Olivia J Creates

Is there anything more divine than a rainy Saturday morning with a mug of tea, a good book, and a lit candle while your partner makes breakfast? I haven’t found anything better📚☕️🌧️🕯️🍳🫶
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WRITING UPDATE👩‍💻
First of all, happy summer!☀️ Now that I have a lot more free time, I’ve been hacking away at editing. I’ve backtracked all the way to Book 1, Episode 1, which right now is only the first 12 chapters of The Light of the Lantern. It’s not an ideal spot to be in, but I feel like I can’t push forward with the rest of the books in the series until I have a solid foundation.
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So, that means I’m doing some pretty major restructuring and rewriting. When I draft, I do a real bare bones work of it, so I’m also working on fleshing out the world and characters more. The hard part is…well, everything—but also figuring out when I’ve started being overwrought, knowing when I’ve revealed what, and just the general convoluted nonsense that is writing a 4-book fantasy series.
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But I love it. I love it and I hate it. And every writer knows that basically the most lonely thing a person could do is write a book. I love it because I’m doing the good, hard work and I hate it because I’m doing the good, hard work. Such is the duality of man.
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📸: pics from Pinterest, not my words or artwork in image, not my music

Happy Independent Bookstore Day! As an indie author, we’ve got to stick together, so I’m going to use my (tiny) platform to shout out local, indie bookstores that have helped make me the author I am!
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As student teaching winds to a close, I am forcing myself back into the writing trenches. I feel like I’m at a point in The Artifacts of Fellglow where I need to go back and make Books 1&2 better before I can push forward and write Book 3 (and maybe Book 4). As always, I’m plagued by this feeling of “oh god I’ve forgotten how to do this whole ‘writing’ thing”—which, of course, I haven’t, but that’s how it feels. With the help of writer’s night, I’ve been trying to “get back on the horse” as they say.
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Now that I have dipped my toes back into the good, hard work—I’m remembering how isolating it is. How lonely. How unrewarded it is by wider society. How I absolutely have to do this for myself first.
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But maybe the solitude is good. The quiet space I’m creating for myself and something I love is damn near mandatory. I’m trying to set myself on a bit of a healing journey this summer, trying to recover from how stressful (and downright traumatic sometimes) these past 3 years in college (and everything else surrounding it) has been. I’ve been dead-set on this goal, and now that it’s so close I can taste it, I know I’ll need to step back and re-evaluate where I wanna go next. Here’s to changes and unearthing the parts of myself that have been long buried🥂

BRITTNEY!!! Cannot believe we finally met after 7 years of long-distance friendship! Two future bestselling authors finally meet in person😉 I’m so glad I got to be here for your wedding. From our early days as blossoming teen authors on Instagram to our days now as young adults meeting over Discord, writing the deepest, angstiest stuff ever on Thursday nights, to whatever the future holds, I’m lucky to have found you as a writer friend across almost a thousand miles♥️📚 Here’s to writing many more books together!🥂

And the first 5🌟 read of the year goes to….Murtagh! Who’s surprised? Nobody🤣
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In all seriousness, I ATE this book up nom nom nom nom nom🫶 Granted I may hold bias simply because Murtagh is my favorite character, but I do truly think this is Paolini’s best book to date. I had serious problems with the Inheritance Cycle’s line level prose, and I remember saying to myself that the first chapter of Murtagh’s writing style—from the cadence of the sentences, to the figurative language, to Murtagh’s narrative voice, to the motifs and foreshadowing—was better than the writing of the entire Inheritance Cycle. This feels like the book Paolini was meant to write; or maybe it’s just the book I was meant to read.
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This book works as a stand alone but it does clearly try to set up further books, which is fine. If they’re about Murtagh and Nasuada, you best believe I’ll be first in line💳💥💳💥
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I definitely have more thoughts but right now I’m fangirling. Murtagh (and Nasuada) are such important characters to me and I enjoyed every page of this book. Maybe I could nitpick and complain about a few things, but why would I want to? It’s not perfect, like every book, but I got what I wanted out of it (AKA a redemption arc and crumbs of MurtaghXNasuada angst)🤌🤌🤌
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It’s been a while since I’ve done a proper writing update, and that’s unfortunately because I haven’t done much lately, writing wise, to update on. I’m on Spring Break now and realizing how much more whole and healthy of a person I am when I have the time and energy to write fiction. Unfortunately I’m realizing that while journaling and creative nonfiction is an important piece of both my writing process and staying sane, it’s not enough. I need those stories; I need that lens of fiction to process things in a way that doesn’t feel like claws on direct flesh in the way that nonfiction does. The slight separation—the fracture in reality that fiction is—makes it easier to dig deep and look at myself head on. It certainly doesn’t make it easier, but for whatever reason, I can process it better. That’s also probably because writing and publishing nonfiction is rarely…fun. Sure, it comes with it the satisfaction and sense of release that all good writing does, but fiction sparks my brain, lights my heart on fire, and gets the wheels of my dusty soul turning again.
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So I guess, long story short, I finished the initial read-through of Book 2 of The Artifacts of Fellglow, which took me about 3 months (thanks student teaching😒). I feel unprepared to dive into Book 3 yet, but I also don’t know where to start in terms of editing/revising. It all feels so overwhelming.😭 Now I have TWO books to make better, but I really feel like I have to go back and nail down those two books so that I have a stronger foundation for the next two books in the series. I feel like if I push through I’ll have more problems to deal with later.
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Anyway—anyone who’s written a series, especially a fantasy series, PLS HELP I need ur editing advice!

moments from writer’s night✍️💕

TL;DR—I didn’t say it was good, I said I liked it🤣
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Archmage Archibald🧙🏿‍♂️🪄📚
Race: orc (tbh I have yet to create a cool name for the orcs so uhhhh this is all I got)
Bio: The most powerful mage to walk the earth; a Gandalf type. Lives as a recluse in the Stella Athenaeum and is over 500 years old. Delightfully unhinged and incredibly wise. Roland’s mentor.
Status: alive and yet also unknown
Quote: “The hands glowed ethereal, a magic-blue. Attached to them was an orc, as ancient as the sea with a wiry beard and wrinkled skin and tusks an inch long protruding from his bottom jaw. His brown skin showed its age by fading into a dull taupe.”
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Been wanting to post more character collages/general Artifacts of Fellglow content on my main feed so bam here ya go, three Black characters from my upcoming fantasy series.

Calixte the Archer🏹
Race: Hjartakin (human)
Bio: A soldier fighting for the human forces in Team 7, along with Roland Ferronrend, Lexys the Swordsman and Captain Gregory. She was 18 years old and a skilled archer with a pleasant and personable demeanor.
Status: deceased before Book 1 begins so it’s not a spoiler lol
Quote: “Calixte cocked her head and her box braids, decorated with the warmth of gold ornaments, cascaded over her shoulder. Calixte was the stealth archer of the group, tall and lean and ceaselessly hardy. Across her back was a delicate wooden bow made of light wood, and a quiver of arrows with mottled feathers.”
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RIP Calixte you would have loved Calixte.

Elder Cleotha🌘🦉🌳
Race: Ardenisse (wood elf)
Bio: Elder Cleotha is one of the high priestesses of The Order to Vaengpena. A resolved, mature woman who is deeply religious, sometimes to her own detriment.
Status: alive
Quote: “Then, they covered her up, but not before a religious elder—an umber-skinned, middle aged woman named Cleotha—placed an aspen sapling over the body, hands pressing the roots into the black earth.”
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Yeah I know her name used to be Gwyneth but Cleotha just fits better, the book ain’t published so there ain’t no rules.

I know what people say about those who make long sappy posts about their partner, but truly deserves it. Not only because he makes me laugh on a daily basis, but he shows me mindless when I am the least deserving of it. But most importantly, he is my biggest cheerleader when it comes to my books. He has been instrumental in crafting The Artifacts of Fellglow series, always my brilliant idea-generator and patient listener. Being a creative can be so isolating because most times, you are the only person who is deeply passionate about your creations. You have to convince others that they should care (and oftentimes, spend money on) your art, books, music, etc. But I’m blessed with a partner who is just as excited and passionate about my work as I am, and as a creative, I couldn’t ask for more than that.

How am I supposed to be authentic on the internet when I struggle to be authentic with myself? It’s only on the page that I can see her—never in the pictures or the conversations, only there in the tiny pixelated words or the pencil chicken-scratchings. I grasp at life as it flies by, wandering and wondering if is this what I truly want?
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I’ve always posted a lot on social media and there’s something inherently naked about publishing writing alongside that. Daddy issues, daddy issues, read all about it! But I’m learning the value of privacy, even if others don’t get the value of my work, even if I don’t get the accolades I want for it.
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As an Enneagram 4 I strive to curate an aesthetic life that mirrors my colorful inner world but I always fail. The words never capture the taste of your skin, the pictures never capture the joy of the moment, the social media posts only capture a fragment in a bottle, one that won’t decay like my memories will—but that fragment still doesn’t make it better.
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How do I let go of living a life for others, seen by others, meant to be consumed by others? Even this—my vain attempt to be authentic—is saccharine somehow. POV: tweeting this from my living room couch (this is a lie; I’m dissociating in my car after work).
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I have finally fixed the "add to cart" button for the Arden candles on my website. Please please please let me know if you ever have troubles on my website!

Casually Homicidal | oliviajcreates “With a daring premise and striking, staccato prose, Casually Homicidal takes you away on an adventure like no other. Bennett’s sophomore novel puts its finger on the pulse of what it means to love, to hate, to lose, to bleed, to fight, to suffer, to live. With fearsome heights and dramatic lows...

Thank you for having me again for STEAM Into Star Wars!! My scrambled-egg student teaching brain forgot several pieces of my usual set-up, but the event was still a success! The author panel was so fun, and it’s always great seeing familiar faces. I also got Mr. olivia.j.creates to come out with me along with my usual event buddy Aunt Kissy! Stay tuned for a YouTube interview coming out with me soon but we’ll see🤫
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this is ur reminder to read my angsty yearning upper YA novel with blood and guts and tears and love

https://www.amazon.com/Casually-Homicidal-Olivia-J-Bennett/dp/B09WPZ9QN6

Welcome to my 2023 Reading Recap!!
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I’m really proud of this—not only of my mad graphic design skillz, but also of how I have diversified my reading tastes in the last few years. Swipe for the stats, plus some expert pie charts. I can’t believe I did math for this.
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We did it, bois. 3 drafts, 2 books, 1 year. 2023 goal SMASHED out of the park✍️

Merry Christmas, Blessed Yule, and of course a Happy (Homicidal) Holidays from me to you!!🎄♥️📚 Swipe for some year-end musings.
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A few months ago, the candle company Irene & Faith Store contacted me about making a candle based around Arden from Casually Homicidal and they came in today! Thank you for an author’s dream come true. Click the link below if you want a candle or a book/candle/bookmark bundle!!

https://oliviajthewordshak.wixsite.com/oliviajcreates/casually-homicidal

12/6/2023—Every winter, something inside me dies. But this winter, it feels like a little more. I’m closing out my last semester of classes, saying goodbye to my student job and to the few (well, maybe more than few) friends I’ve made during my time here, and preparing for the scariest thing I’ve ever done: student teaching. Everyone tells me all these good things about me and about my ability that I never believe. All I can feel is the fear, and that makes me feel even more dead inside. The four walls of darkness press in around me and past 4pm I lose all sense of self.
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And yet somehow—I still do it, still keep going. And yet somehow—I survive the pain, both physical and emotional. And yet somehow—I get up out of bed for no other reason than to pet my cats’ soft heads in the morning, to scritch their little chins and to make tea that warms my icicle fingers and to rewatch my favorite childhood cartoons and to put up the Christmas ornaments that my grandmother made for me before she died. All that good stuff.
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MEET THE WRITER✍️
I don’t think I’ve ever done one of these introduction posts—or at least I haven’t done one in YEARS. But without further ado, meet .j.creates . . .
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Hey y’all! My name is Olivia J. Bennett, and I’m the award-winning author of two young adult novels. My most recent work is Casually Homicidal, a YA road trip thriller, but I’m currently drafting the second book of an adult high fantasy series called The Artifacts of Fellglow!
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I’ve been here on writergram since 2015, posting writing memes and bookish content. Although to be fair, I sometimes hate doing this marketing s**t. I would much prefer to be a recluse in the woods, thank you.
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When I’m not writing, I’m usually studying hard to get my bachelor’s in English education. I just recently turned 24 years old and I am the poster child for an Enneagram 4🤣
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Unfortunately, I struggle with chronic illness and pain, which is something I’m still learning how to not only manage but also claim as a real part of my life. Maybe someday I’ll talk more about it.
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I can’t get enough of stories in all their forms and spend most of my free time analyzing and thinking about how significant they are to our world. I love stories that center female protagonists and anything that’s angsty, atmospheric, and emotionally dynamic.
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I’m a corn-fed Midwestern girlie who has two cats, Baloo & Bagheera—swipe for pics of my cuddle buddies!
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Ok, that seems like enough! I could go on but you probably have already swiped to see cat pics, which is entirely fair. I would have done the same🤣
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in my fantasy era ;)

THANK YOU for helping me out with my research for my senior thesis on Writing as a Spiritual and Religious Practice!!! I just wrapped up edits and sent the draft off to a few beta readers before I present my research to my colleagues next week and turn it in for real. But I wanted to thank you all for your excitement and participation in this project. While I wasn’t able to use everyone’s voice, I did read all your submissions and they helped inform my writing. To those who sent me their responses, keep an eye on your inboxes for the final manuscript coming in the first 2 weeks of December. YOU ARE AWESOME, and be sure to keep writing♥️🍁🕯️✍️
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Also, this is the last of my autumn theme😭but next is cozy Christmas!!

Happy (belated) Halloween from gender-bent Hendrix Williams!!🔪🌲🚗📚 I had such a great time at the Peoria Public Library chatting with everyone, meeting friends old and new, and being in full cosplay! These events are always fun, and I’ve become such a popular face in the area that someone genuinely said that they assumed I’ve “made it big”🤣 Swipe for some extra pics!

Happy NaNoWriMo to all those who participate!!✍️ I used to do NaNoWriMo for ACITV🏜️ but I’ve never been successful in writing 50k in one month. But who needs that? Not me.
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November has always historically been a crazy-busy month for me, so I stopped even attempting NaNo back in 2017. I also think that measuring artistic progress numerically is a little problematic.
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But I think what makes NaNo a good program is that it gets us into a habit of writing daily! So I challenge you NaNo-ers, don’t hold yourself to too high of standards. Don’t measure your writing’s worth by the number in the corner of the screen—measure it by how satisfied you feel after you put down the pen or step away from the screen. Try to write at least something every day, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day.
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Tell me about your NaNo project—or any project—in the comments!