Overview & Synopsis
Notes on Survival began not as a book, but as the scattered journals and lyrical outtakes generated during the recording of Raven Solaire's debut tracks. It is a companion piece to the music—an unflinching look at the day-to-day reality of functioning while healing from complex trauma.
This collection blurs the line between prose, poetry, and raw documentation. It captures the moments that the songs couldn't hold: the silence after the studio sessions, the exhaustion of therapy, and the slow, nonlinear process of reclaiming autonomy.
Writing Progress
Reading Publishing
Current Phase: Active Drafting
The structural outline is complete. Currently weaving the poetic interludes into the prose chapters. Estimated first draft completion: September 2026.
Future Table of Contents
Working titles. Subject to change.
- Introduction: The Sound of Breaking Drafted
- Chapter I: Autopilot Drafted
- Chapter II: The Anatomy of a Ghost Town In Progress
- Chapter III: Middle Fingers Up (And Other Defense Mechanisms) Outlined
- Chapter IV: The Quiet After Outlined
Preview Pages
Raw, unedited excerpts from the current draft.
There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from pretending you are fine. It is a full-time job. It requires constant vigilance. You have to monitor your face to make sure it is making the correct expressions. You have to monitor your voice to ensure it has the correct amount of inflection. You become a director in the movie of your own life, constantly yelling 'action' every time someone asks how you are doing.
***
I wrote 'Autopilot' not because I wanted to be an artist, but because if I didn't get the pressure out of my chest, I felt like my ribs were going to splinter. Music wasn't a career choice; it was a pressure valve.
Development Log
Structuring the Chaos
I spent the morning trying to figure out how to weave the lyrical outtakes into the prose chapters. It feels like trying to sew water to fabric. The transition from poetry to stark reality needs to be jarring, but purposeful.
The Outline is Locked
Finally pinned down the structure. It will follow the emotional arc of the album, serving almost as a long-form liner notes/essay collection.
Research Notes
Currently reading: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
Applying the neurobiological concepts of trauma to explain the "Autopilot" state of dissociation. Validating to realize the numbness isn't a failure of willpower, but a physiological defense mechanism.
Publication Goals
- Publish independently through InkHouse Collective Press.
- Release in limited edition hardcover, paperback, and digital formats.
- Include an exclusive audiobook version narrated by Raven Solaire, featuring ambient underscores from the music stems.