In this writing vlog, I’m taking you through a very real “restart” of draft one of my dystopian thriller (THE ECHOE PROJECT) and what it looks like to rebuild momentum without spiraling into perfectionism. It’s Sunday, February 22, 2026, and I walk you through my current work-life balance routine—morning rhythm, a little reading time (I’m in Library of the Unwritten right now), and then the big writing update: I’m revising my world-building and re-centering the story so draft one actually has a job to do. I also talk through what finally clicked for me about hooks (like… I truly understand them now), how I’m approaching the shift into Act II, and the systems that keep me honest—bullet journal tracking, a writing document ecosystem, and a plot grid that helps me see the whole machine at once. This is Type A wellness for creatives: structure that supports the art instead of squeezing it. Along the way, we get into a Black author book haul and why all online spaces need Black people—period. I share authors inspiring me (Jesmyn Ward, Nalo Hopkinson, Jacqueline Woodson, Jewelle Gomez, N.K. Jemisin), plus how Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat sparked new novel ideas. The takeaway: inspiration is everywhere, but consistency comes from a system you can return to.