Last year I started a new blog, creatively named "Rebecca Lang's Personal Blog," on wordpress, with the idea that I could use it to freely express my opinions and write whatever I wanted without the pressure of using it as a tool to create content for my audience or sell books.

That said, I didn't know what to do with my blog and it was mostly abandoned--until this spring, when I started to feel inspired again. My blog entries took on an interesting hybrid of "here's a random thing I've been doing lately" and "tips for how you, too, can do this random thing." This emphasis on action might be because, after 2 years of being stuck in semi-isolation, I have the urge to go out into the world and try new things again. I don't expect these kinds of blogs to be standard (since it would require me to do new activities), but I've been having fun writing them.  

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"The Benefits of Keeping a Private Diary" 

After spending a year meticulously writing down events and emotions and forcing myself to re-read them, I make some interesting self-discoveries--and you can, too, with my list of trips for keeping a diary.

"How to Write a Poem About a Weeping Peach Tree (Part 1)"

An excruciatingly detailed account of me trying to observe the peach tree in front of my house for the sake of writing a poem, before finally hitting inspiration--with tips on how to brainstorm your own poems.  

"How to Write a Poem About a Weeping Peach Tree (Part 2)"

The excruciating process of editing the raw observations of a peach tree into a semi-respectable poem--with tips on editing a poem.
 
"How to Host a Poetry-Writing Excursion"

I try to teach poetry to friends and family, which ends up mostly being an excuse for everyone to hang out at a botanical garden--with tips on how to host your own poetry-writing event.

"How to Tutor a Preschooler on Facetime with the Help of a Mischievous Stuffed Lion"

As I tutor my nephew on my phone, he suggests bringing his favorite stuffed animal into our teaching sessions, and I give it a try--with tips for how you can tutor a young child online and links to free worksheets.

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To conclude, I hope that you have had the opportunity to expand yourself, try new things, and just have one--in a safe and healthy way, of course. If any of these blog entries, inspired you or gave you ideas for something new that you can try, then it has done its job. Take care everyone, and please check out my new "Girls and Monsters" novel I'm publishing right now online for free.

Girls and Monsters is a novel that I didn't mean to write. The idea for it had floated in my head
since 2014, but back then it was a soap opera-ish bedtime story I played in my head right before I fell asleep. In 2019, I actually started writing it down, not as a serious project, but as a way of amusing myself. I kept writing in spurts of passion, until suddenly I had a novel.

Girls and Monsters

When she is abducted by a powerful sorcerer who hides his true face with illusions, Seri fears the worst. As soon as she arrives at his isolated tower, the sorcerer puts a curse on her. After a grace period of three months, Seri will begin a painful transformation into a dragon, and once that transformation is complete, she will become a mindless beast, obedient to him. Brand, the sorcerer, offers to lift the curse--but only if she gives him something he wants.
 
Seri, however, is determined to resist him. She meets other girls that Brand has kidnapped and becomes a leader among them, urging them not to yield to Brand’s twisted demands. But Brand has a secret. The sole survivor of a terrible massacre, he’s vowed revenge on those that killed his family. The dragon curse is key to his vengeance. But when Brand develops feelings for Seri, he starts to question his choices. What sort of man does he want to be?

I had a novel, and it was fun and kind of addicting, but I didn't know what to do with it. I wanted to share it with others who might get some enjoyment out of it, but I didn't want to go through the trouble of publishing a novel (not yet, anyway). The idea came to my head to publish it serially on one (or three) of the many platforms that host authors. This lets readers read my novel for free and gives me an opportunity to build my audience.

I will be posting chapters of Girls and Monsters on Royal Road, Scribble Hub, and Tapas every Monday through Thursday, from May to August 2022, until the novel is complete. This story will be free to read, although, you can support me financially through donations. If you enjoy my story, please rate, review, or send me a message!

I've never published serially, except maybe on fanfiction, so I'm going to try this out as an experiment. (For those interested in the experimental publishing aspect, I'll write more about it on my personal blog.) I'm excited to have the opportunity to try something new and learn and maybe find new ways to connect to other readers and writers. Please check out my story on one of the three platforms, if it sounds appealing to you. Thank you for all your support.

Content warning: Girls and Monsters does contain strong language (mostly toward the end), some frank discussions on rape and consent, and briefs thoughts on suicide. Sex is suggested, though there are no graphic sex scenes.