with us (and for reading the book <3).