2023 – Sheralyn Pratt: Storyteller and Coach

Rose Torch: A Twin Flame Collection

Writing is such a journey. And part of the journey is learning that telling the same stories over and over — no matter how good they are — can be tiresome.

To grow in the craft, you must learn to tell a new kind of story.

You see, it’s not a desire to share words that gets a person to write, it’s the desire to capture feelings and share them others.

The best stories are simple, fun, and under two minutes long.

As a novelist, I am painfully aware of this.

But the truth is, none of us should be too hard on ourselves for telling long stories. We have to learn how to tell complicated stories to discover their simplicity. And when it comes to long stories I’m not tired of writing, the only ones calling to me now are Twin Flame Journeys.

If you do a web search for the Twin Flame Journey, you will likely be led to psychological research on limerance and may walk away deducing the Twin Flame narrative is a form of psychosis.

But what if the “psychosis” is simply the social denial of a story arc we don’t acknowledge as valid anymore?

Just like a superhero may flatten a city to save the world, what if we’ve started writing off these stories as collateral damage that is worth the trade without truly acknowledging the cost to anyone but the hero?

What if we’ve simplified stories too much while overwhelmingly giving the children of multiple generations only one adult narrative to reach for?

I bring up these questions because I’ve decided to write for the Twin Flame audience for the rest of the year and I want you to be able to make an informed decision as to whether you want to take this creative leap with me.

Meet the Rose Torch emblem:

Your marker for Twin Flame content, from Yours Truly.

Rose Torch content is spicy. It’s mature. Its emblem is of a rose on fire because that’s what Twin Flame Journeys are.

When you see the Rose Torch emblem, expect MATURE CONTENT with ADULT THEMES. There will be STRONG LANGUAGE and EXPLICIT SCENES.

I know this change is a big adjustment for many of my readers. Most of you look up my name to read stories with “clean” and safe ratings.

To be clear: You can still find my clean reads under the name Sheralyn Pratt. You will avoid all adult material by avoiding the name Rose Torch or materials with its emblem.

For those of you readers who can’t make this narrative jump with me, I totally understand.

Thank you for supporting my other books and I hope you continue to enjoy them.

But for those of you wanting to jump to this new genre with me, the rating for Rose Torch content will be akin to Westworld, Witcher, or American Gods, where the characters are dealing with built-in high stakes and potentially more cutthroat than the rom-com vibes you may know me for.

If that sounds like something you’re interested in, keep your eye open for Rose Torch.

TRENDING SUMMER OF 2023

Join Rose Torch on a
TWIN FLAME JOURNEY

Nerding Out on Wednesday

When I first queued up season 1 of Netflix’s Wednesday, expectations were high and the opening lines were strong.

But as the minutes ticked on, I kind of started grimacing a bit. This new version was a huge departure from the canon I knew, but how can you not keep watching a show that is dishing out scenes like this?

I had to keep going to see where it would lead.

By episode 3, I was like, Okay, maybe you were too harsh. This is strong stuff and the creative decisions are fire.

Then there was episode 4, which contains some of the series’ most iconic visuals. If you don’t like that episode, the series isn’t for you. Period.

By episode 6, I was ready to give Jenna Ortega an Emmy and apologize for doubting her bold leap. Not only did she nail a completely in-line interpretation of the character, but she did it right in front of Christina Ricci.

I mean … show me anyone who outperformed Jenna Ortega in 2022. Honestly.

By episode 8, I was ready to give the show an at-home standing ovation. I rewound moments again and again, simply floored by some of the decision-making.

And I’ve had the urge to write a story for it ever since.

And the feeling just isn’t fading.

So the world is going to get a fanfic from me, written to the tune of Wednesday Addams.

It’s important for my usual readers to note that this story will not have a PG rating. I’m going to keep the rating and content true to the story that has been established.

So if that’s not your flavor and you don’t like the series Wednesday on its own merits, maybe skip this one from me.

Otherwise, I’ll be updating this fic off and on until season 2 is released, if you want to check it out.

Wednesday’s Sophomore-Year Possession
by Kontreband
published on: Archive of Our Own

Enjoy 🙂

In the Bin: Overthinking the Small Stuff

Overthinking is easy. It’s like putting a car in “Neutral” and seeing what story your rolling car will tell from there.

We don’t often like rogue thoughts running amuck in the real world. The consequences of indulging them can be too devastating.

And this is the exact reason overthinkers tend to overthink.

But we can’t be overthinking in the Year of Expression — trust me, there is no free pass on this:

Expressing yourself demands taking risks.

You can’t over-explain yourself and express yourself at the same time. Expression comes from the heart and over-explanations come from the mind.

Overthinking is all about ego and control.
Expression is about authenticity and letting go.

And goshdarnit if that doesn’t mean I need to start putting out content differently this year — just so that it is expressed and not stored away in a file somewhere for the rest of its life.

Because that’s no place to keep a dream … in an electronic file folder where only one person on the planet can find it?

It seems quite rude, actually. And like a bit of a prison sentence. And that’s not how I want to treat my muses (anymore 😬).

So this year is all about posting things as I go.

If you know me at all, you know I’m always making something — often, in different ways because it never seems quite right.

Then I just save all those files away and move on –repeating the pattern the next day. All due to overthinking.

And it’s time to let that pattern go.

And to kick this off, I’m going to post what I’m working on right now for you by the end of the day.

A few months ago someone asked me if I had enough poems for a book and I said yes, but I haven’t put out anything since.

Did I make a book of poems?

Yes. It started out somewhat long, but then I whittled it down to 33 selections.

Did I make a cover?

Several. Although this is the current leader:

Then did I spiral into overthinking?

I sure did! 👍

I didn’t know what I wanted the interior pages to look like … should the poems just be plain text?

MESSAGES AFTER MIDNIGHT

My mom always said,
“Nothing good ever happens after midnight.”

And my grandma liked to say,
“Poems often arrive like leaves on a breeze –
fully formed and ready to catch
if you happen to have a pen and paper on hand
to jot them down before they move on.”

Being a rebel, I challenged both their claims
and learned that, in life, midnights are relative
but poems passing through do, indeed, fade.

I found that all truth is experienced
and it’s not that people mean to lie,
it’s that what’s true for one is not true for all
and our “truth” is our vibe.

And my vibe is
– whether true for you, or not –
to sit beneath the moon, pen in hand,
and write the poems that blow through after midnight.

Or do I add illustrations and interior images that look more like this?

Or is it time to bite the bullet and start making videos?

Or do I endlessly debate the pros and cons of each approach while simultaneously doing nothing?

Not today!

In the name of kicking off an expressive new year, I’m willing to change my stripes: I’m going to hit Post instead of Save at the end of the day and make this little book of poems a free read for you.

It’s my New Year’s gift to you.

Happy 2023, everyone!

(It’s going to be a mood so pick a good one!)