February’s Reads

Writers are readers first.

Here’s what I read this past month.

Beth Revis’s, Rebel Rising.

The movie Rogue One answered many questions concerning events surrounding the theft of the Death Star plans. The film did a good job exploring the character Jan Erso, so I picked this book up with some skepticism. How much more could we learn, I wondered. Revis didn’t disappoint, offering a touching story of the internal struggle Jyn Erso endures trying to understand her father’s actions while finding solid ground to plant her feet.

Neil Gaiman’s, The Neil Gaiman Reader.

What a joy to read! This book is chock full of pieces of Gaiman’s fiction documenting his evolution as an author from his beginnings to the immense commercial success Gaiman enjoys today. Gaiman’s unique blend of horror, myth, fantasy, and folklore shines through in each story.

William Struck Jr. and E. B. White’s, The Elements of Style.

I suspect almost anyone interested in creative writing has heard of this book. One could argue things like Grammarly make this book obsolete, but I couldn’t disagree more. A short read, but it explores so much more than grammar. I certainly intend to reference it again and again.

William Maxwell’s, So Long, See You Tomorrow.

A small town in Illinois confronts the ugly reality of murder in the 1920s. Part mystery as a young boy tries to make sense of what the adults around him do and say, but equally part memoir as the narrator, now an older adult, reexamining a way of life gone forever.

What have you been reading? Let me know in the comments.

Word Battle Stretches Into 2023

I have been putting off posting about my progress because it is humbling to admit I failed to meet my goal. And yet I’m still writing, which is a monumental success. I can’t say enough about the importance of sticking to a routine, tracking progress, and setting realistic goals. I lose momentum when I ignore these things and veer dangerously close to stopping altogether.

On another note, I’ve poured a lot of time and energy into reading. A steady consumption of books (good or bad) is paramount to one’s writing development. I plan to share a list of what I’ve read each month. Stay tuned.

Lastly, committing to focus solely on writing my novel has meant little time to post flash fiction. Finishing a piece boosts my motivation to write. I plan to allow myself space to write and post one short story a month. January’s is titled “An Unexpected Bloom.”

Stats to Celebrate

Current Word Count: 64,848

Estimated Date of Completion of First Draft at Current Pace: Honestly? No idea. LOL. March 31, 2023 if I keep plodding on at this pace. Will be later in year if I continue struggling to adhere to my writing routine.

The Number of Scenes Wrapped: 37

I’m Feeling: Like I’ve wandered from the intended path onto an unfamiliar trail without a map. I know I’ll get to the end eventually, but how and when isn’t clear.

A Memorable Writing Moment: Made first serious attempt at writing an action scene. My appreciation has grown exponentially for authors who can convey exciting battle scenes. This is a skill I need to practice more!

More News From Word Battle 2022

Another “letter home” from the frontlines of Word Battle 2022!

(Don’t know what Word Battle 2022 is? Click Here!)

Hello Readers,

Wow! I’m in shock! I can’t believe I hit my goal of reaching at least 50,000 words by the end of November. I’m living proof that even when you’re wrestling with doubt, if you show up and put words on the page one day at a time, an actual book begins to take shape.

I’m setting the same goal for the end of December because the story clamors to have extra room to grow. I hope to have a crappy first draft to begin editing and revising in 2023. All my friends who have published successfully assure me that actual writing happens during editing!

Stats to Celebrate

Current Word Count: 50,617.

Estimated Date of Completion of First Draft at Current Pace: December 31, 2022

The Number of Scenes Wrapped: 26

I’m Feeling: Triumphant! LOL! (Don’t worry. I won’t let the feeling go to my head. Tomorrow I’ll be back in front of the computer, wrestling to get the ideas down!)

A Memorable Writing Moment: Watching a secondary character come to life and demand attention! Crap! Is this a character arc for another book, or has someone just hijacked the plot???

Updates and Explanations

To All My Readers:

Please accept my apology for the long, unexplained absence.

For over a year, I’ve tried hard to write and post flash fiction on this blog multiple times a month while attempting to work on a novel.

An admirable goal, right?

Yes!

But alas, this has proven too much for me to take on all at once and I’ve much preferred posting shorter pieces, garnering likes, reading comments, and watching my audience grow. At the same time, the task of working on my novel seemed impossible.

After much deliberation, I decided to work exclusively on my novel until crafting the first draft. The working title is Jupiter’s Embrace, and I am happy to report in the past two months, I’ve finally been able to break through a wall in developing the story.

I enjoy writing flash fiction and hope to return to it soon. But there is much work to be done before that happens.

Tomorrow is November 1st, and many of you know it’s time for NaNoWriMo.

I’ve signed up to participate, hoping to find the motivation to finish the first draft of Jupiter’s Embrace before the year’s end.

Have you been sitting on the idea for a novel? Join people from all around the world and me. It’s free, and there’s no harm in trying!

Click the link below to find NaNoWriMo’s page.

NaNoWriMo

Additionally, I’m participating in AJ Harper’s Word Battle 2022. The format allows for greater flexibility in setting your November goal. Write, edit, blog, do homework, or work on any other task that furthers your writing. It’s also free!

Not up for the pressure of NaNoWriMo? Join Word Battle 2022!

Click the link below to find Word Battle 2022 page.

Word Battle 2022

Lastly, I plan to post weekly updates about my progress. Stay tuned!