A short story collection.
Monday, 29 January 2024
HER HEART BEATS FOR ANCIENT BEASTS by Calvin Demmer
Friday, 26 January 2024
This Novel is Done!
Well, this week I got stuck into the final read-thru of my current revision. That means I sat down with my Paperwhite and read the story from start to finish.
This is when any weird sentences or repeated words stand out. Also, awkward phrasing and any excess. During this part of the revision process, I focus on all the nitty-gritty details. I added some words, then cut a bunch more. I also made all the changes on the Word doc after finishing each chapter.
Technically, I reached The End yesterday, but had to tweak a few last-minute details before calling it done.
The final word count is: 70,264.
I'm really excited about finishing this feminine rage, unhinged horror novel. It's full of unlikeable characters, complicated situations, toxic friendships, and a lot of manipulation. This is a dark story about the strange things that happen in the woods. It's also nonlinear, so I had a lot of fun putting all the puzzle pieces together. And scrambling them. 😁
Now that it's done, I'm mentally exhausted and need a few days off. Good thing it's a long weekend. Yay.
Have an awesome day!
Saturday, 20 January 2024
More Revision & Some Editing!
I'm SO glad the weekend is finally here!
Anyway, my goal for this week was to get through the third draft of the unhinged/wild novel I'm currently revising. So, I got stuck into it on Monday afternoon and ended up reaching the end by Wednesday night. Yay! It always feels good to reach this point because it means the story is almost done. There's only one more check left to do: to read the whole thing on my Paperwhite.
Actually, it's already sitting there waiting for me. LOL.
The word count is now: 70,932.
That's right, this story has made it past the 70k mark. I mean, I knew I was going to make some additions, but also deleted quite a bit. Not sure what the final-final word count will be, but that's next week's problem. 😅
After finishing such an extensive revision, I like to give myself a bit of a break. So the intention was to take Thursday, Friday and the weekend off to recharge my batteries. BUT!! Edits hit my Inbox on Thursday morning and there's no way I'm going to leave them there. Especially since I'm determined (obsessed) to get my WIP finalised next week...
So, I got stuck into the edit and managed to get it done. Sure, I kept working into the early hours of Saturday morning, but I was determined to get it done because I want to enjoy the weekend. I really need these two days off so I can be clear-headed when I start the final read-thru on Monday. Oh, and I have to decide on a title...
Well, that's it for now.
I'm going to enjoy the weekend with my awesome husband. And now that the weather has changed and the sun is back, I hope it sticks around for a while.
Have a great one!
Friday, 12 January 2024
Revision Time!
Although January always moves very slowly and my brain hasn't fully grasped that the lazy festive season is done, I decided to get stuck into my first writing project of 2024: the second draft of the novel I wrote back in November.
This is to kick-start my writing goals for this year, and to make sure that I continue to stick to my plan of staying on top of my finished first drafts. I did very well last year and revised the stories I wrote a month or two after finishing. So I want to keep that going.
Those eighteen months or so that I spent catching up on first drafts I pretty much abandoned to my hard drive motivates me enough to make sure I don't falter again. 😅
I started the revision on Monday and ended up reaching the end on Wednesday night. But last night I went back to add dates to the timeline. It was a lot trickier than I first thought but I've got everything figured out now. See, I wrote this story in a non-linear style. The events are happening in two different timelines but they're not in proper sequence. I know it sounds a bit weird, but totally fits this wild story.
Anyway, now it's done. So... yay.
This is the second draft word count: 69,152.
I'm very happy with this progress and can't wait to start the third draft next week. This is a strange little tale about unhinged women who aren't likeable, but sure as hell are interesting. They get up to some seriously crazy stuff and I'm looking forward to getting this finished and hopefully out into the world.
Well, asides from that, I've been having a nice week with my husband. Though there is one pesky thing that is causing me some anxiety. A publisher I signed a contract with last year has decided to stop communicating. I've tried to reach out with no success, but I have to keep trying.
That's it for today. Hope you all have an awesome weekend! ☺️
Friday, 5 January 2024
First 2024 Reads: Two Short Stories by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wanted to start the year with something quick and sharp, and this story definitely did the trick.
Judith longs to be free and escapes to a small shack in the woods whenever she can. Still, she can't escape all the chores and responsibilities that her prettier older sister, Alice, makes her do. Not until she really opens her eyes...
Wow, I loved this deliciously wicked fairy tale!
It's a little Red Riding Hood, a bit Cinderella, with a good dose of folklore thrown in, and a lot of adult content. Yeah, this is a great story!
I'm not surprised I enjoyed it so much because I LOVE every story I've read written by this awesome author.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Since I had another Silvia Moreno-Garcia short story on my Kindle, and it's Friday, I decided to get stuck into it.
It's 1917 in Mexico and a revolution is going on outside a small farm with two women and a bunch of children. But thirteen-year-old Machorra longs for adventure, and she finds it in the mountains while hiding there with her sickly brother...
Well, that turned out to be quite an intriguing tale of family, adventure and myth. I like how it's also a little mystical and leaves you wondering. There's quite a bit of cruelty too, not so much in the actions, but in the words.
It's another great tale by this author. I really enjoy the way she tells a story.
Tuesday, 2 January 2024
Some Kind of Goals
So, it's time for me to post my 2024 Goals.
I don't like to make New Year resolutions because I never stick to them. But I do put together a goals list because there are always things I want to accomplish.
This is everything I'd like to achieve/continue to do this year:
- Go for long daily walks
- Really get back into yoga and schedule maybe two workouts a week
- Brainstorming a bunch of ideas
- Celebrate the book/s coming out this year
- Write between 100-200k words
- Read 52 books
- Revise/finalise the first draft (unhinged women/girls novel) I wrote during November
- Work on edits as they hit my Inbox
- Write a novel or two
- Write a novella or two
- Write some new short stories
- Finally put together/finalise my first short story collection & find a place to sub it to
- Continue to submit stories
- Keep playing Animal Crossing and get into some other cozy, cute puzzle games (ie. Fae Farm)
Well, these are my goals. ☺️
Are you making a list this year?