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Hello lovely!
My immediate reaction to this was to remember that "piano" is quiet, but "pianno" is floor, and then I felt like I had passed a pop quiz :P
Even though this is so short, it really captures the engrossed nature of this kind of hobby. I wish I had time to experience this with reading or writing currently. It's so calming and therapeutic to get absorbed in something like that.
You write such a wide variety of things, and you manage to do all of them well. it's really impressive. I dont think you even play piano if I remember correctly, and yet here is this perfect little peek into that experience.
love you!
xoxo Renee
for snow foxes
Author's Response:Renee!!! <3 <3 <3
Ahahah! Actually, both are piano with just one N, pianno is not a word... :P but yes, proud of my student! ;)
I'm so glad you liked this piece and that I captured the feeling of getting lost in music (or any other hobby :P) well! I feel you, btw... wish I had more time/energy/inspiration to read and write, too...
I "play" piano, although playing is a bit exaggerated... lol... anyway, thank you so much, you flatter me! <3
Big snowball hug! <3
Chiara
Awww, poor kid! Gosh, I can absolutely feel his fear and desperation when he gets separated from his mom. I cannot imagine how terrifying it would be to be lost in an unfamiliar place when you're so young and helpless. The moment where he thinks he'll never see his family again was heart-breaking (especially as a parent, imagining my girls ever feeling like this). Then he hears his mom and I love the line where "hope blossomed in his chest." His mom holding him had me choked up. Alll the momma feels rght there. The ending had me giggling a little to myself. It's so cute. He's so grateful to be with his mom again and so mortified from this experience that he promises to "never, ever disobey her again," but I have to wonder just how long that will last. ;)
xx Gina
Author's Response:Ah, yes, the poor child... it is terribly scary getting lost at that age, isn't it? <3 And I bet as a mum you would feel the emotions of this very strongly... *hugs*
Ahahah! I don't think that promise would last long... :P glad that made you giggle! :D
Thank you so much again for reading and reviewing! <3
AHHHHHHH you are so good at those twist endings!
Let's go back to the beginning for a sec. So I really enjoyed this one. It's so cozy and grounding. It's a moment of joy and self-care, and I LOVE the image of worries dissolving "like dandelion seeds in the wind." I was satisfied with this drabble being an homage to baking and a moment of release, but then you throw that ending in there! So it seems that this narrator is baking because it's something that they used to do with their mom? Or something that just reminds them of their mom? Either way, the emotions really hit you there at the end. It's still joyful and sweet, but there's a moment of longing that really packs a punch. Really, really well done.
xx Gina
Author's Response:Ah, I know... a bit of bittersweetness here again... I love the idea of family traditions, especially when linked to cooking and food... and there is something so soothing about baking... it is self-care, yes... I'm sorry the ending is a bit sad, but I'm glad it emotioned you! <3
Thank you so much for the lovely review! <3
Oh how I miss travel. This is making me super nostalgic for all the trips I have taken and the trips I want to take in the future. I love the way you set this up, with the man getting ready for an adventure by packing up his belongings in a rucksack and then realizing that his dreams are "all he owns, all he needs." There's a moment of hesitation, because it is scary, after all, to throw yourself into the unknown, but then he pushes forward and it's exhilarating. I love the description of the scenery flying past him as he's sitting on the bus, hurtling towards his next adventure. Where is he going? We don't know. But we don't have to know, because the journey is more important than the destination. It's a time to discover and to be truly alive.
xx Gina
Author's Response:I miss travelling, too! I will admit that I never had the courage to just leave for a trip alone and without a real plan, but I do love the idea! :D
I'm glad you liked the set up, and that moment of hesitation and fear, but then pushing forward anyway! :D And yes, the journey matters more than the destination ;)
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! <3 <3 <3
Yep, I feel called out again. I don't know how you do this. I swear, these drabbles just speak to my soul. You have perfectly captured the life of an introvert, always feeling like they're on the outside and wondering how people make friends so easily, but also kind of enjoying being on the outside and just observing. It's fascinating just watching people. I loved the last line as well, where she realizes it's only 9:30 and decides she can stay for another half an hour. :P OMG SO RELATABLE.
I love the atmosphere of this one as well. It really does seem peaceful, almost soothing. I think this is the type of party I would like, everyone sitting around, enjoying one another's company. Very chill.
xx Gina
Author's Response:Ahahah! I mean, isn't it every single introvert ever? :P Yes, I agree, it is fascinating just watching people... :P (but it would be nice to be able to talk to people and make friends easily, too...)
Glad you found this relatable, anyway! And glad you enjoyed the chill atmosphere of it! :D
Thank you for another great review! <3
Awwww, how cute! I love how you set this up, as if it's some secret agent on a mission and he's being hunted or something. The stakes feel high and every move is so calculated. Then we get to the end and discover it's a game of hide and seek and there's this really satisfying come down where you can't help but smile as all your tension settles.
But also, this is legitimately what it feels like to play hide and seek when you're a kid! It feels like life or death in a way, so I love that you captured that childhood imagination. Children put their all into everything--it's kind of a beautiful thing and it's something that I miss now that I'm all "grown up." :P
xx Gina
Author's Response:So happy this one made you smile! I wanted to build it up as if something really tense/heavy is happening, and then make that twist at the end! :P And yes, you're right, it would be a life or death matter for a child! :P Glad you liked that child-like feeling! <3
Thank you so much for the lovely review once again! <3
Okay, this made me tear up. Legitimately. What a beautiful, poignant image. There are so many tiny moments here that are mention-worthy, like the contrast of the flowers (so colorful and alive) with the marble of the headstone, and, similarly, the contrast of the orange sky with the black and white picture of her loved one. All these gentle reminders that she is alive and he is not, and she is still mourning despite smiilng at his memory.
When she starts talking to him, wondering if he can hear her, that's when I started to get emotional. The small talk about the apple pie and their son--these are the things they would talk about if he was alive, but he is not, and I'm sure there's so much more she wants to say but doesn't know how. And the image at the end of the breeze caressing her and her imagining it's her loved one--that was beautiful. A perfect ending.
xx Gina
Author's Response:So glad you liked this one and that it emotioned you! I meant it to be more bittersweet and I hope that came across! <3 Glad you liked the contrast of colours and how they reflected the contrast between life and death in a way... <3 I'm so glad you liked the way she talked to his tomb and the image of the breeze caressing her at the end... <3 Thank you so much for another lovely review! <3
Wow, this is kind of chilling. I have so many questions after reading this, like who is this person and why does he feel like a thief for being happy? Why does he have to "steal" happiness and why does he walk away feeling empty? This makes me sad... Somebody go give this guy a hug!
I really like this concept, though, of someone who is trying to find happiness anywhere they can, even if it's fleeting, so they kind of exchange adrenaline for happiness. It strikes me as similar to someone turning to substance to try to fill the void, to try to feel something, but ultimately it's an empty sort of feeling because it's doesn't really fill you beyond that initial high, and, in some cases, it leaves you feeling more empty than before.
I just get this sense that this person is so lonely, so removed from all the colors and happy scenes of families and children running around. ): There's so much emotion packed into this!
xx Gina
Author's Response:I know, this is another sad one... and yes, this man could use a hug... I didn't think about the parallel to drugs, but it does make a lot of sense your comparison you make here... the way it is a momentary feeling that it leaves you even more empty afterwards... :( And yes, there is this big contrast between the protagonist and his loneliness and all the people around... so glad this emotioned you, even if it's kind of heartbreaking... <3
Thank you so much for another lovely review! <3
Okay, wow, I feel called out by this one.
I mean that as a compliment, by the way. The way you describe this feeling is so real that it really resonated with me. I've definitely felt what you're describing, like I'm not good enough, like everyone else has it together except for me. The emotions in this drabble are so raw. The repetition of the world "always" perfectly captures the frustration and desperation to finally be good enough, and then the "spiral of dark thoughts" is also really accurate. It's almost like you can't look past it, even though a part of your brain may know you're being irrational.
Also, this is kind of random, but I really liked how the first two lines started with an E word, just like the title. It was cool to read and I can tell you put a lot of thought into your writing.
xx Gina
Author's Response:I think everyone has felt this way at some point in their lives? Or maybe not everyone, but many people? I've definitely been there, more often than I like to admit... anyway, I'm glad this resonated and that you felt I captured that feeling of inadequacy and being trapped in your own dark thoughts well.
And that's not random at all, it actually makes me happy that you mention it, because I've purposefully tried to make each drabble start with the letter of the title, and I don't think many people have noticed, so it's nice that you liked that! ;)
Thank you so much for another great review! <3 <3 <3
Oh, this is so sad. This poor dancer, giving everything she has just to please the crowd, but ultimately is it worth it? I feel like this is, unfortunately, an accurate depiction of the world of competitive dancing, where dancers dance themselves until they are completely spent. It's a toxic environment in some cases, where you're only "good enough" if you're literally collapsing, like this dancer does at the end. It's almost like an abusive relationship that keeps you coming back because of the praise you receive but it's tinged with the pain and the trauma, too, but how can you leave when it's literally your entire world?
The way your writing builds, too, is so masterful. The rhythm and the repetition and the constant movement forward. It's like there's nowhere to stop and take a breath, and that perfectly mirrors this dancer and she continues on, and on, and on. Beautifully done.
xx Gina
Author's Response:This one is very sad, indeed... I actually took inspiration for this drabble from Strawinski's Rite of Spring, in which a girl is selected as a human sacrifice and literally has to dance herself to death... but I suppose this could be read as a metaphore for professional/competitive dancing (or sports in general). It can be a pretty toxic environment in which you give all of yourself and it's never enough...
I'm so glad you liked, once again, the rhythm and the atmosphere and the built up of the writing, and how it all reflects the theme of the drabble! Thank you so much for another lovely review! <3
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
YOUR DRABBLES
HOW HAVE I NOT READ THEM BEFORE NOW?
Wow, this is so thought-provoking. You seriously capture the most interesting ideas and make them new and unique and beautiful. Your writing is just stunning, first of all, but then the complexity! AHHHHH. The idea of being alone in a crowd is so fascinating and it's something I've thought about a lot, how you can just vanish in a sea of people. I love how you explore that here, but then you turn it on its head at the end, giving that one moment of hope that you could make a difference just by doing one small thing, one tiny gesture, but then that hope gets crushed by "you're already late." Because isn't that the excuse we so often tell ourselves? Oh, not today, I'm running late. But if we had just smiled or said hello, it could've changed someone's whole day! (Feeling very Butterfly Effect right now!)
xx Gina
Author's Response:Aww, thank you! So glad you thought this was beautiful, too!
I'm glad you liked the concept, of vanishing in a sea of people, and the idea that a small gesture could broken it... but yeah, we are always running late... we all live such frenetic lives that actually linking with what's around us is almost impossible... at least that's how I often feel... but yes, the smallest thing could have such a big impact (very butterfly effect, like you said :P)
Thank you so much for another lovely review!!! <3
Wow, this is SO GOOD. Your drabbles pack a punch and genuinely leave me thinking. I don't know how you achieve such complexity in so few words.
At first, when I read this, I was getting angry at the princess for basking in her riches and her privilege while her subjects suffered. It seems like she's totally oblivious to anyone besides herself (though perhaps that's not her fault if she is literally locked in her tower--didn't know if that was literal or figurative). But then as I kept reading, I began almost feeling sorry for her. I completely agree with the notion that you cannot experience joy without sadness; you need the good and the bad, otherwise you'll live a pastel, meaningless life. As much as grief and pain suck, they help us to appreciate the good. And so the princess will never experience true joy. I think you really captured this idea at the end with the line, "She had everything, except what mattered most."
Beautiful stuff!
xx Gina
Author's Response:I'm so glad you liked this one, too, and that it made you think! :)
I meant it in a more literal way, like the princess is locked in the tower and doesn't even know there is anything outside... but I guess you could interpret it both ways... and yes, I think you need the bad in life to truly appreciate the good. The princess has all the riches, but she can't experience true joy...
So glad you liked this! <3
Chiara
This is really powerful. I'm assuming the narrator is coming to terms with their asexuality (hence the title) and I think you do a really nice job of handling this topic respectfully and authentically as well. All the questions the narrator asks or so real. Society really does expect everyone to find their match and live this fairytale love. It's so prevalent that we see it in, like, almost every movie/T.V. show/book, etc. even if Romance isn't the primary genre. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to try to break out of that expectation.
The ending is really heart-breaking, that this person feels like it's easier to pretend than to have to explain themselves over and over again. Sometimes society's voice is so loud that it's impossible to imagine ourselves breaking the mold and being successful outside of the expected norms. It's so easy to doubt yourself even if you are confident in who you are, which it seems like this narrator is not quite there yet. That process of discovery should be supported, not shut down.
Like I said, this is so powerful. Thanks for writing it.
xx Gina
Author's Response:Thank you so much! This is a very personal piece, so it always means a lot when people can sympathize... <3
It is very hard to break out of the society expectation that there is a match for everyone... and it does make you doubt yourself, feel like something's broken within you, even... and it does feel easier to pretend, even if you are confident in who you are...
Thank you so much for the lovely review!!! <3 <3 <3
Snowball hug,
Chiara
WHAT EVEN IS THIS GORGEOUSNESS LIKE HOW DID YOUR BRAIN COME UP WITH THIS IT IS STUNNING
There are so many lines that I could pull out as just PURE MAGIC. I'll try to pick my favorites... I loved the bit about how "piano" is so delicate that it's like it "ended before it started" and that it's afraid to "break an ancient agreement of peace." The notion that "music is the language" is breath-taking and I LOVE that you describe it as "an eternal research of something unknown." Wow. Seriously, this is masterful. It's like poetry. It's such a new and unique way to experience music and it perfectly mirrors the idea of music being a sort of language itself. This piece IS music and it's ABOUT music and it's EXPLORING music and the layers upon layers are incredible.
I also love the way this piece builds, just like a song. Starting quiet and the getting louder and more insistent until we're left with the image of the pianist completely lost in the music. We start very close up, intimate, and then slowly are pulled into this vast, universal experience of getting swept up into something beautiful.
AHHHHHHHHHHH this is brilliant.
xx Gina
Author's Response:Aww, you make me blush... <3
I'm so glad you liked this one too, and all those lines, and the... musicality of it, I guess? :P So glad you liked the atmosphere and the idea of losing yourself in the music, and that you thought it was beautiful! <3
Thank you so much for another super lovely review! <3
Chiara
AHHHHH that last line is beautiful. "You belong to the sky." Honestly breathtaking. I love when last lines just grab you like that and won't let you go. It's the perfect resolution to this drabble.
ALSO, I love the allusions to Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. They fit this drabble so well, because it's all about magic and being who you really are, limitless, letting your dreams unfold before you. This is truly inspirational, but not in a didactic way at all. It feels natural. And the rhythm is beautiful. Your sentences have this rolling quality to them, like we're hopping from one idea to the next without stopping. I think it really fits the idea of letting yourself go and dreaming without holding back.
Good luck in the Inky's! I can totally see why this drabble was nominated. :)
xx Gina
Author's Response:Gina!!! :D
Thank you so much for stopping by here, darling! <3
I'm so glad you liked the closing line, and just the general atmosphere of the drabble! Maybe it's just me, but I think we all need a bit of magic and daydreaming in our lives, right? So glad you liked the rhythm of the writing and that it felt inspirational! Thank you so much for the lovely review! <3
Hugs,
Chiara
Hey!
the emotions of grief are crafted so well here. I love how you put a lot of focus on colour in this piece, the gentle and almost intimate act of arranging for flowers for a lost loved one. it evokes a lot of her feelings very well, you can tell she cares a lot her lost husband/partner like it's the angst feel more subtle in this piece than some of others but I think that works in its favour. I think this piece gives me a little hope for this woman though, she has a son who she at least sees a bit which is positive even though it's not the same as having her husband around.
I feel often that parents wouldn't want to bother their children with how they're truly feeling or still feel the need to protect them. I assume this makes her feel a bit more isolated/lonely even if her son is a great help. I think the last line is the thing that makes it a little less angst that the character has hope and faith that her husband is truly there, that in itself is moving and poignant. good job on this piece <3
abbi xx
Author's Response:Hi! :)
I wanted this to be more soft, more bittersweet... it's sad, yes, but hopeful too, and I'm glad that comes across! I'm glad you liked the focus on colour, and the care she puts in arranging the flowers. And yes, she still has her son, but it isn't quite the same...
Glad you liked the hopeful note of the closing line, like she can still feel his presence in a way... so glad you liked this one! <3
Thank you! <3
Hey!
I'm here for fairyland,
omg, you're so good at crafting these little moments, it's so clever that this works so well because you're just highlighting those snippets of life. How beautifully have you described those mixture of feelings for the character, something that he enjoys but he seems to feel like he doesn't feel he deserves. I'm glad for him that he got that moment to experience something that brings him a true joy but I feel sad that he isn't able feel that for longer than just this one ride. such a mixture of emotions. I love the description of the fair and seeing how families are enjoying it which makes the angst of this man hit so damn hard. another wonderful chapter my darling.
Abbi xx
Author's Response:Hi again!
So glad you liked this one too, and that this little snippet of life felt effective!
This is a sad one, too... poor man, so lonely, feeling like he doesn't deserve this little moment of joy... :/ So glad you could feel the emotions here, and that you liked the descriptions of the fair and the contrast it creates with the protagonist!
Thank you so much for the lovely review! <3
Hey Chiara,
here for fairyland. :)
I feel like this wouldn't be out of place as a snippet of Peter Pettigrew's inner thought process during the war. I was wondering if there was any inspiration stemming from that as you know his character so well. I thought it captured some of this emotions of envy so perfectly, the isolation about not feeling like you're good enough, there is something so wonderfully human and raw about this piece. the character is just leaving this feeling consume them it's so sad to see them unable to think through those emotions and channel them properly. I love the use of first person that you've used in most of these pieces so far. I find this one to be particular effective. it challenges your own thoughts and put you into the character's mind space. that's very powerful.
Abbi xx
Author's Response:Ahahah! Well, I didn't write this thinking about Peter specifically, but yes, it does have strong Peter Pettigrew vibes! ;)
Yes, it is so sad how the character is letting the envy consume them... but yes, it's also a very human feeling... I'm glad it was effective, and that you liked the use of second person, too. I do love that perspective, it does help getting inside the character's head.
Thank you so much for another lovely review! <3
hey,
here for fairyland event,
so I've found all your pieces so far like really powerful and insightful but there is something about this drabble that just seems plain dark, you get up inside of dancers head and paint this vivid imagery of her slowly unraveling like once she was perfect and now she's just falling to pieces unable to stop herself. it's kinda addictive and enchanting to her be in the 'zone' struggling against that intensity and knowing no-one really understands it. the piece has been so successful at drawing me in.
abbi xx
Author's Response:Hi again! :)
This one definitely has a darker note... I'm so glad my writing was effective to draw the reader in and get inside the dancer's head and that it was evocative!
Thank you so much for another lovely review! <3
Hey Chiara,
I thought opening with a question was very bold like it totally gets the reader think before you even enter line two which is very powerful thing. I reckon there is probably a point that everyone has connected with that at some point in their lives if that's a temporary/fleeting feeling or something more deep rooted for some people.
i'm so impressed by how short each piece from this collection but there is always one if not more stand out lines from them. 'rushing through the turbulent waters of a life that they don't really own' is probably my favorite line from this piece because that I think the imagery is beautifully played. This feeling about going along with the crowd is so deep, the idea of human connection being so far away. so poignant.
Abbi xx
Author's Response:Hi, Abbi! :D
Well, these are "Reflections on solitude" for a reason, right? :P Glad the opening question was effective to make the reader think. And yes, I think we have all feel that way at some point...
Glad you could relate to the feeling and that you thought my writing was powerful. Thank you so much for the lovely review! <3
i think i fell in love with the last line of this drabble - in a small piece of paper he records an instant that tastes like eternity - it's just beyond beautiful, probably one of my favourite quotes in the collection that's filled with beautiful, poignant, amazing quotes! it really captures the essence of the photographer and the art that he creates. i also really really loved the way you described the process of taking a photograph, the zooming in into smallest, most beautiful and intricate details of the world around us, then zooming out to capture the vastness, the global beauty, it was just so well written. i'm amazed at your skill with these drabbles, they're all so unique, tell such different stories in different ways and techniques used, but absolutely all of them are beautifully amazing!
(for foxy glory!)
Author's Response:I'm so glad you liked that closing line, and all my descriptions of the photography process! Thank you so, so, so much for reading and reviewing through the whole collection and for sharing all your appreciation and your poignant thoughts! It really means a lot that you enjoyed the collection as a whole and that it spoke to you and that you felt I did a good job with it and with the various stories and different styles! Thank you so much!!! <3 <3 <3
Big snowball hug,
Chiara
i really love the idea and the sentiment and the message behind this drabble, it does feel a little different than most of the others in the collection, but it's just so wonderfully hopeful in the idea that yeah, you may have been living and overthinking most things, you maybe got stuck in that process of overthinking, but, but there is still time, you can still stop, take a breath and start running towards life, live it to its full, beautiful potential, do all the things that you wanted to do, or at least, try. and it's beautiful to read in a way that makes my cold lil heart get all warm and fuzzy inside. even when it seems hopeless, like everyone else is doing so much better than you, and that feeling is bloody awful, you can still do it too, there is still time and i love that.
(for foxy glory!)
Author's Response:Glad you liked this one and that it felt hopeful, like it's not too late and you can still live life at its fullest. This was practically me trying to cheer myself on, so I love that this is the message you got from it and that it made you smile and warmed you up! <3
Thank you so, so much for another super lovely review! <3 <3 <3
god, fucking xenophobia, i hate it and i hated experiencing it - those stares and glares and assumptions based just on the way you look like, the way you talk, it's all so deeply upsetting and unsettling and i think that you portrayed that really well here. wondering what those other people think about you and what is so different on you, what makes them think that they are better than you. it's incomprehensible, it will never be something that i can understand, but it will always hurt so fucking much. i do hope that the day will come at some point, but right now it seems so so far away and impossible and it makes me so fucking sad.
(for foxy glory!)
Author's Response:I've never experienced xenophobia myself, but it is horrible that people would make assumptions and judge like that for no reason except appearences... and I'm so sorry you had to experience this... :/ I do believe that things can and will eventually change, and sometimes it seems that a lot of steps forward have been taken, but then other times it seems that we are going backwards again and it really feels impossible... it is so very sad... :/
Thank you for the lovely review! And lots of hugs again! <3 <3 <3
hey chiara <3
i'm here for the reviewing event like it's about time that I came to give these drabbles to reviewing love they deserve.
i love how much you are able to capture in this piece, how much different themes. you talk about how the princess is getting everything that she wants but kinda how it's not really real. there is a world outside is still going on. she is lucky because she doesn't know any of the pain or hunger of the others which seems like a good thing then you flip the situation around again that she doesn't have the experiences of the others like love and the joy of seeing hard work coming together. I love the imagery about the wheat and stuff. really nice, very effective.
I feel sorry for the princess now. she's so alone there. it's amazing how much you've twisted my emotions in this short piece. so clever. loved this piece.
abbi xx
Author's Response:Hey, Abbi! <3
Thank you so much for coming back here, my love! <3
I'm so glad you liked this piece, and the contrast between how the princess apparently has everything, but it's empty and meaningless because she doesn't know the true joys of life. Glad you liked the wheat image as well, it's probably one of my favourites in this drabble as well! :)
So glad you enjoyed this, thank you so much for the lovely review!!! <3 <3 <3
AWH poor baby! This is such a poignant piece for how brief it is, and I swear the EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME! Only we were in an outlet mall, so after I grabbed the wrong person's hand, I went outside and looked through the window displays and started to think that was how manequins ended up there (?) and I would have to live inside the glass until I became a mannegquin.
From experience, I can attest that you've nailed the bone biting anxiety that comes with being lost for the first time. Very well done!
Go foxes!
Author's Response:Ah, yes, poor child... it is so very scary when you get lost as a little kid... :/
Glad you thought I captured the feelings well in this one, too!
Thank you so much again! <3
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