Writing:
This Month has been a practice in getting back into the swing of writing. Last year was the first year I won NaNoWriMo. Probably one of the highlights of last year. I wanted to keep that momentum going. I fell out a bit in December but that’s okay getting 50000 words down in November more than made up for it.
January Goal: Write 7000 words a week, for a total of about 28000 words a month.
January Results: 11389
Not ideal but I’m not going to beat myself up about those results. Right now I’m working on the adult soft sci-fi novel I started during Nano. I had been kicking around a couple of new ideas for a sci-fi for since I shelved my most recent writing projects and this story was starting to keep me up at night, so I had to start writing it, just to get so peace.
I’m going to try traditional publishing for this one. I also really want to participate in a pitch contest this year or next year. So I’m keeping those timelines in mind while I’m writing. If I stay on track I should finish in Feb or March.
Last year I also started a series of sports centered novels. I read so many romances this year and during quarantine on my kindle from self-published authors. It’s been really inspiring to read and learn about these women and their writing journeys and how they are making the very complicated world of publishing work for them. I started writing romance for fun but the more I wrote the more I got attached to my characters and the story. After I finish the series, which I’m projecting to be in 2023, I will consider self-publishing them. I have a lot of thoughts about hybrid publishing and what that journey would look like for me, not sure where I will land but I’m happily writing while I figure it out.
Reading:
What I read this Month:
- The Hookup Dilemma – Constance Gillam
- The Last Watch – J.S. Dewes
- Leviathan Wakes James S. A. Corey
My favorite read this month was by far The Hookup Dilemma. This month was hectic for me work wise. So it was nice to just have fun with a thoughtful romance. My other two reads were more sci-fi related. I’ve been on the hunt for comps for my sci fi novel and this The Last Watch might hit the mark for me, I want to make sure I’m reading one or two comps a month now. I’ve started it not quite done with it, but I’m enjoying the ride so far. This is my third time reading Leviathan Wakes. It’s one of the books my husband and I used to read to each other during his long stays in the hospital while he was going through chemo. So it’s one I turn to during stressful times. With three books down I’m on track for my reading 300 books goal this decade. I know it’s not an overly ambitious goal, but I can go weeks without reading a book due to work, writing, and life in general, and I don’t want that to continue to happen. Reading is my medicine, and I need to remember to take it, I’m hoping my goal will help remind me of that. Thanks so much for checking in with my writing journey this month. I’m hoping in a month or two I’ll be done with the first draft of my sci-fi novel. Wish me luck and tell me what you read this month that you loved or hated in the comments below.
