iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 04/04/2026

Cold tone fever dreams ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Diving for pearls. Gone fishing. Uncovering the bones. #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #writesky

Fragment 8637

Hips rock and tumble and invocations moan through bee stung lips

020

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 27/03/2026

Diving bell dispatches ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Diving for pearls. Gone fishing. Uncovering the bones. #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #writesky

Fragment 4281

I want to see the sky, I say. She turns and laughs. There is no sky, there is only the drift.

020

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 18/03/2026

Into the deep ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Diving for pearls. Gone fishing. Uncovering the bones. #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #writesky

Fragment 9347

How many times is this, she asks trudging through the underbrush, how many times do we have to go back to the woods

000

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 11/03/2026

Echo chorus lies ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #writesky

Fragment 2228

Kettle rattles on the stove as
The windows briefly darken.
A stray thunderstorm
Stumbles about distant hills

010

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 04/03/2026

Sprints across the wires ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #writesky

Fragment 5306

She asked for patience and I gave her pennies.

Where were you when the sunlight fell?

030

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 04/02/2026

Whispers in the static ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 6017

Wish for rusty scissors to cut out your tongue

140

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 28/01/2026

Into the deep ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 8742

she waits in the shadows of the motel room drapes drawn tight sealing out the burning bright yellow light of the afternoon sun in the half dim she asks if im ready and i sit on the bed and shake my head because my heart is full of fear and i cannot act with the bone in my throat thats okay she coos none of us are ever ready.

000

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 21/01/2026

Long tongue lies ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 5450

Break the bones that hold you fast to your mortgaged lifestyle

030

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 14/01/2026

Mercy seat mumblings ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 8453

We give them another ten minutes, he says.

Nah, the other growls, they got until I finish this smoke then we're heading in.

040

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 09/01/2026

An update on the work and some thoughts on posting to socials. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A blurry photo of a bare tree with the date "2026.01.09" above

The Work

- Pulled together some notes and a list of things I'd like to try or see if I can pull off in the next few months of writing.
- Came up with a new idea for a story or maybe a sandbox, but it feels more like an old idea I'd forgotten, more like I remembered it than it being something new.
- May have roughed out a short this morning. I dunno, it's been an odd day.

Currently

I've been trying out using a scheduler to manage my posts. Trying to post consistently even if I'm not at the desk. I don't remember why.

But on Wednesday, I was out and had a post go up automatically around the same time Renee Good was murdered, and that didn't feel right to me. Even though it wasn't intentional, it felt insensitive and unaware on my part.

I know people say artists and makers shouldn't be political, but we don't do our thing in a vacuum. At least we should be decent and mindful of what's happening in the world around us.

So I'm going back to posting manually and not trying to keep to any set schedule. I'm also kind of rethinking what I'm doing posting here, and why. I had an idea when I started this, but it doesn't feel quite right anymore. Sometimes I feel like a little hamster on my little wheel frantically racing to get somewhere I'm never gonna get, and that ain't fun for anyone.

Currently

I have some other stuff going on over the next couple of months, so I'm going to take a little break, kind of refocus, and maybe change up what I'm doing here a bit. I'll keep you posted.

How are you holding up? I hope you're taking care of yourself, remembering to breathe, and able to find some joy and hold it tight.

With hope for our work, HLS.

Listening to: Heaven or Las Vegas -- Cocteau Twins (loudly, on repeat)
Reading: In the Heart of the Heart of the Country, and Other Stories -- William Gass

030

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 07/01/2026

Cold tone fever dreams ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 6326

words don't work they click and clatter and fill the gaps in the heart until the time comes to pull them back out onto the tongue and savor their sharps and lulls.

000

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 01/01/2026

Whispers from the other room ... Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 2078

she stands with legs akimbo waiting for the hot sauce to be delivered how many times must a man order pizza before its too much, before it's gone cold she takes a drag on her cigarette standing in the doorway listening to the crickets chatter across the yard dull yellow light spills out through the doorway around her into the night. tug and drag and she flicks the butt into the night, turns and walks back into the house shutting off that light behind her the bears wait in the shadows at the edge of the yard at the edge of the wood one of them scurries forward disrupting the crickets and seizes the discarded butt takes a drag and mutters to himself fucking chesterfields.

030

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 30/12/2025

Yet another bad idea ... My plan to kick off next year is to just write. I'm gonna see how many short stories I can write this Spring (March through May) ... #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A photo of a tree with the date "2025.12.30" above

The Work

Yet another bad idea ...

My plan to kick off next year is to just write. I'm gonna see how many short stories I can write this Spring (March through May). For the purpose of this little misadventure, a "finished" story is a complete, readable draft that I can return to later and revise if I want to. It doesn't have to be good, it just has to kind of work -- be a little engaging, have something happen, with a pinch of emotion.

After spending this year trying to learn to learn to write shorts by writing one, I've been feeling (and going over what I did and didn't do this year kind of reinforced this) that I've gotten a little overly focused or caught up on outcomes -- on finishing things, on having them turn out a certain way, and/or what people might think of them -- and have sort of lost sight of just doing the work: making stuff up, writing it down, and getting better at that.

The Work
I'm sure you've all heard the ceramics class anecdote from Art & Fear (if not, I'll link it below). I'm just a little fledgling writer with lots to learn. I figure I gave the one pot approach a try last year, so why not start off year two of learning to write prose by going for quantity?

Maybe focusing just on writing and finishing as many stories as I can will let me play around a bit, try some stuff out, and learn a little faster.

I'm also hoping it'll get me away from kind of treating writing as a performance art and focusing on this made-up finish line of how things turn out and back to the process of just telling a tale (and joy, things were starting to feel a bit like a chore there, and it never used to).

The Work

I'll see how it goes. It's only for three months. If it doesn't work out, I can always try something different.

How about you? What are you focusing on for your writing or stories for the coming year?

With hope for your work, HLS.

Listening to: Танцевать / Tancevat' -- Molchat Doma
Reading: In the Heart of the Heart of the Country, and Other Stories -- William Gass

140

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 26/12/2025

Tryin to catch the wind. Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 6147

She stands at the mike staring at the disinterested faces boozed up hepped up sitting on tattered chairs and couches. Basement party room. Dirt floor, cinder block walls. Bar on the warped ping pong table in the corner, keg and red dixie cups. Five dollar entry all you can drink or something like that. Dark and damp and dank. Fluorescent lights slightly sway overhead from the footsteps in the kitchen and living room above. What does she want sing sing singer at that mike in that basement at that party she wants to be seen she wants to be heard translucence burning bright in her kaleidoscopic soul.

010

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 24/12/2025

Spent some time this week going over what I did this year following Rebecca from Holly Lisle's forum's Overwintering Writer workshop. This time, the exercise was to sort what I didn't get to or wanted to do this year into three buckets.... #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A blurry photo of a neon sign with the date "2025.12.24" above

The Work

Spent some time this week going over what I did this year following Rebecca from Holly Lisle's forum's Overwintering Writer workshop. This time, the exercise was to sort what I didn't get to or wanted to do this year into three buckets: Keep and work on, hold for later, and let go.

I definitely want to keep trying to learn how to write short stories and get better at it. While I didn't write a short story this year like I wanted to, I did write a zero draft for two shorts. One of them I'm going to let go (because it decided it wanted to be part of another idea entirely), but the other I'm going to set aside and maybe try to finish next year.

I have a list I've been adding to for years -- things I wonder about or that interest me, things I love, things I want to tear down, story ideas I want to know how they go down.

The Work

And while they mean something to me and they matter to me, I feel like over the years I've become overly attached to them. They've become "important," and I need to write or finish them to make this all "worthwhile" or justify the time I've spent in this chair.

They've also become kind of "precious," and I get stuck in the gap between my desire to make them up all perfect like and my current writing ability.

I feel like I've spent a lot of time over the years treating them as finish lines, thinking that once I reach them, I'll be satisfied or fulfilled with my work.

The Work

So for next year, I'm going to take this list, all these bits of story I have knocking around in my head, and I'm going to set it in the corner over there, however I'm going to let go of the idea that I ever have to finish them or even work on them.

Which leaves me with the question I've been turning over the rest of this week: what next?

I hope the week was good to you. Would love to hear what you could let go of to free up some time, energy, or headspace.

With hope for our work, HLS

Listening to: Power of the Moon - Ezra Furman
Reading: In the Heart of the Heart of the Country, and Other Stories - William Gass

010

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 17/12/2025

And we pause for the jets. Digging for fire. Panning for gold. Searching for glimmers in the dross. Just fishing. Gone fishing. Diving for pearls. Little fish, big fish. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 2579

With folded hands we kneel together in the middle of the room the furniture pushed to the walls and the carpet pulled back our hopes and dreams scratched upon the dusty floorboards with knives and eyeliner

030

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 16/12/2025

I started working on a new idea last week, but then decided to spend some time developing a game plan for the stories for next year.... #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A tangled power cord on a desk with the date "2025.12.16" above

The Work

I started working on a new idea last week, but then decided to spend some time developing a game plan for the stories for next year.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to spend the first quarter trying to finish as many shorts as I can. I want to practice, learn, and get better at this. I also want to focus on the writing and not worry so much about how they turn out.

I have some thoughts on this, more than I have time and space at the moment, but I'd like to find satisfaction and fulfillment in just writing again rather than chasing some outcome.

The Work

Then, this morning, I thought of a couple of truly awful things I'd like to try. So now I have to see if I want to fit them in as well, and how I might even start with them.

I also started working through an Overwintering Writer workshop put together by Rebecca over at Holly Lisle's forum.

So far, I've made a list of stuff I've made over the last year. Which was really helpful because my brain has been trying to convince me that this year was a waste because I didn't finish a story.

But making these lists helped me see that I'd actually been productive. Lots of false starts and dead ends, but I tried some new things, learned a lot, and kept at it.

Up next is going through the things I didn't finish or wanted to do but didn't, and deciding what I want to do with them going forward.

I hope the week was good to you. Would love to hear some of your wins this year.

With hope for our work, HLS

Listening to: She Loves Me That Way -- grouper
Reading: The Let Them Theory -- Mel Robbins

130

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 10/12/2025

We all dream down here. Rough images, sentences, bits I come up with. Sometimes while free writing. Others are half remembered dreams or thoughts I've written down. All grist for the mill. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 6014

Should we just keep on this lonely road through the night and the ash and the cold the way the wind catches the flicker of your cigarette cherry red sparklers trailing behind us.

051

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 09/12/2025

- About four hours on the short last week - Couple hours on something new Finished my garbage scribble draft of the short yesterday. My goodness, what a relief! I like where it's going but it's going to take some work to get there.... #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A photo of stained glass with the date "2025.12.09" above

The Work

- About four hours on the short last week
- Couple hours on something new

Finished my garbage scribble draft of the short yesterday. My goodness, what a relief!

I like where it's going but it's going to take some work to get there. There's couple of bits that need some figuring out and reworking.

Then, there's a big bit in the middle that doesn't fit at all. Which isn't surprising because it was like an idea I had on hand, and I just stuck it in there. I'm going to have to seriously rework it, if not swap it out entirely.

The Work

I'm going to let the story sit until next month. I have another bad idea I want to try in the meantime.

The whole point of this little experiment is to learn to write prose, short stories. I feel this story, Control, has gotten a little "precious" and big for its britches.

Chuck Jones said, "Every artist has thousands of bad drawings in them and the only way to get rid of them is to draw them out."

So, while I'm learning a lot writing this story, I want to write more, shorter pieces to try things out, experiment, and figure out how to tell a tale.

The Work

I'm going to finish Control, but I'm also going to start and then spend 2026 trying to get the bad stories out of my system. Maybe I'll learn more and get better a little quicker than perfecting and polishing one precious story at a time.

We'll see what happens.

Listening to: Jerkin' -- Amyl and the Sniffers
Reading: A Manual for Cleaning Women -- Lucia Berlin

With hope for our work, HLS.

000

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 03/12/2025

Tryin to catch the wind. Rough images, sentences, bits I come up with. Sometimes while free writing. Others are half remembered dreams or thoughts I've written down. All grist for the mill. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 3274

the grippers grip and the pippers pip. blue stocking'd belles clack and titter. her hand in mine fingers interlaced she squeezes softly and everything's gonna be all right.

010

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 02/12/2025

- Only a couple hours on the short over the last week. Not much time in the chair last week, but that's not a shock what with the holiday. Made some good progress though... #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A distorted photo of building lights at night with the date "2025.12.02" above

The Work

- Only a couple hours on the short over the last week.

Not much time in the chair last week, but that's not a shock what with the holiday. Made some good progress though.

Decided to dump the opening I had and come in later and just make that work. What I was trying to do didn't fit the rest of the story and was jamming me up. I think it works a little better now and I feel better about it.

The Work

Stepping back and trying to hork up the worst possible version of a zero draft I can was the move. I've got about a quarter of the story down now.

Just trying to keep it simple, really basic. Big nouns and verbs. Rough out the action, details. Placeholders for dialogue. Just get it down, out of my head, so I can make it all purty later.

Gotta go fill out some job applications, so that's it for now.

With hope for our work, HLS.

- The smell of dirt, oil, and gas seeps through; stings or burns her nostrils
- The car turns sharply, the trunk sways, pushes Ash up against the jugs and containers at one end.
- The thrum of the tires changes to a rattle and crunch. Gravel she thinks.
- Shoulders tense, strung tight. Heat running up the back of her neck. Prickling clammy skin. Sweat on her brow or her lip
- The car hits a rut or dip in the road. The trunk dips then jolts Ash and its contents upwards. Her head knocks against the lid.

100

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 26/11/2025

Echo chorus lies. Rough images, sentences, bits I come up with. Sometimes while free writing. Others are half remembered dreams or thoughts I've written down. All grist for the mill. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 6650

Into the white we drive, the ash thick and choking outside the car. She turns to me and grins. This is how you do the time, fucker.

020

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 25/11/2025

- Couple hours on the short over the weekend. Not much time in the chair. Moved some stuff around then printed out what I've got, read through it, and made some notes... #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A photo of a birdbath with the date "2025.11.25" above

The Work

- Couple hours on the short over the weekend.

Not much time in the chair. Moved some stuff around then printed out what I've got, read through it, and made some notes.

I'm pretty happy with what I have so far. I like the idea. Sometimes I think it's a little basic, but I think it works. I like the pacing, the build, and how the parts are fitting together.

Again, it feels like it's longer than I was aiming for, but whatever. There's also a bit in the middle that I'm kind of second guessing, but I'm going to just roll with it and see what happens.

The Work

I'm trying to focus on just writing this story the best I can right now and finishing it, and not on any outcomes like quality or response.

The plan for this week is to get down as much of a garbage, vomit, crappy, worst possible version of a zero draft of this story as I can. I just want to get it out of my head and down on paper where I can work with it.

What's your writing plan for this week?

With hope for our work, hls.

120

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 19/11/2025

Down to the well. Rough images, sentences, bits I come up with. Sometimes while free writing. Others are half remembered dreams or thoughts I've written down. All grist for the mill. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 3357

Glass and chrome. Smoothed concrete and air conditioning. Pressed and neat and clean and crisp.

Appearances are everything, he whispers to himself, fake it till you make it that’s the only way to stay afloat.

020

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 14/11/2025

- About three hours on Control since Tuesday (mostly this morning) Rough week for words. Really struggled getting into this draft. Was way too much in my head -- lots of resistance and doubt ... #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A photo of a reflector on the ground with the date "2025.11.14" above

The Work

- About three hours on Control since Tuesday (mostly this morning)

Rough week for words. Really struggled getting into this draft. Was way too much in my head —lots of resistance and doubt.

Debated shelving the story and trying another. Decided to keep at it and find a way to make it work.

Realized I wasn't happy with the structure. A couple of bits didn't quite line up.

The Work

Got up early this morning, tore it all apart, and tried jamming it together in different ways.

Eventually got it to fit better. There are a couple of bits I have to move or rework, but overall I'm much happier with the flow.

I'm still worried there's too much story for a short, but I'm just going to write it and see what happens. I don't mind if it's too long, I just want to finish it.

Currently

The weather is turning. We're supposed to get a storm this weekend, and the temps are heading off the cliff. My sinuses have not been happy about this.

When I have some time (or am procrastinating), I've been trying to figure out what else I could share here. I was thinking of writing some little essays, but I have no idea what to write about.

Would you all be interested in little standalone notes on writing stories or storytelling in general?

Listening to: Memories of Green -- Vangelis

With hope for our work, HLS

060

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 12/11/2025

Digging for fire. Rough images, sentences, bits I come up with. Sometimes while free writing. Others are half remembered dreams or thoughts I've written down. All grist for the mill. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 1564

She pulls at her lip then, decided, sets the shotgun on the table and picks up the circular saw.

010

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 11/11/2025

- About three hours on Control over the weekend. Printed out the draft I have, read through it, and marked it up. Felt better about it after that. I think it's pretty solid and kind of works. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A picture of trees with the date "2025.11.11" above

The Work

- About three hours on Control over the weekend.

Printed out the draft I have, read through it, and marked it up. Felt better about it after that. I think it's pretty solid and kind of works.

Now, if I could remember how to go from notes, placeholders, and hand-waving to actual narrative sentences, to putting down how it all goes down on paper, that would be great.

Currently

In a moment of inspired procrastination over the weekend, I once again attempted to install Scrivener on linux. Somehow, it worked this time?

I've tried Scrivener in the past on windows, and while I really like the concept and some of the features, it just didn't click with me. I may have been trying to use it outside of its intended scope.

Currently

However, this time after copying over my draft, I spent some time tweaking settings and playing around with it. It may be because my process has changed in the meantime, but I wasn't struggling with it.

I'm going to give it another shot and see if I can finish off this story using it. Wish me luck.

Reading: How to Read a Book - Adler and van Doren
Listening to: Some random lofi mix I found the other day

With hope for our work, hls.

120

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 07/11/2025

Sharing something different today. Rough images, sentences, bits I come up with. Sometimes while free writing. Others are half remembered dreams or thoughts I've written down. All grist for the mill. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Fragment 5178

She stands on the farmhouse porch and looks over the dead field, one hand shielding her eyes from the grueling sun overhead. He’s been gone for months. Gone to find work or something. It’s been so long she can’t remember what his story was. She gathers up the laundry and makes her way to the pump and line. One pump two and a wheeze then finally a trickle of water to fill the washtub. She wonders if she should get another mule, get some seed, and try the land again. She wonders what went wrong. Is the land dirty or poisoned? Or was he just as incompetent at plowing as he was at everything else? The water sputters then the pump hisses dry. She wonders to herself how much she can carry and if she should just call it and head over the dead field to the town over yonder.

010

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 05/11/2025

• A couple hours on Control since Saturday Still working on the opening. I think I know how it starts now, and I can kind of see and feel how it plays out. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

The Work
• A couple hours on Control since Saturday

Still working on the opening. I think I know how it starts now, and I can kind of see and feel how it plays out.

But it's gonna be tricky, take some work to pull off. I'm further out of my depth than I've been before.

The Work

I've also realized, for some reason, I've been worrying about the outcome -- will it be "good," what will people think about it -- and that's been kind of hanging me up.

The last couple of days, I've been trying to focus just on finishing this draft, not on how long it takes, whether it's "good" or not, that sort of thing. Just focusing on doing the work the best I can, and that being enough.

I don't know if I got anything more done, but I'm feeling less stressed and enjoying it again.

Currently

I had one trick-or-treater on Halloween.

I live in the middle of nowhere, so I usually don't get trick-or-treaters. However, I always buy a bag of candy because the one year I didn't, like five kids showed up.

So I open the door. There's a kid on the porch. I shove the bucket at them and tell them to go crazy. And this little ghoul, bless them, politely took one piece of candy.

Currently

I said, Go on, take as much as you want. They paused, politely took one more piece of candy, and ran off.

I was able to pawn a handful off on their accompanying parent, but I was left with a nearly bucketful of candy at the end of the night.

I'm allergic to chocolate.

Still totally worth it, and I guess I'll be buying another bag of candy next year.

Reading: How to Read a Book - Adler and van Doren
Listening to: Hearts of Oak - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Kick it!

130

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 31/10/2025

Happy Halloween! Trick yer treats y'all

020

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 30/10/2025

• About three hours on Control (short) over the last couple days Restarted the rough. Had to go back and see how I did it the last time to get my head straight. Got three quarters of it down. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

Photo of a animal skull with the date 2025.10.30 above

The Work
• About three hours on Control (short) over the last couple days

Restarted the rough. Had to go back and see how I did it the last time to get my head straight. Got three-quarters of it down.

The beginning is still giving me trouble. Been bouncing between two different opens; neither of them feels quite right. Prolly gonna wind up just picking one and seeing if it works.

Currently

Been low energy and out of sorts the last few. Don't know if it's stress, the weather, or *waves hands.*

The day job didn't work out, so I'm looking for another. I got my final paycheck today, but it doesn't look like they separated me, so I'm feeling better about my decision.

I've since heard that apparently Deezer's politics are sus. Qobuz's layout doesn't click with me, so I'm trying Tidal for now. I'm really enjoying the quality of their curated playlists.

*Reading:* How to Read a Book - Adler and van Doren
*Listening to:* An epic "New England Alt Classics" playlist on Tidal

With hope for your work, HLS

120

Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 23/10/2025

• About an hour on Control (short) today Started the rough draft today. Had some trouble getting going. I always seem to forget between stories how to begin. And then, each one winds up wanting to go on the page differently anyways. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

A photo of a bunny lawn ornament that says "welcome."

The Work

• About an hour on Control (short) today

Started the rough draft today.

Had some trouble getting going. I always seem to forget between stories how to begin. And then, each one winds up wanting to go on the page differently anyways.

This one, for some reason, wants to be a messy vomit draft. I'm just going to run with that, free write a zero draft, and then revise and refine it.

I guess we'll find out how well that works.

Currently

I am having the damnedest time finding time to write with this new day job schedule.

I resorted to leaving notes and fragments to myself on my phone. I pasted those into my draft document today. Hopefully I can work them into the mix as I go along.

Deezer is a perfectly acceptable alternative to Spotify, if anyone is interested.

*Reading:* The Waves - Virginia Woolf
*Listening to:* Hey Sa-lo-ney - The Detroit Cobras

With hope for your work.

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Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 17/10/2025

- About an hour on Control (short) today • An hour, forty-five on Tuesday • Another hour on Monday Locked in a final outline I can start writing a rough draft from. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

The Telling

- About an hour today
• An hour, forty-five on Tuesday
• Another hour on Monday

Locked in a final outline that I can start writing a rough draft from.

I think the story is mostly working. There are a couple of rough spots, but I'd rather keep moving forward than try to get it all ironed out.

I've been telling myself, It'll never be perfect. It doesn't have to be great. It doesn't even really need to be good. It just has to be genuine and sort of work.

Currently

Had our first rainy day of the season. The internet crashed, just as it does whenever there's bad weather, and I just wanna hibernate for the next five or six months.

Started the new day job this week. It's been a challenge not having as much time to dedicate to the stories.

Trying out Deezer. I feel like Spotify's algorithm is just spinning up the same twenty songs, no matter what I do to try to hear something new.

*Reading:* The Waves - Virginia Woolf
*Listening to:* Like a Lesson - Pillow Queens
*Recently watched:* Weapons
*Enjoying:* My coffee while the rain patters outside

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Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 09/10/2025

Out of Office I recently started a new day job. I'm orienting and training this week, so I haven't moved the story forward much. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

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Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 26/09/2025

• About an hour on Control (short) • Twenty five minutes yesterday • An hour and a half Tuesday Figured out the impact character and a main beat. Bulked up the main character's conflict. Still feel like I'm behind where I want to be. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

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Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 23/09/2025

• About an hour and a half on Control (short) Sorted out the two main characters a bit more. Think I may have figured out what the antagonist's deal is. I've still got a couple other things to work on and the opening hook to rework. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #booksky

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Henry Lee Stewart @henryleestewart.com · 18/09/2025

• 1:15 on Control (short) Just filling in holes then filling in the holes I dug to fill the others. #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity

9/18/2025

1:15 on Control (short)

Just filling in holes then filling in the holes I dug to fill the others.

Got most of this pass sorted. Have two parts that are kind of shaky. The conflict might be weak or confused there. May need to free write a bit tomorrow to sort them out before moving forward.

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