raybans + coffee

Coffee Addict. Writer. Dreamer. Rescue Cat Mom. Political Junkie. Marvel Obsessed. Freelancer. Mental Health Awareness Advocate. Open Fucking Book.

[raybansandcoffee]

Well, Hello There World

Long time no talk.

I promise this is more than a welfare check-in.

While I'm not publishing things right now - I am writing. Sadly it's not anything I've published before, which I know you all hate hearing. But I just can't get my head there right now.

I am, however, still writing that Sebastian Stan AU I've been working on, and I sort of love it. So I just might decide to share it with the world at some point. I'm *almost* done with my actual work for the day, so I can switch from design work and copywriting to actual writing because I have an itch to write today and it has been a long ass time since I've had that more than once in a blue moon. Honestly, maybe I should ask if people even care to read my writing anymore. I've been MIA for so long. And the last two things I've worked on I just couldn't finish and I hate that. So you may have all disappeared and not care anymore. And that's okay, I get it.

Do you even want to ready anything anymore?

I hope you're all doing well, staying healthy and safe. If you need anything or need to talk, my asks and messages are always open, and I'm always here for you, even if it seems like I'm not.

🖤 Annie

[blumcamp]

same

[raybansandcoffee]

relatable.

[raybansandcoffee]

Hi.

I’m alive.  I’m okay. I'll be back soon. I promise.

🖤 Annie

P.S. Yes, I am writing. No, it’s not something I left unfinished when writer’s block hit and kicked my ass for 2 years. It’s new. It’s good, at least I think it is. And it’s got Sebastian Stan which honestly makes everything better. P.P.S. I’m still always here to talk if anyone needs anything. Always.

[transxfiles]

someone, reading my writing: wow great story!

me, sticking my hands in the plotholes: thanks it has pockets :)

[gallusrostromegalus]

Plot holes are merely the pockets in which your audience keeps their fanfiction ideas.

[glitterandrocketfuel]

This is galaxy-brain level understanding of story structure.

[elliebartlets]

nate is such a shitty person

[raybansandcoffee]

super shitty person

[raybansandcoffee]

I moved my 27″ iMac back upstairs to my desk that I have in my dining room. This will hopefully bring a big change to my writing.

I bought this baby at the very beginning of 2020. It’s the nicest computer I’ve ever owned and honestly the very first one I bought without my Dad deciding what I needed. I told my brother (who works for Apple) ‘Go big or go home right? Buy me the iMac you’d buy for yourself if you were me.’ It was quite the investment for my business because it allowed me to do SO much more and it’s unbelievably fast. It’s amazing. 

But I moved moved downstairs as things got busy with work and I thought I needed two monitors. I’m glad I did because the derecho took on the window just to the right of it and my baby could’ve been seriously damaged. I worked down in the basement with it for a year with no sunlight to speak of. I would lay in bed at night staring at my computer feeling guilty for not working and honestly it kept me from writing because my work was always lurking just around the corner. 

When the window got fixed in July I craved sunlight. My mental health has improved so much the last few months just by being near light and having my Mom to keep me company during the day. I hadn’t worked at my desk in the basement since July 25th which I only realized because the calendar on my desk still said that date when I looked at it today. That meant this computer had gone pretty much untouched for months. Today I asked my Mom if she was okay if I moved it back upstairs. I’d been working on my 13″ MacBook Pro that’s at least 5 years old and sounds like a jet engine most of the time. I’d bought this computer to originally be on this desk but felt guilty at the way it seems so enormous in our dining room. She told me to go for it because she’s loved having me above ground with her the last few months.

So here it is, my new desk setup. It’s part fun with all of my planners, stickers, and washi tape. It’s part work because honestly I’ll be working here every day for the most part. But it’s also going to be part writing. It’s going to give me a place to write where I feel creative and have a computer that allows me to have my work in progress doc next to my Pinterest inspiration boards. I feel so lucky to have been able to buy this computer. It seems weird for a computer to mean a lot, but I bought it with a portion of inheritance after my grandpa died. He had zero clue what I did for a living but he was proud that I followed my dreams and worked for myself. So to be able to have this computer because of him makes it more special than your average iMac.

So tonight after getting it moved I opened the Work in Progress doc back up. I’m in Chapter 4, almost at 11,000 words. I’m still loving what I’m writing. I’m at a place where I want to get through what I’m writing right now to get to the meat of the story, but that will take time and it’s okay. It just feels so nice to be able to put words on a page. It’s been way too long. WAY too long.

I’m getting more and more comfortable with it and actually working on a plan for it. I busted out the Novel Planner I have last night and started putting details in it, working on character background, personalities, and everything. It’s maybe the most organized I’ve felt about a story ever. So maybe I’ll feel okay sharing it at some point. Again if you’re interested in reading it please let me know. I don’t want to upset people by not working on my previous works that aren’t finished but ya know sometimes inspiration strikes somewhere else and you have to go with it.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend wherever you are. I’ve missed you and this part of me.

xx. Annie

[raybansandcoffee]

for the first time in forever...

there are words on a page!

Yup, I just managed to use a Frozen song to talk about my writing. I couldn’t resist because I’m that big of a nerd.

So unfortunately for anyone who has read any of my past work, it’s not tied to any of my previously published stories. Adventure of a Lifetime and my LA Harry Styles series are still on hold. I want to finish them, I swear. But trying to climb my way back into that is just a LOT, especially considering everything I’ve written for them in the last nearly 2 years, has been a struggle. 

I’ve hated everything I’ve written since early 2020. Until this. And last night/early this morning I passed 10,000 words. That’s not something I’ve been capable of doing in a very, very long time. I feel so overjoyed that I haven’t completely deleted everything I’ve written in this. I actually like what I’m writing. In fact, the only edits I’ve made are to go back and add more to parts. I’m also going MUCH easier on myself. This isn’t a 10,000 word per chapter novel like so many of my other stories have been. 10,000 words in this is the start of Chapter 4 and also includes character descriptions and a timeline for a story. 

I’ve set realistic expectations for myself of how much I can write, how much time I can devote to it while not completely giving up on everything else in my life. I honestly haven’t even decided if I will publish it. I know people love what I’ve written and that means SO much to me, but I am fearful of reactions if I post something new while I have two unfinished published pieces out there already. But truthfully, so far, it’s one of my favorite things based on what I’ve written and what my ideas are. It’s AU/FanFic, ya know, my realm of writing. My main character is a writer struggling with life and her work (face claim is Sophia Bush for those curious) and my main male character is an AU Sebastian Stan. I feel like I’m writing a Hallmark movie that includes a lot of snark, many many swear words and obviously the one thing all Hallmark films are missing, sex. 

It is clearly still very early stages. I have two friends acting as beta readers and my Mom lets me read what I write to her. So far she also loves it. If you’re interested in beta reading, feel free to reach out. It might take a while before I feel okay sharing it. I at least need to get farther along so that I can have a NICE bubble so I’m not publishing all my finished work and then make everyone wait, especially if this wave of creativity is short lived and my writer’s block returns.

If you read all of this, thank you. If you’ve read anything I’ve ever written, thank you. I’m sorry to disappoint readers by being unable to write the way I’d like to, but I have to allow myself grace to care for myself and focus on my business. Life has been anything but easy for me the last couple of years so finding my way back to my writing feels like I’m home.

xo. Annie

Oh and since it’s a Sebastian Stan AU let’s make the world a better place...

[raybansandcoffee]

An Update...

Hello everyone! I thought you all deserved an update since it's been an entire year since I stopped by to say anything at all about my writing.

Honestly, I haven't been able to write anything in the last year. I hit the worst writer's block of my life and had to stop trying because everything I wrote I deleted and I hated it.

There's a whole world of explanations behind it which all combined together to create a world that stole my inspiration: - I work in social media. So as you can imagine, social media in 2020 was well a clusterf*ck. Whether it was the increase of work or everyone arguing with each other online my every day involved sitting at a computer and trying so hard to stay away from it when I could. As a writer, avoiding computers means no writing. - At the end of 2019 I lost my Grandfather. The grief was immense and swallowed me whole. I still have days that it's a struggle so writing a story that has as much grief involved as 'Adventure of a Lifetime' was extremely hard. - Well 2020. It was *waves hands wildly* a lot. - On August 10th Iowa experienced a derecho (an inland hurricane) that did a significant amount of damage to my house. We are still a construction zone and has my entire home disrupted. We ate on the dining room floor for 3 weeks before deciding my desk that once stared out a beautiful window would make a decent table, which we've been eating at for almost 3 months on a project that was supposed to take 3 days.

The good news is after almost a year the construction to repair my house is almost done and part of what we've done is create a place for me to write and be inspired. In fact, it's the room in my house where I wrote my very first story - I live in my childhood home as an adult so it holds a lot of secrets and memories. My workload is evening out to it's pre-2020 levels which makes staring at a computer not such a daunting task.

Thank you so much for sticking by and supporting me. I am forever grateful for you. I hope to be back soon.

Annie

[romansroys]

if biden wins georgia.........give stacey abrams literally whatever job she wants

actually do that anyway

[raybansandcoffee]

THIS

[anxietyproblem]

[beggingyou-tobemyescape]

Both? Both

[raybansandcoffee]

Definitely both.

[luvinchris]

Chris Evans & Robert Downey Jr - Voters Assemble 

[raybansandcoffee]

This was such a fun event. I love the way campaigns have gone virtual. A few weeks ago I attended an event with Senator Harris, Michael B. Jordan and President Barack Obama - from bed - just like I did today.

[raybansandcoffee]

I can’t think of a better way to spend my Tuesday evening. VOTERS ASSEMBLE!

[raybansandcoffee]

Can’t forget Senator Harris!

[raybansandcoffee]

Coming in with the last minute surprise for trivia RDJ!

[raybansandcoffee]

I can’t think of a better way to spend my Tuesday evening. VOTERS ASSEMBLE!

[raybansandcoffee]

Can’t forget Senator Harris!

[raybansandcoffee]

I can’t think of a better way to spend my Tuesday evening. VOTERS ASSEMBLE!

[raybansandcoffee]

Today’s bake. Not quite the way I’d hoped but it still tastes so damn good. I have a few talents - bread baking might be the one I’m most proud of or at least the one with the best result.

[star-spangled-man-with-a-plan]

[raybansandcoffee]

I had this whole idea that I was going to write today. I slept. I’ve had a horrible migraine but the good news is I’m still wanting to write what I started a few weeks ago. It’s still in baby stages but it’s happening-ish. It’s also odd to have had an idea for something original and not fanfic. But whatever I’ll take it.

I hope everyone had a good Sunday and starts their week off well tomorrow.

🖤 AM