Issue No. 10 | Fearless Authenticity
Draft two updates, horror recs, and a Tiffany Valentine photoshoot
From the Shadows
Tiffany Valentine is many things. A murderer, a doll, a fashion icon, and arguably one of the most authentic characters in horror. She is without a doubt my favorite character in the entire Chucky franchise and one of my favorites in horror in general.
If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I love a villain with a personality, especially a strong woman who is unapologetically herself. So yes, this month’s newsletter revolves around Tiffany Valentine. Sorry not sorry.
Do you ever catch yourself admiring someone and thinking, “Man, I wish I was more like them?” I have that thought every time I watch a Chucky movie or TV episode with Tiffany Valentine in it. And not in the whole psychopath murderous way. Obviously.
There’s something about her aura, as the kids say, that I’m drawn to. She is chaotic, dresses loudly, loves hard, and refuses to be anything other than herself. She is no one’s sidekick. She is the main character of her own life. She owns every part of herself, even the messy parts. She’s also a great mother in the ways that count. She loves her nonbinary child GG exactly as they are and never tries to change them. I’m not saying we should all turn to Tiffany Valentine for parenting advice, but I’m not not saying that either.
To me, she is a great example of being fearlessly authentic.
But what does that even mean?
It means being your wholehearted self without constantly worrying about other people’s judgment and opinions. It means accepting all parts of yourself, even the ones that seem to clash. It means having the courage to walk away from relationships that force you to play small. It means radical self-acceptance.
For me, that looks like finally allowing myself to write about all the things I enjoy, even if they don’t technically fit into a niche. That’s gardening, horror, identity, personal development, and even a short story told from the perspective of a poodle.
I love exploring both the light and dark parts of my mind because, guess what, they all make me who I am. That includes accepting that I struggle with anxiety from time to time but still wanting to go out into the world and have experiences. Until I get sick of people and need to leave immediately. Haha.
I love horror books, but I also love a good romantasy. I’m a recovering people pleaser who loves playing dress-up, doing photoshoots, and taking pictures of flowers.
All that to say, I’m not just one thing. My identity is a kaleidoscope of interests, contradictions, experiences, and passions that I’ve only recently started giving myself permission to explore freely.
So why is it so hard for us to be fearlessly authentic?
We are so programmed to act, dress, and behave a certain way because it’s the acceptable way to be. We conform so we don’t ruffle any feathers. No one will be offended, and everyone will be happy. People pleasing at its finest. Am I right?
At the end of the day, when you’re left alone with yourself, it just leaves you feeling blah. Sometimes you don’t even realize why. You can only lie to yourself for so long before you start to feel empty inside.
It’s like spending all your time maintaining the curb appeal of a beautiful house. The paint is perfect. The lawn is neatly manicured. Not a weed in sight for the neighbors to judge. Meanwhile, the inside sits abandoned. You lock the doors, turn off the heat, and let it rot. Eventually, the rooms go cold, dust settles over everything, and you’re left living like a ghost in your own home. Haunted by the person you actually are but too terrified to let them out.
They say the longest and most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself. So why not be exactly who you are? Not who they want you to be.
Own all parts of yourself, even the parts that clash.
We are allowed to be a little chaotic, a little contradictory, and completely ourselves, even if it doesn’t make sense to other people.
The Monster Grows | Inside Draft Two
I’ve officially read my book through twice, only now I have a reverse outline to show for it. Reading each chapter and then stopping to outline the key things that happened gave me a better understanding of what I actually have on the pages, not what I think I have.
At first, I pushed back on this process. I thought it was going to take forever and all I wanted to do was dive into the rewrites because, as usual, I feel “behind.” Like I’m moving way too slow with my novel. Seeing authors on social media write and publish books so quickly can sometimes trap me in the comparison game. Granted, this is my very first novel and I work full time, two things I forget to remind myself of all the time.
Any who, I’m happy I stuck to the plan because now I have a much better understanding of my story, its strengths and where it falls short. The biggest thing I took away from completing the reverse outline is that my book has plenty of plot, but the psychology and emotional layers lack depth.
So what now?
That’s the question I’ve been asking myself because the idea of a rewrite is overwhelming. When I think about it as a whole, part of me goes into analysis paralysis. I’m not sure where to focus or how I’m going to turn this into a publishable book. It doesn’t help that Greta (my inner gremlin) is loud, telling me all the reasons I suck as a writer.
I’ve decided not to jump straight into the rewrite. Instead, I’m going to spend a couple of weeks coming up with a plan. First, I need to organize all the notes I gathered from the reverse outline. Then I need to spend some time with my characters and really live in their heads more. After that, I’ll create a plan for the rewrite.
For draft two, my focus will be on adding emotional depth, strengthening character relationships, and making the psychological aspects of the story feel richer, not on making every sentence perfect.
The reverse outline showed me where the book falls short, but it also reminded me why I fell in love with this story in the first place. I’m very excited to dive back into my book and spend more time in that world.
A Bloom of Terror
Every month, I’ll plant a little horror here. Sometimes it will be a short fiction story, other times personal essays.
The Haunted Shelf 📚🎬📺
This is where I’ll share book, movie, and show recommendations. I’d love to know what you’re reading and watching, so feel free to reply with your own favorites.
📚 The Book
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is another Shirley Jackson classic that I loved. It’s an unsettling gothic psychological horror story about two sisters and their sick uncle who live in isolation after their parents and aunt die from poisoning. When their cousin arrives, they’re forced to confront their past.
The story is narrated by one of the sisters, Merricat. She clearly states her age in the first paragraph, but I completely forgot and spent most of the book picturing her as a young child. I think that just speaks to how unique her psyche and worldview are.
As strange as Merricat’s view of the world is, she refuses to conform to society’s expectations and fully embraces both her own weirdness and her sister’s. They choose to live life on their own terms, even when the world tries to convince them they need help or should be different. There’s something powerful about refusing to shrink yourself just because other people don’t understand you.
P.S. I watched the movie and thought it was horrible. Sometimes it’s better to leave a story as words on a page and let the interpretation live in the reader’s mind. Not every book needs to become a movie.
🎬 The Movie
Bride of Chucky is my favorite movie in the franchise, with Seed of Chucky coming in as a close second or at least in my top three. It introduces Tiffany Valentine, Chucky’s former lover, who finds him, literally stitches him back together, and brings him back to life. What can’t women do, am I right?
This is the point in the franchise where things start to get a little campy. Chucky ends up putting Tiffany’s soul into a doll just like him, and the two hitch a ride with a young couple so they can transfer their souls into human bodies.
What I love about Tiffany is that she is unapologetically herself, even in doll form. She’s beautiful, chaotic, ambitious, and has standards. She’ll kill just about anyone, but she’ll only sleep with people she loves. She isn’t Chucky’s sidekick. She’s a main character in her own right.
📺 The Show
This series picks up after Cult of Chucky and follows a group of teenagers whose lives are thrown into chaos thanks to Chucky. Things get pretty wild throughout the series.
My husband and I recently rewatched it with my son, and my opinion didn’t change. Tiffany is still my favorite part of the entire show. We also get to see Glen and Glenda in season two, which was another highlight for me.
Tiffany may not be the best mother in the conventional sense, but she gets the important things right. She loves her children exactly as they are and never asks them to be someone else. For all her flaws, and there are many, she loves with her whole heart.
From My Creative Crypt
This is my little corner for fun extras.
This month’s fun extra is a little behind-the-scenes look at my Tiffany Valentine-inspired photoshoot. Here are some of my favorite photos along with a peek at how it all came together.
The Last Whisper
Thank you for making it all the way to the end of my haunted little newsletter. If you enjoyed it, I’d love if you replied back, shared it with a friend, or just let me know what you’re reading and watching. Your support means the world to me as I start this author journey.
Before I go, here is your reminder:
Life is too short to spend it pretending to be someone else.
Say what you mean.
Love what you love.
Love WHO you love.
Explore the weird interests.
Take the photos.
Write the stories.
Stop apologizing for the things that make you, you.
And if all else fails, channel a little Tiffany Valentine energy. After all, she’s Tiffany Valentine and your goddamn mother.
Until next time,
Christina
Still in love with this photoshoot, you’re beautiful! 😍