Category: Process · Tags: writing, process, updates, experimentation
Filed under: Process, Experimentation, and Creative Maintenance
By Calder N. Halden
Lately, my creative brain has decided that “one thing at a time” is a suggestion, not a rule.
I’ve been juggling a few different projects at once, and honestly, it’s chaotic in the best way. I’ve started posting work to Pillowfort and Tumblr, which feel like new rooms in the same house. Different vibes, different conversations, same voice wandering around touching everything. It’s been refreshing to let pieces live in spaces that feel looser and more conversational.
Behind the scenes, I’ve also been elbows-deep in website edits. Tweaking layouts, adjusting copy, moving things around until they finally click. It’s not glamorous work, but it is oddly satisfying. There’s something grounding about shaping the space where all this writing eventually lands.
On top of that, I’m still actively writing short stories while continuing to push forward on my main novels. Some days that means bouncing between a tight, intimate scene and a much larger narrative arc. Other days it means staring at my notes and thinking, wow, I really thought this was a good idea, didn’t I?
It was. Still is.
I also finally got around to continuing All In: Whiskey, Worship, and Wicked Bets, which felt long overdue in the best possible way. The full story will be posted in the next few weeks, but for now it’s living on Pillowfort, where it’s been stretching its legs and causing the appropriate amount of trouble.
You can find it here:
https://www.pillowfort.social/cnhalden
The most challenging and genuinely rewarding project right now has been my Choose Your Own Adventure–style writing. That format has been forcing me to exercise muscles I don’t always get to use. Every choice has consequences. Every branch needs to feel intentional. It’s like building a maze where every path still has to land emotionally. Hard, yes. Ridiculously satisfying, also yes.
From the outside, this probably looks like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. And maybe I have. But it’s the kind of overextension that feels energizing instead of draining. I’m learning new rhythms, finding new edges, and letting myself play in ways I haven’t before.
There’s more coming. New posts, new experiments, and more stories finding their shape. For now, this is just a quick snapshot of the mess, the momentum, and the excitement.
Stay tuned.
—Calder N. Halden
Process over perfection.
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