This month was exhausting. While I was able to write every day, I was often distracted by a lot of personal growth that should ultimately make my prose stronger and my characters more nuanced and interesting.
Current project: Secrets of Annwyn
Monthly word count: 10,031
Tentative April TBR:
Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin (ARC)
This month has brought forth many changes. I have pivoted from editing to writing full-time, and it's been quite liberating to give all my energy to a passionate project. Expect more news soon.
Current project: Secrets of Annwyn, draft one (officially)
Monthly word count: 22,796
March TBR:
Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson
Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin
July has been nuts! With the family vacation behind me, and my son's best friend moving away this week, it's been a hectic and emotional roller coaster.
Yet I still finished the Secrets of Annwyn scaffolding outline and prologue. Given how long Annwyn has taken up real estate in my head, it's freeing to finally get it down on paper. With over 60,000 words in character and plot development, and another 40,000 words in false starts, I'm on track and falling in love with writing again.
After Wendy is coming along. Transcription-style revisions are murder, but I'm trekking along and making it shine. If all goes well, I'll have a polished first act by the Colorado Gold Conference in September.
The kids go back to school on August 14, and I can't wait to have more time to write and create.
On the docket for August: writing 15,000 words of Annwyn; revising chapters eight through ten of After Wendy; editing; judging RMFW's anthology submissions; and perfecting my pitch for Colorado Gold.
Favorite Universal Studios Attraction: Hogsmeade Village
Favorite Re-Watch: Peep Show
August TBR:
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Eldritch Punks by Oliver Blakemore
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
For the past two months, I've been hard at work world building the Doors of Annwyn series, revising After Wendy, and drafting a sci-fi short story. I'm hoping to have the prologue for The Secrets of Annwyn finished by the end of July, the sci-fi story, "A Message from Beyond", complete and ready for submissions by mid August, and the After Wendy revisions nearly complete by the beginning of September.
Favorite read: Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney
Favorite watch: The OA (a rewatch)
Summer Tenative TBR:
Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt (Tor Nightfire ARC)
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
It by Stephen King
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang (Tor ARC)
This month has been a bit of a mess. I began with a couple short stories and ended with the goal of penning 126,000 words (or so) of The Secrets of Annwyn by mid-August.
Despite my reluctance to begin my epic fantasy series too early, I've since backpedaled, realizing I would much rather write about Cassilyn, Fenwick, and Marlowe than anyone else. I have set a goal of 8,400 words written a week and believe that's manageable—even with the looming summer break at the end of May.
Apart from Annwyn, I've been reading through After Wendy and making notes for new scenes. Fingers crossed I have it revised, polished, and ready to go by September, when I pitch to an agent in person.
I will be attending the Nebula conference from the comfort of my home in a couple weeks and will be attending—and running a workshop—at the Colorado Gold Conference in September.
Favorite Watch: Nope
Favorite Read: The Gemarine Chronicles by JP McDonald
May TBR:
Fractal Noise (ARC) by Christopher Paolini
Demon Riding Shotgun by LR Braden
Conscious Designs by Nathanial White
Wistful Ascending by JCM Berne
The First Bright Thing (ARC) by JR Dawson
This month has been interesting. After pushing off Annwyn's first draft, I've focused my creative efforts on smaller works of fiction. I'm currently writing a climate-focused story for an upcoming anthology and will move onto a piece about a clairvoyant soon after.
In April, I plan on revising and adding to After Wendy, polishing my short story, working on Annwyn's cultures, and outlining a vampire apocalypse novel.
Favorite read: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
Favorite listen: The Publishing Rodeo Podcast
April TBR:
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
Fractal Noise (ARC) by Christopher Paolini
Witch King (ARC) by Martha Wells
Looking Glass Sound (ARC) by Catriona Ward
Schrader's Chord (ARC) by Scott Leeds
Last week, I finally nailed down the main plot for The Secrets of Annwyn. This series, which has had its overarching conflict for going on two years, is officially ready to write. I'll be working on a map, my magic system rules and limitations, and character arcs before I begin chapter one next week. I hope to have a running word count to share next month.
After Wendy has proven difficult to sell. If you've been with me since Lipstick Covered Magnet, you won't be surprised by my inability to write to market. I'm hoping that a final revision, to add more monsters and tension, will bump up the word count closer to market standards. If I still can't find anyone interested, I might independently publish. Even if it means I make less money, I'd rather it be available to anyone who wishes to read it.
Favorite read: Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi
Favorite watch: The Queen's Gambit
March TBR (many rolled over from February):
Night's Edge by Liz Kerin (Tor Nightfire)
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (Tor Nightfire)
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom)
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini (Tor)
The Secrets of Annwyn—first book in the high fantasy Doors of Annwyn series, completed first draft
A Part of Me—emo YA romance, finished and ready to query
Jagged Edges—Victorian horror, completed first draft
After Wendy—Peter Pan sequel, continue querying
Sci-fi pilot—script completed
Two sci-fi/fantasy short stories, submitted to magazines and anthologies
This month's favorite reads: Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee and How to Cook and Eat the Rich by Sunyi Dean
February TBR (all ARCs):
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera (Tor)
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher (St. Martin's Press)
Hopeland by Ian McDonald (Tor)
Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi (Tor Nightfire)
Night's Edge by Liz Kerin (Tor Nightfire)
The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick Dalton (Tor Forge)
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom)
November has been a bit of a roller coaster. I began the month participating in NaNoWriMo and ended it with two rambunctious children in the house begging for my attention. Needless to say, I didn't get much writing in once Thanksgiving (and my son's birthday) rolled around. But I did have a wonderful reading/Q+A at my alma mater, UCCS, and it was fabulous.
While I didn't make the 50,000-word goal, I wrote 28,000 words of The Many Doors of Annwyn before realizing the writing was good but the plot wasn't moving forward. I'll be spending two weeks to a month outlining my trilogy and worldbuilding before I start writing again.
In December, I'll be outlining, pulling together a query list, and blue skying (or brainstorming) my sci-fi TV series idea.
December TBR:
Dual Memory by Sue Burke (Tor ARC)
The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz (Tor ARC)
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
Wild Massive by Scotto Moore (Tor ARC)
Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
My fantasy series, The Many Doors of Annwyn, has officially begun. I am 3,500 words into the first draft, and I can't wait to hit over 50k during NaNoWriMo!
After Wendy has been sent to ten agents, seven of which have rejected it. I intend to bump up the word count a bit, to somewhere closer to 60,000, in case that is the reason why it's been shot down. I was also told that there are many classic retellings/reimaginings releasing soon and that it might not be the right time to shop a Peter Pan sequel. But we'll see.
Apart from those two projects, I'm brainstorming for a TV series and am getting excited about an interdimensional travel short story.
November TBR:
Africa Risen
The Name of the Wind
The Fifth Season
The Ballad of Black Tom