{"id":1302,"date":"2026-01-01T13:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T19:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/?p=1302"},"modified":"2026-01-01T14:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T20:03:15","slug":"im-not-allowed-to-talk-about-2026-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/01\/01\/im-not-allowed-to-talk-about-2026-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"I&#8217;m not allowed to talk about 2026 yet"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-post-time-to-read has-small-font-size\">1\u20132 minutes<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">Everyone else is making resolutions about dry January and finally using their gym membership. I, on the other hand, have been quietly building an ark. Not for animals, but for stories. And let me tell you, the waters are rising. 2026 isn&#8217;t a year for small plans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">It&#8217;s a year for unleashing the worlds I&#8217;ve been hoarding in the dark corners of my hard drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A silence and stabbing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">First, the whispers. You know I can&#8217;t stay in one genre for long. My heart belongs to the twisty, tense contemporary world, but my soul? It has a habit of speaking in shorter, sharper breaths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">This year, that whisper becomes a chorus. I\u2019ve been meticulously assembling a collection of poetic works that explore the same themes we love \u2014 obsession, shadows, the fractures in the human heart \u2014 but through a different, more haunting lens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">It\u2019s the same signature, written in a different ink.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A new frontier, <em>en espa\u00f1ol<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">And then, the leap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">For a long time, I\u2019ve wanted to bring the darkness to a new room in the house. I am absolutely thrilled (and genuinely nervous) to announce that my first Spanish-language novel is on the horizon. We&#8217;ll be diving deep into the brilliant, devastating&nbsp;<em>Club de joyas fracturadas<\/em>. To explore the nuances of grief, love, and secrets in my first language feels like a homecoming of the most profound kind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">I cannot wait to hear these discussions come to life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But wait, there&#8217;s more&#8230;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">Consider this your official warning: this is just the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">The first few cards laid face-up on the table. I\u2019m holding the rest of the deck very, very close to my chest. Let\u2019s just say that if you think 2025 was exciting, you might want to fasten your seatbelts for 2026. I\u2019ve already started plotting something\u2026 monumental. A project that feels less like a book and more like a world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">So, here\u2019s to a new year. May it be filled with exquisite suspense, beautiful chaos, and stories that leave you delightfully haunted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">The best is yet to come.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 Montse<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The author shares plans for 2026, including a collection of poetry and a first Spanish-language novel delving into profound themes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134972872,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[782781751,410272838],"tags":[7223,7758714,178,1747,8053601,3330,349],"class_list":["post-1302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pen-punch","category-the-curator","tag-author","tag-bookish-thoughts","tag-books","tag-fiction","tag-indie-author","tag-publishing","tag-writing"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfZGWd-l0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2304,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/05\/28\/a-few-seconds-is-all-i-need-to-ruin-myself-creatively\/","url_meta":{"origin":1302,"position":0},"title":"A few seconds is all I need to ruin myself creatively","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"May 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Exploring how seemingly insignificant moments can evoke profound feelings, transforming fleeting experiences into meaningful narratives through writing.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Creative Pulse&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Creative Pulse","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/creative-pulse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2100,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/04\/30\/i-keep-writing-loss-because-loss-keeps-writing-back\/","url_meta":{"origin":1302,"position":1},"title":"I keep writing loss because loss keeps writing back","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"April 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Exploring the complexities of grief, asserting it encompasses various losses beyond death, and finding solace in fiction, which embraces unresolved emotions.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Heart of the Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Heart of the Story","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/the-heart-of-the-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1584,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/01\/22\/my-pen-is-bigger-than-your-well-you-know\/","url_meta":{"origin":1302,"position":2},"title":"My pen is bigger than your&#8230; well, you know","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"January 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The power of carefully crafted language over loud arguments, asserting that precise words can win disputes.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bold Banter&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bold Banter","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/pen-punch\/bold-banter\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1601,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/02\/05\/my-muse-wears-mud-splattered-boots\/","url_meta":{"origin":1302,"position":3},"title":"My muse wears mud-splattered boots","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"February 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"I find beauty in imperfect, neglected spaces, believing they hold deeper stories and emotions than polished, idealized scenes.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Creative Pulse&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Creative Pulse","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/creative-pulse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1982,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/04\/02\/youre-not-supposed-to-see-me-like-this\/","url_meta":{"origin":1302,"position":4},"title":"You&#8217;re not supposed to see me like this","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"April 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Reflections on the struggle between writing with respectability versus authenticity, emphasizing that true connection stems from vulnerability and honesty in one's writing.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Behind the Drafts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Drafts","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/the-writing-life\/behind-the-drafts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2400,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/07\/02\/everything-i-know-about-romance-is-completely-professional-research\/","url_meta":{"origin":1302,"position":5},"title":"Everything I know about romance is completely professional research","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"July 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Writing compelling romance requires crafting specific attraction and chemistry through tension, anticipation, and emotional investment, balancing observation and imagination to engage readers fully.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Creative Pulse&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Creative Pulse","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/creative-pulse\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134972872"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1302"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1562,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1302\/revisions\/1562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}