Drafting Bitten 2

a very casual newsletter with way too much yapping

Jul 24, 2025

It’s official. I currently have my Scrivener file open for Bitten 2, and the words have begun to flow. Sort of. Maybe. A little.

Starting projects is the hardest part of the process for me. There is something so daunting about a perfected outline and the blank page beside it, the cursor blinking, blinking, blinking as I try to figure out how to translate my imagination into the right words.

I know what needs to happen, now I just have to write it. And I am always terrified of somehow writing it wrong.

So this week I’m on a strict regimen of brainstorming, creativity, and joy osmosis in order to break through that fear.

I am no longer allowing myself to fill all those quiet moments of life with podcasts or TikToks or, worst of all, mindless scrolling. I am forcing myself to actually sit with my brain and think.

I am taking an hour every night to read. I am listening to music in the hopes of daydreaming. I am watching movies with my family. I am even going for walks when I get stuck on a hard scene (rather foolish for late July in Florida but drafting demands movement!).

In the meantime, I figured writing a substack before I’m fully immersed and unable to do anything but work would be a little treat for me.

(And stay tuned until the end for a special Bitten 2 aesthetic sneak peek 👀)

Movies

The past two weeks, I have been branching out and trying to watch a variety of genres rather than bingeing the exact same genre until I’m burnt out and sick of it. Here are a few of the most recent ones!

Jurassic Park

Sorry, it begs to be stated that this is a perfect movie. In every way. I will accept no arguments. I will offer no more explanations.

"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”

Jurassic Park: Rebirth

I actually thought this was such a wonderful monster movie. Of course it can’t reach the heights of the original Jurassic Park, but it was thrilling and funny and the perfect summer blockbuster. It felt so nice to sit in the movie theater and enjoy some good, old Dinos-eating-people fun. Also Jonathan Bailey is everything, especially in those sl*tty little glasses.

Superman

James Gunn is my favorite screenwriter. Very few people understand character arcs the way he does, and he pulls them off—in my opinion—brilliantly every single time. Superman was a triumph. It is punk rock to be kind. It is also punk rock to care about all of humanity. That messaging, especially, was so needed right now. I left the theater beaming from ear to ear, and immediately made plans to go see it a second time. (And speaking of James Gunn, if you haven’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy 3—you must! It is a perfect screenplay and a beautiful story. Trigger warning for animal harm, but it is so powerful. My favorite superhero movie.) I can’t wait to see what comes next in the Gunn DC-verse.

La La Land

This is, and always will be, one of my favorite movies. The chemistry, the old Hollywood style, the emotions, and the romance are so fantastically done. I still sobbed even though it was my twentieth rewatch. I just love it so much. This movie is exactly the sort of romance I long to write.

Alien

I was excited to watch this one because I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it (I have seen Aliens though, and AvP was constantly on our tv growing up. So why the heck didn’t we watch the original??) but honestly—it was not my favorite. I’m looking forward to rewatching Aliens because I’m not really a straight up horror person. Unless it’s about ghosts or vampires or the paranormal, and then I will watch, terrified, through my fingers. But Alien wasn’t really bringing anything but space horror to the table, and there wasn’t a ton of dialogue. I’m sorry! I know it’s many people’s favorite movie! But I spent most of the movie nauseous and/or hiding from the flashing lights. It did teach me some very important lessons about tension though!

An Affair to Remember

I watched Casablanca for this first time this year, and I adored it beyond words. Actually, I loved it so much that I immediately rewatched it, and then watched it again when Jordan came home from work. And then he wanted to watch it again the very next day. So I was googling other classic movies I might have missed out on, and this one came up often. It was no Casablanca (hard to top that movie for me), but I thought it was still fun and romantic and sweet and quippy. Old movie dialogue is peak quippy—I love it so much!

How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

Obviously this is a rewatch, but I had even more fun than usual. I have never in my life found Matthew McConaughey attractive—until this last Saturday when I watched this again. And then suddenly I was deep-diving TikTok edits as if it was my job. This movie is one of my favorite rom-coms. The chemistry, the comedy, the silly antics, the cast. Utter perfection.

Music

When I tell you this song is all I’m playing at the moment. Conan Gray is one of my favorite artists right now, and this song—THIS SONG!!!! If you haven’t listened yet, then you are welcome. Enjoy. Prepare for it to be all you want to hear!!

Books

I’m in the middle of reading two different books at the moment—a difficult task when drafting, but I refuse to stop—and I’m loving them so freaking much !!

Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier is an emotional, lyrical, gut-wrenching romantasy about a girl who has been confined in chains all her life by those she loves and trusts most. Until, of course, a handsome and cocky pirate helps her break free. Together, they embark on the journey of a lifetime. I am having so much fun with this audiobook. If you like audiobooks, this is one to purchase right now! The narrator is spectacular, and the story is immediately immersive.

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean is a succession meets Emily Henry romance hybrid that is one of my favorite summer reads. I’m currently rereading it for book club, and it’s even better than I remembered. If you want a steamy romance paired with messy family dynamics and horrible rich people learning to be a little less horrible—all whilst being immersed in a beachy New England setting—this is your book!

Events

It will be announced soon, but I am going on a small, Floridian tour for Bitten! As I’ve mentioned in the past, travel is exceptionally hard due to my disability, so I am not sure how far I’ll ever be able to go. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be touring at all. But my publisher has been so accommodating in setting up this local tour for me.

If you’re near Tampa, Orlando, or Miami—or you want to travel here!—please keep an eye on my Instagram for tickets. My schedule is as follows:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30^TH, 2025
6:30 PM: The Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL (with Elise Kova)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1^ST, 2025
7PM: The New Romantics in Orlando, FL (with Shelby Mahurin)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 2025
7PM: Steamy Lit Bookstore in Deerfield Beach, FL (with Shelby Mahurin)

I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL SOME DAY AND GIVE YOU BIG, BIG HUGS! (and probably weep on your shoulders in gratitude!!)

All right, I think that’s everything I wanted to yap about tonight. Drafting is full steam ahead! As promised, here is an aesthetic for Bitten 2 (no spoilers)