Experience
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Experience
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Hello beloved listeners, readers, etc.
I'm sure you all have notice the lack of content for a while. I am sorry to announce that Hobbies Include: Writing is going to continue an official indefinite hiatus. I have been fairly open about my mental health on this podcast, and I will be open again to say that it is a factor in this hiatus announcement. Blood That Binds is an extremely personal story for me, and cuts close to many of the wounds I am still healing from in my own life. I wrote the first half of that story when I was in a very dark place. As I couldn't get out of that place at the time, this story was one of my few outlets. Writing it, and looking forward to sharing it with all of you, kept me going through some very necessary shadow work. However, even the darkest of nights will end. I am not in that dark place now, and I am learning more and more that there are phases to healing. The phase I am in at the moment includes learning to relax and to enjoy the good and loving things and people around me. Taking joy in my life is, for me, a glorious and rebellious act of self-love that I have been denied far too much. While I love creating, and creating this show specifically, my recent attempts to finish writing Blood That Binds at this time threaten to pull me back into that dark place. Though I do not think I am done with shadow work in my life, now is a time to take a healthy break from it. I do intend to finish Blood That Binds, and to share the end of that story with you. For now, I am going to take some much needed time away, and work on other projects - perhaps ones that celebrate the hard-one joy that I am learning. In the meantime, I encourage you to continue to support creators. There are many of us out there, little creators giving our passions and opening up our hearts. Find those that inspire you, and earn your attention.
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When Maeve's survival instincts finally kick in, her knight in shining armor is as troubling as the dragon she faces... Hello and welcome to season 2 of Blood That Binds. The hiatus has ended and regular content is finally here! I apologize that the episode is late to drop, and will keep this blog post short to make up for it. You know what to do. Download the PDF, or click any listen link on this page to hear the episode! LINKS & CREDITS Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hobbiesinclude_writing?fan_landing=true Facebook.com/hobbiesincludewriting Twitter: @HIWPodcast Black Ice Comics: https://www.blackicecomics.com/ Music edited from: Chill Wave by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3498-chill-wave License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Of Dice & DMs: https://soundcloud.com/ofdiceanddms Website https://melbournedungeonmaster.com/dicendms Tell Me About Your D&D Character: https://soundcloud.com/tellmeaboutyourdnd Blood In Woodhaven can be purchased at: https://www.thequestsuppliers.com.au/
I am joined by Tell Me About Your D&D Character host Jeremy, as well as his Of Dice & DMs co-hosts Ben and Tory. We discuss vampires, fairy tales and RPGs as collaborative storytelling.
LINKS & CREDITS Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hobbiesinclude_writing?fan_landing=true Facebook.com/hobbiesincludewriting Twitter: @HIWPodcast Black Ice Comics: https://www.blackicecomics.com/ Music edited from: Chill Wave by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3498-chill-wave License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Of Dice & DMs: https://soundcloud.com/ofdiceanddms Website https://melbournedungeonmaster.com/dicendms Tell Me About Your D&D Character: https://soundcloud.com/tellmeaboutyourdnd Blood In Woodhaven can be purchased at: https://www.thequestsuppliers.com.au/ In this flashback in the timeline to Episode 2, we find out what happened on Dolan's first date with Asim, when Dolan got very, very drunk... Links & Credits
Earlier this week, I received some very helpful constructive criticism from a fan who has been gracious enough to allow me to share both her first name and her email to me.
Although this episode summarizes her email and my response to her, I wanted to share them verbatim here as well: "Hi, I discovered your podcast last week and I'm already more than halfway through the current episodes. I really appreciate you showing different genders and sexualities, and ethnicity. However, I feel you haven't been fully inclusive as you have no disabled or chronically ill characters (sorry if they are coming and I'm jumping the gun - obviously ignore this comment if that's the case). Of course any of your characters could have an invisible disability, and are only mildly affected so it's not noticeable to anyone,but the group is so close to one another I feel they would have mentioned it at some point (and if not I think that says a lot about how our society perceives disability, rather than the character to be blamed). Personally I'm hoping for someone who uses mobility aids, though not necessarily all the time (as many of us are ambulatory wheelchair users), either due to disability or chronic illness - if you aren't sure about this then please email me. I think it bothers me more than usual because you've made such an effort to be inclusive,and yet the 20% of us who do live with some form of disability are still out of sight/ out of mind. However I don't want you to feel guilty for forgetting us (as a white cis woman I understand how our privilege can make us forget or be unaware of certain things), but simply to be mindful of this in the future. Thank you for certain such a great story in this incredible format of being able to talk to you with the knowledge you are open to constructive feedback, I'm definitely looking forward to following your work and seeing where it goes." Here is my initial response to Tamara's feedback: "Tamara, First of all, I want to thank you very much both for listening to the podcast, and for your important and thoughtful feedback. Inclusivity is a very wide and complex topic, and one that I am always interested in addressing through my creative endeavors. I want to be clear that nothing about this response to your feedback is an attempt to excuse my failure to better represent and include a variety of identities. I do feel I have a duty to address your constructive criticism, and that is what I will try to do here. I have not included chronically ill or physically disabled characters in Blood that Binds. This was not because I have forgotten the existence of people with disabilities, nor have I made a decision not to include characters with disabilities in my writing. The honest reason there are no characters with physical disabilities in this particular story is that when I do include those characters, I want very much to do my due diligence and represent that experience accurately and without stereotypes. In Blood That Binds, as you said, I have included a wide variety of identities, sexualities, ethnicities, and mental health conditions. Even though most of them are not identical to my own experience as a person, they are communities I am either part of or have spent a great deal of time with. The hardships they face are ones I have a greater understanding of and am more confident I can represent accurately. Even with that being the case, starting my podcast and writing this first story with that intention has been a lot to tackle. I do not say that as an excuse, or as a claim that not including physically disabled characters was an acceptable thing for me to do with this story. I only want to say from the bottom of my heart that I have not forgotten disabled people, and that representation of their experiences is important. When not including disabled characters in this particular story, it was because I felt it was better not to misrepresent a community that I am not part of, since I did not have the mental resources to do the amount of research necessary for proper representation at that time. As Blood That Binds season one is currently released, I do not know if I can promise introducing a mobility-related physical disability to any of the existing characters at this late point in the story. I will, however, research and consider a different type of physical disability and see if there is an existing character that it would be appropriate to write that into. I will not be introducing new major characters at this stage in the story, and do not want to fall into the trap of including a "token" minor character whose major trait is their disability. I will promise that in future stories I will strive to be more inclusive of people with disabilities. I apologize for my failure as a creator to do so thus far. And that is the best I can offer at this point: a sincere apology, an explanation of the thought process which led to my error, and a promise to do better in the future. I would like to address your feedback both on the podcast and on the blog on the website. If you would like me to mention your name and share your email, I am happy to do that. If not I will respect your anonymity and simply say I received a letter from a listener regarding this topic. Thank you again for listening, and for writing in with such grace towards my mistake. Mariah Powell Writer and Creator Hobbies Include: Writing the creative fiction podcast" Links & Credits
Enjoy poetry and a short story from two of our patrons, along with a poem and short horror story by host, writer and creator Mariah Powell. Hello & Welcome to Hobbies Include Writing, the Creative Fiction Podcast - special Halloween edition!!! Thanks to my dad for donating the microphone and new interface. I also purchased new cables and extra soundproofing. Thanks to all listeners for your patience with the audio quality up to this point. Thanks to our patrons, Chrissy Garrison, Jacqueline Lydic and Ivie Montgomery for supporting the show - could not do this without you. Literally we would not have a platform to post episodes from without your support. Shout out to listeners from the Czech Republic, you’ve been listening like crazy and it is so great to see how far and wide the podcast is reaching. Thanks to our business partner in cross promotion, Black Ice Comics. Check them out in-store in Houghton, Michigan or go to BlackIceComics.com Black Ice Comics is a full service comics store with a great community. Welcome to the special Halloween Episode. A couple of the patrons submitted short stories or poems for me to read, and read a poem and a short story of mine as well. Choose your platform on this page or download the episode on the button above. The PDF as always is available below. Content Warning The final story in this episode is a horror story, and describes physical pain as well as anxiety, depression and despair. Links & Credits
During our between-season break, please enjoy this bonus content! This blooper reel largely contains me struggling with accents, a bit of singing, and swearing at the audio equipment.
Hello & Welcome to Hobbies Include Writing, the Creative Fiction Podcast. The story you are about to hear is a work in progress. Other than minor edits by the author each chapter is virtually untouched. You are invited to be part of shaping this unfinished story by critiquing my writing style, the characters and more via email, social media, or in the forum on my website. Thanks to our patrons: Chrissy Garrison, Jacqueline Lydic and Ivie Montgomery for supporting the show. SPECIAL OFFER for Patrons! If you become a Patron at any level before October 11, you can submit a short story or poem to be read on our Halloween Special Episode. Submissions do not have to be spooky, although that is definitely a bonus. They must be under 2,500 words & submissions are due October 11 at 11:59pm US ET. They must also be written by the patron who submits them. Head on over to Support HI:W to check it out! Thanks to our business partner in cross promotion, Black Ice Comics. Check them out in-store in Houghton, Michigan or go to BlackIceComics.com. Black Ice Comics is a full service comics store with a great community. Also, be sure to check out my recent interview on Arm Cast Podcast here. I’ve been pretty quiet about this on social media, but my husband and I have been in isolation as we were diagnosed with COVID, so I am a little late recording as I’ve waited for my voice to recover but did not want to delay release because... This episode marks the end of Season One of Blood That Binds! Following this, I will take a bit of a hiatus from regular episodes, although I will come out with special content in the interim, so there won’t be a lapse in content release. This episode takes place immediately after the previous episode, still at the dinner table with Umbrosia, Maeve, and Maeve’s family. Click the button above to download, or one of the links on this page to listen on your favorite podcatcher. As always, a PDF of the episode is available below. CONTENT WARNING Be advised, this audio novel contains strong language along with descriptions of blood, biting and vampirism. This story examines toxic relationships and includes descriptions of abuse. This particular episode includes non-graphic discussion of hebephilia - and inappropriate romantic relationship with an underage person. This story also includes characters with a variety of spiritual, gender, sexual and ethnic identities. This is intended to create an inclusive and diverse narrative with the understanding that no character can represent an entire identity or community. Any fantastical depictions of witchcraft are not intended to discredit anyone’s spiritual beliefs or practices. Links & Credits
Hello & Welcome to Hobbies Include Writing, the Creative Fiction Podcast. The story you are about to hear is a work in progress. Other than minor edits by the author each chapter is virtually untouched. You are invited to be part of shaping this unfinished story by critiquing my writing style, the characters and more via email, social media, or in the forum on my website. Thanks to our patrons, Jacqueline Lydic and Ivie Montgomery for supporting the show. SPECIAL OFFER for Patrons! If you become a Patron at any level before October 11, 2020 you can submit a short story or poem to be read on our Halloween Special Episode. Submissions do not have to be spooky, although that is definitely a bonus. They must be under 2,500 words & submissions are due October 11 at 11:59pm US ET. They must also be written by the patron who submits them. Head on over to the Support HI:W tab to check out our Patreon. Thanks to our business partner in cross promotion, Black Ice Comics. Check them out in-store in Houghton, Michigan or go to BlackIceComics.com. We’ve had some heavy episodes lately, and we will have more to come. This one is a little less heavy. To listen, click the button above to download the episode or choose the platform of your choice. A PDF version of this chapter is also available at the bottom of this post. CONTENT WARNING Be advised, this audio novel examines toxic familial relationships including strong elements of abuse including violence. This episode also includes a depiction of post-traumatic negative thought spirals. This narrative uses strong language along with graphic descriptions of blood, biting and vampirism. This story also includes characters with a variety of spiritual, gender, sexual and ethnic identities. This is intended to create an inclusive and diverse narrative with the understanding that no character can represent an entire identity or community. Any fantastical depictions of witchcraft are not intended to discredit anyone’s spiritual beliefs or practices. This episode in particular also includes discussion and use of multiple slurs against the queer community. Links & Credits
Sneak Peak “Does Maeve know about this?” Eliza lets out a long breath, leaning forward to set her drink on the coffee table. She sits silently for a long time, her elbows resting on her knees, gaze on the floor. When she does look up at Umbrosia, her eyes are hollow. Umbrosia gasps. “What would you tell your child, if they were chained to a monster for the rest of their life?” “The truth.” “Don’t you dare sit there and judge me. How much of the horrible truth would you reveal to a child? Would you fill their head with nightmares and dread when there is no hope of escape? Or would you try to make the best of it? Make their relationship better, make her see him as a father and hope that if she submits to him it will be enough to keep him kind.”
Romance ensues and Maeve’s friends work desperately to come up with a plan to protect her from the curse. Hello & Welcome to Hobbies Include Writing, the Creative Fiction Podcast. The story you are about to hear is a work in progress. Other than minor edits by the author each chapter is virtually untouched. You are invited to be part of shaping this unfinished story by critiquing my writing style, the characters and more via email, social media, or in the forum on my website. Thanks to our patrons, Jacqueline Lydic and Ivie Montgomery for supporting the show. SPECIAL OFFER for Patrons! If you become a Patron at any level before October 11, 2020 you can submit a short story or poem to be read on our Halloween Special Episode. Submissions do not have to be spooky, although that is definitely a bonus. They must be under 2,500 words & submissions are due October 11 at 11:59pm US ET. They must also be written by the patron who submits them. Head on over to the Support HI:W tab to check out our Patreon. Thanks to our business partner in cross promotion, Black Ice Comics. Check them out in-store in Houghton, Michigan or go to BlackIceComics.com. We’ve had some heavy episodes lately, and we will have more to come. This one is a little less heavy. To listen, click the button above to download the episode or choose the platform of your choice. A PDF version of this chapter is also available at the bottom of this post. CONTENT WARNING Be advised, this audio novel examines toxic familial relationships including strong elements of abuse including violence. This episode also includes a depiction of post-traumatic negative thought spirals. This narrative uses strong language along with graphic descriptions of blood, biting and vampirism. This story also includes characters with a variety of spiritual, gender, sexual and ethnic identities. This is intended to create an inclusive and diverse narrative with the understanding that no character can represent an entire identity or community. Any fantastical depictions of witchcraft are not intended to discredit anyone’s spiritual beliefs or practices. Links & Credits
Sneak Peak “Cousin.” She gives half a smile to Maeve, then flicks her eyes to the doorway. “I see you brought the leech with you.” Maeve drops her bags and steps quickly to the woman’s side. “Kate. I’m so sorry about your mother.” She reaches to place a hand on her cousin’s shoulder, then stops and returns the hand to her side. “I should have called…” Kate flicks a lock of hair out of her face. “Forget it.” She sets the basket in a sink behind her. “You did us a favor keeping that one away from here for the funeral.” Maeve shivers and turns her attention back to the doorway, where Dolan is still standing, suitcase in hand. He and Eliza continue to eye each other apprehensively. Umbrosia has now appeared behind him, clearly not appreciative of standing out in the cold longer than necessary. “Are you going to let all the cold air in the house?” Umbrosia breaks the silence and pushes past him into the kitchen, smiling awkwardly and parking her tall frame in the nearest corner, bumping her head on a rough wooden cupboard door in the process. “He can’t come in without an invitation.” Kate gives a smug smile that almost hides the pain at the corner of her eyes. “I own the house, now.” Dolan removes his gaze from Eliza’s face to glower in irritation at Kate. “Don’t be childish. You know I go wherever Maeve does.” “There is a hotel five minutes away.” Kate cuts him off. “The day my mother died was the last time you ever stepped foot in this house.”
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