Tea Party (Q&A: Year in Review)

More Tea Parties | Content warnings

Can you believe it’s already our third anniversary?? Join us as we reflect on 2023/our previous year at JAAM!

This year was a bit different for JAAM! What do you think of this year and how it went?

Raspberry

To be totally honest, I have such mixed feelings about this past year! I obviously was so in love with all the content Apple and Pineapple have been doing, and I’ve enjoyed writing Gray Hearts so far. It’s been a year of a lot of changes for me, though, and I feel that writing was forced to take a bit of a back-burner for a while. I still fight with the worry that I’m not doing as much as I should be and that Apple and Pineapple have been carrying JAAM, but at the same time it just makes me feel so lucky to have them in my life and so supportive!

Pineapple

I think 2023 was difficult in a lot of aspects of my life. There were a lot of things I was unhappy with in my private life, but I tried to do the best with what was available to me. Taking a break was frustrating at the time, but I think it was really good for me and for the group. Overall, it felt like a stagnant year, but there were a lot of times where I enjoyed myself. I still made progress on things, so I think it wasn’t a bad time.

Apple

It was definitely a year for trying new things, sometimes for fun reasons and other times out of necessity. Either way, though, I think acknowledging when we need a break, taking better care of ourselves, and testing out new types of content are all good things!

Did you learn anything from last year? What message would you pass on to your future self because of your experiences in 2023?

Raspberry

One of the big things I learned was letting the story go where it wants. I actually started Gray Hearts with a different vision for the characters (spoilers, so I can’t go into too many details). As I was writing it, though, I realized it was heading towards a different direction and that I had to either fight that or go with it. Future me, take note: Follow the characters; sometimes they know better than the plot outline. Also, I appreciate how we’re all starting to prioritize our mental health more now and taking breaks. That’s been so helpful, and I hope we can continue having a break without anyone being too upset with us for taking a month off posting!

Pineapple

I think I’d like to remind myself that I’m not alone and that “it’s only retail.” The florist at one of my old jobs used to say “it’s just retail,” and wonder what everyone was getting so upset and heated about. I want to remember that the most important thing is our health.

I think maybe I learned to communicate better and to express myself better. I think I’m always learning that. I think I was taking myself too seriously before. I’m trying to take a step back and be less intense about things, try to see things from other perspectives. I’m not trying to be less serious about my writing, just… more flexible, if that makes sense.

Apple

I’ve always known that I’m not a very fast writer, but I thought I would get quicker the more I practiced, and that’s not quite how things went this year. Instead, I saw my episodes get shorter and shorter and less edited in order to make deadlines, and I feel really guilty about that. So, my message to future me is: Try finishing stories a bit more before starting to post them. I know that my writing won’t be anywhere near perfect, but I’m hoping taking this extra time will help me improve as a writer, and I really appreciate everyone bearing with me while I try posting other types of content in the meantime!

Do you have any favorite JAAM moments from this past year?

Raspberry

I always love a group picnic! It’s fun to plan, brainstorm, and write with my two favorite authors in the world! Also, I love how Apple and I keep getting salty at Pineapple’s MC from that ONE PART in the Thanksgiving Group Picnic. Haha I think that inside joke/grudge will be carrying on for years to come!

Pineapple

Already 2023 seems so far away ha ha…

I can’t really think of anything except, since Raspberry mentioned it, how I always have to defend my boy Freddie every year LOL But I just have really enjoyed the content Raspberry and Apple have been coming out with! It’s so much fun to read it and critique it!

Apple

It’s so hard to pick, so I’ll give two favorites. One was when I started reading Gray Hearts and noticed the way Raspberry was taking these really soft, feminine settings (like cottagecore springs and ballroom summers) and giving them spooky twists. It’s such a cool combination of vibes, and I absolutely love it! I also lost my actual mind when I found out that one of my favorite How Journeys End characters has fire powers! Like, just when I thought that character couldn’t get any more fabulous, Pineapple blessed me again!

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

Raspberry

I’m hoping to get more writing done this year! I also hope that we can look into getting some JAAM merch because I would love to plaster my laptop with custom Pineapple-designed stickers!

Pineapple

I’m looking forward to finishing How Journeys End and starting a new story!! I’m also going to try to work more on illustrations and art this year.

Apple

More of Pineapple and Raspberry’s work! I’m a fangirl through and through, and I can’t wait to see all the amazing new things they’re gonna create. I’m also looking forward to polishing my older stuff and maybe sharing some newer ideas too!