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Friday, 22 July 2022

Revision Continues...

Hey! How are you this week? Can you believe July is more than halfway done already? Yikes! 😳

This week turned out to be a total asshole. I hope next week is a LOT better.

Last Friday, hubby and I got our second Pfizer booster shot. As soon as the government said over 30s could get them, we made an appointment. So, last weekend was a bit wonky. I'm always glad to get this vaccine, but it never fails to make me feel like crap. Still, it's worth it. 

If you read last week's post, you know I'm in the middle of yet another Revision Project. Stuck is turning out well, but it's TOTALLY eating my brain. All weekend, while relaxing on the couch, I took notes, sorted timelines, summarised chapters, got more research done, made a things-to-change list, and even wrote a new chapter.

Yep. Not kidding about the third draft stage. This is when the story is stuck (pardon the pun) in my brain and I can see the things that don't make sense, or need to be fixed to strengthen the overall plot. 

I'm really enjoying this one, and haven't decided to slash half of it. If anything, I keep adding chapters/words and solidifying concepts. 😅

So, this is how this week's revision turned out:
  • Monday: 41/171pgs (64,021w)
  • Tuesday: 63/172pgs (64,583w)
  • Wednesday: 89/172pgs (64,488w)
  • Thursday: 145/174pgs(64,888w)
  • Friday: 178pgs / 65,582w
Yep. The third draft is done! Yay.

Although I ended up cutting plenty of words, this is the first story (this year) that's ended up longer than the initial draft. I can't believe I didn't hack and slash half of the word count. LOL.

I think it's got something to do with the fact that I wrote this during NaNoWriMo 2021, so the draft wasn't as messy. I still tweaked quite a bit, and even changed a few last-minute details before I reached the end. But overall, there weren't huge rewrites needed with this one.

Now it's time to put it aside for a bit, before reading it one last time on my Paperwhite. 😁

For now, it's time to enjoy the weekend.

Have a good one!


Thursday, 14 July 2022

Back to Revising!

Yep. That's right. Since this is my penultimate Revision Project (yay!), I decided to take only one week off between drafts. 😁

And it turned out to be a nice week because I read several awesome novellas, and spent Thursday and Friday with hubby. It was such a lovely long weekend.

So, how's everyone doing this week? Here in Oz, we're in the middle of winter, which is turning out to be quite a bad flu season. Not to mention the rising Covid cases. Yet, people insist on not wearing masks indoors. People are so fucking frustrating because wearing a mask and getting vaccinated/boosted aren't hard things to do. Ugh.

Anyway. My next revision is Stuck. This is the novel I wrote during NaNoWriMo last year, so it's not one of my older WIPs. It's what I called: A haunted house ghost story. A description that still fits perfectly.
 
Here's my progress:
  • Monday: 37/160pgs (62,996w)
  • Tuesday: 59/160pgs (63,056w)
  • Wednesday: 131/161pgs (62,746w)
  • Thursday: 161pgs / 62,411w
The second draft is now done! Yay. ☺️

I really enjoyed revising this novel because it's actually weirder, creepier and a lot raunchier than I remember. And I consider this to be an awesome thing. LOL.

This time, I ended up cutting 1,169 words. Nowhere near as many words as the other four WIPs I tackled this year. I think that's got something to do with the fact that I write cleaner first drafts than I used to. Don't get me wrong, I still cut excess words, moved sentences around, made several additions, and had to double check several details. But I didn't delete half of the story this time. 😅

Anyway, I'm happy with how this is shaping up and look forward to completing the next two drafts. But this draft is done and I'll put it away until next week.

It's time for a bit of a mental break.

Have a great day!


Wednesday, 6 July 2022

THE MIDNIGHT CLUB by Christopher Pike

 

They were victims of life, but they vanquished death. A gripping YA horror story, coming to Netflix soon.

In a hospice for teens with terminal illnesses, five friends form the Midnight Club. They meet every night to share spine-chilling stories. Some are invented, some true. The strangest are a mixture of the two.

The club members make a pact - whichever of them dies first will try to contact the others from beyond the grave. The most incredible of their stories is about to begin . . .



When I heard Mike Flanagan was developing a series for Netflix based on a Pike book, I was instantly interested. So, I want to thank Hachette Australia for sending me a copy of this very cool re-release.

In Rotterham Hospice for teenagers, five kids suffering from terminal illnesses meet at midnight to tell each other stories...

Wow. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but I definitely did not expect the deep levels of sadness, despair, and creativity that filled every page.

I honestly thought this was going to be some sort of creepy ghost story, but it was nothing like that! This is actually a dark tale about the very real horror of sick kids dealing with daily pain, and the reality of death creeping closer every day.

To pass the time, this particular group tell each other made-up tales every night. Once again, the stories they tell are totally unexpected because I thought they would be campfire legends or urban myths, but aren't. Spence tells violent stories featuring disgruntled people who are angry with society. Anya always sneaks in the devil. Kevin's is a highly emotional creation told in installments. Ilonka shares entertaining past lives. And Sandra doesn't bother to come up with anything, just enjoys listening in.

I actually got pretty attached to these kids and following their daily, very dramatic experiences broke my heart. Their interactions, conversations, and strong friendship bonds sometimes made me temporarily forget the severity of their conditions, but it was always in the back of my mind. And when time starts to run out for them, everything becomes hauntingly sad. 😥

The Midnight Club turned out to be very different to what I was expecting, which is actually a great thing. Spending time with these teenagers was like being lost in a melancholy, feverish dream where real life is so gloomy that the idea of telling fiction made the truth bearable. It's also a very interesting exploration of pain, loneliness, death, and the possibility of reincarnation.

I have to admit that the blurb for this book doesn't describe the plot well, but it's still a great read. I really enjoyed this!


The Midnight Club, July 2022, ISBN 9781444966299, Hodder Children's Books

Tuesday, 5 July 2022

THE CREEK by Rayne King

 

The CreekThe Creek by Rayne King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Today, I was in the mood for another novella, so I grabbed this one. And I'm glad I did, because I loved it!

Wiley is a 17-year-old loner who intends to spend the summer doing his own thing, staying out of his father's way, and hanging out with his dog, Rhea. However, when he meets the new girl, Ruby, down by the creek, his whole world changes...

I was instantly swept away by this dark story because the writing style and Wiley's voice hooked me in as soon as I started reading. I love how this is a tale of summer romance between two teens who are instantly, and passionately, drawn to each other, but the air of dread hangs over their happy connection the whole time.

The cult angle was also very well done. In spite of their carefree attitude, I could sense the shitty outcome these manipulative assholes were planning, which made everything so much worse. 😫

This is a terrific novella that simultaneously captures the excitement of first-love summer vibes, while also dealing with real horror. It's sad, heartbreaking, but so intriguing. I really enjoyed the ending, too.

Oh, and there's a bonus short story called, Husk. This creepy tale is about two friends who go searching for buried treasure, even though they should know better than to chase childish dreams. Also, this is a great example of why you should never ignore your instincts.

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Monday, 4 July 2022

SHE CAME FROM THE SWAMP by Darva Green

 

She Came from the SwampShe Came from the Swamp by Darva Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was free at the Kindle store over the weekend, so I grabbed a copy. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I was in the mood for something short and light, so I read it.

Nadezhda's family are part of a dangerous supernatural murder cult and she wants nothing to do with them. Still, her cousins keep reeling her in by threatening to hurt the ones she loves if she doesn't help. That's how she ends up at her grandmother's swampy house. Where a kikimora lives...

Yep. This is definitely a steamy romance between a human with supernatural powers and the swamp woman that fascinates her. But it's not just that, there are also some very interesting and shitty family dynamics in this world full of creatures.

The main character's voice is strong and likeable. I wanted things to work out in her favour because she was such a cool person. There's also Rocket, her adorable doggy.

I really enjoyed this. It was fun and raunchy, plus very well written.

Sunday, 3 July 2022

HARDCORE KELLI by Wrath James White

 

Hardcore KelliHardcore Kelli by Wrath James White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had this book at the top of my Paperwhite TBR list for several weeks. And tonight, I decided to check it out. What I mean by that is that I read it in one sitting.

Katy is a boxer. She's also a stripper. And after going through some terrible things in her past, suffers from PTSD and night terrors. After a really bad night at work, she leaves the city and goes back to the small town she tried to escape years ago. Only to find more trouble...

Yikes! This novella is like a gut-punch. Hits you hard and deep, because so much of what happens to Katy is sad, uncomfortable and so very disturbing. In spite of her violence, and the harsh way she handles everything, I still felt for her.

A woman can't be abused and treated so badly without severe repercussions. Without her attitude to life and men being altered in severe ways. Katy is a strong woman struggling to stay in control every minute of the day.

Also, when Hardcore Kelli is introduced in the story, everything got even better. I love how the author wrote the parallels between Katy's mental illness and the storyline in the comic books her much younger sister introduces her to. And those last few chapters were fucking killer!

I enjoyed the hell out of this! But be warned, the mention of hardcore in the title isn't a mistake. Everything about this story is just that.

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