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November has arrived, and with it, National Novel Writing Month! The annual event challenges writers, new and experienced, to write an entire novel in just thirty days. And yes, they mean the whole thing! NaNoWriMo has become a global phenomenon, providing not just motivation to write (which, let’s face it, every writer needs from time to time), but communities to discuss writing, meetups, and fun online tools to track progress.

It’s not the only themed month that challenges creative people, either. Inktober (October) sees artists around the world creating daily drawings based on shared prompts, WikiWriMo (February) is all about editing and updating a Wikipedia page a day, and dozens of spin-off challenges exist for writing blogs, haikus, fridge poems, genres of novels, and more. But what about new monthly challenges that aren’t about art or writing? We’ve got some great ideas to try this month, if writing a whole book seems just a little…daunting.

Image by Yerson Retamal from Pixabay

Ryan Reynolds isn’t an actor who is particularly well known for his cerebral, literary roles. The Canadian shot to superstardom as Van Wilder and a string of similar characters, all stunningly handsome, popular, successful… and in films that capitalize on low-brow humor. From Waiting to Adventureland to The Proposal, Reynolds was the ultimate sexy-guy-in-comedies for over a decade, before adding some action roles to his resume. Now, of course, he may be most famous as Deadpool, the foul-mouthed and funny superhero (who, in many ways, is Van Wilder in a super-suit with a bunch of guns).

However, as the actor turns 44 in October, we’re taking a look back at Reynold’s filmography, and the surprising number of roles that do come from the page. Some may be the comic book page, of course, and others are looser adaptations of the classics, but there should be no doubt that Reynolds has a range far beyond retro stoner comedy.

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Have you sent in your mail-in ballot? Have you or do you plan to go to the polling place to vote?

Yesterday NY1 broadcast a photo of a voter reading The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires while in line for the polls, and after seeing @claskow’s tweet with the phrase “VOTE AND READ,” we wanted to support this concept and recommend some other escapist reads to pack for your poll outing. If you’ve already cast your vote, nothing’s stopping you from diving into one of these distracting books while you wait for the results. No matter what, make sure your voice is heard, treat yourself to a curated mental diversion, and VOTE AND READ!

Photo by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash.

Here in South Eastern Pennsylvania we have this heinous tradition of committing rambunctious pranks and acts of petty vandalism the night before Halloween. It is dubbed Mischief Night or Devil’s Night or Gate Night… or Moving Night, Goosey Night, Cabbage Night, Mat Night…you get the idea. New Jersey, Cincinnati, and Detroit know what we’re talking about, but for the rest of America and the globe, here’s a brief history.

No matter what you call the night though, it’s a night for throwing toilet paper into trees, egging houses, sticking forks in lawns (yeah, it’s a thing), and causing a good ol’ fashion ruckus. Think of it as The Purge, but not sanctioned by the government and hopefully with less destructive and life-threatening consequences. Sometimes it’s harmless and even fun, like hiding candy for your friends, but other times it’s more tricky, and we know a few mischievous characters who would take Mischief Night by storm.

[Photo by Kenan Kitchen on Unsplash]

Christmas is going to be here sooner than you think—and while that it true every year, this year it feels particularly sudden, as most people are still on their two-hundredth day of March! So to start building that Christmas spirit and adding a little positivity to the world, General Mills has blessed us with a brand new vehicle for morning sugar: Elf-themed cereal. This maple-flavored corn cereal comes with Christmas-shaped marshmallows, and after a year like this, no one is going to judge you for eating it from now till February.

So in honor of these little bowls of sugary joy, we’re taking a look at some of the most iconic elves in pop culture and seeing which are the best of the best.

[Photo by Daniel Olah on Unsplash]

For generations, the crews of the USS Enterprise (in its various forms throughout various media) have beamed their way into our hearts and homes with their interstellar explorations in the far future. But why should their adventures be limited to one universe? We like to imagine the Federation’s finest journeying to these worlds from other space franchises.