STATUS – 07.22.2025 –

Hello and good afternoon.

The Summer of Kingdom Hearts continues here in House Trinacostadad, as anything that can be a Keyblade is, at it turns out, a Keyblade.

There’s this quote I’ve been bouncing around in my head from the esteemed author, Ursula K. Le Guin, who is so esteemed that I am entirely unfamiliar with her writing. I learned about it (and took the screenshot) from this video, credited to Sam at Rhystic Studies. who lovingly put it all together in regards to the recent Magic the Gathering/Final Fantasy crossover.

Ursula K. Le Guin quote: For fantasy is true, of course. It isn’t factual, but it’s true. Children know that. Adults know it too and that’s precisely why many of them are afraid of fantasy. They know that its truth challenges, even threatens, all that is false, all that is phony, unnecessary, and trivial in the life they have let themselves be forced into living.

Kingdom Hearts is a series that gets a lot of flack (mostly lovingly) online for its “complex” story. A tale of hearts connecting, memories linking us to the ones we loved, and Donal Duck failing to cast a cure spell on you when you really, really, REALLY need it.

But my boys (twins aged 5 1/2 and a 3 1/2 year old) get it. They understand. It’s all passion. Feeling. Good versus evil. Helping versus not helping. It doesn’t matter the nuance because, to them at least, nuance gets in the way. Sora wants to find his friends. The Heartless steal people’s hearts. Our memories are not always true.

Fantasy communicates this better to them than I ever could. And I think it’s important I remember that, especially as I try to write, you know, fantasy…

Understanding that memories aren’t always true.

PROJECT UPDATE:

NESS R&R: The outline is done. The slow parts have been identified. The chapters have been rearranged and, most importantly, added back on….in outline form, I mean. This week starts the rewrites. Planning is all well and good (especially when you write it on serial killer note cards style) but the actual work has to come in the book.

#AMQUERYING – NESS and BIANCA have yet to go out again, in their current state, to new agents. I have, however, received a rejection from an agent for BIANCA who said they liked the concept but didn’t connect with the writing. So, we’re back to that.

CITY – Still nothing new. Unsure of when I’ll get back to it. Hopefully some time this week. The R&R is taking priority.

CURRENTLY LISTENING: We’re NOT getting to Kingdom Hearts II this summer…but it doesn’t mean I can’t listen to this gorgeous gem.

CURRENTLY READING: Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna (B&N)

This is the first MG book I’ve attempted this summer and, 20 pages in, I’m really enjoying it. I did take a small break to read a JESUS CRISTO amount of comic books, but, April got this for me as a gift at a used book store and I’m liking it.