This month can be summarised with one phrase: I am so f**cking tired.
I intended to use September as an achievement month. A time to set myself a ridiculous 30k word goal and go smash out those words to get my novel to the next stage. A time to bake some more bread, finish the garden, all the while managing to navigate an ever more bonkers day-job workload.
And in a surprise to absolutely no one, it didn’t happen.
Well, the bonkers day-job workload did happen. And the occasional bread was baked, and I did manage to write some words on my novel, but none on my blog.
If you’ve wondered why this month was a quiet month, well it was because of that. In what little time I did have to write, I chose to focus on my novel rather than my blog in an attempt to break through some really tricky plot points. I have made progress, but it is at the expense of keep up with my monthly blogging schedule.
I do have to remind myself sometimes that at the moment, that sometimes the balance does not tip in the favour of my creative projects. Sometimes it’s good to not overdo it.
But damn, that is a hard truth to tell yourself.
My posts this month
Missed any of my posts from this month? Check them all out below!
Northern Winds (From the Archives)
“Put me down here,” Wilal said. The attendants did as he wished, laying the palanquin gently onto the ground. Wilal could smell the Northern Winds from here, the top of Lastmount Ridge. The salty smell of his home in the Northern Wilds, a place had not been to in years. Not since he had deserted. … More Northern Winds (From the Archives)
Don’t Burn Out (Monday Inspiration)
Passion projects are intoxicating because they are so involved. You can be sucked into them and loose all sense of space and time. It is just you and the words, and your act of creation. But remember to take a step back. To breathe. To give yourself time to recover. Otherwise you’ll burn out. First … More Don’t Burn Out (Monday Inspiration)
The Night of the Eighteenth
“Magic,” he said, sipping his drink,” is just another kind of force. Like the weather, or a good cup of tea.” The wizard smiled over the rim of his teacup at Aredria. She held his gaze, smiling back. Her own tea sat untouched on the table in front of her. She wasn’t here for pleasantries. … More The Night of the Eighteenth
Be Limitless (Monday Inspiration)
Start showing yourself Be as limitless as your dreams. The dreams that are far beyond your reach and far beyond reason. Believe in that limitless feeling. That soaring hope you feel when you immerse yourself in that dream. You have as much chance in achieving that dream as you have any right to believe. So … More Be Limitless (Monday Inspiration)
One of the Crew (From the Archives)
“Let us raise a toast, to Mito!” Captain Ralaydin raised her mug high into the air. The rest of the crew followed her example. Mito blushed. Not from embarrassment, he appreciated the gesture, but all twelve pairs of eyes staring at him was a bit much. Mito raised his glass to. “To the successful Blood … More One of the Crew (From the Archives)
Time Is Precious (Monday Inspiration)
There is only so much time in the day, and there never seems to be enough. And you know what, that’s okay. You can make it work for you. You can change your workspace to be more focussed. You can change your attitude to be more diligent. You can do this. You can make the … More Time Is Precious (Monday Inspiration)
Top 3 tips for writing Multiple POVs
As a fantasy reader and writer, I’m most comfortable in the world of 3rd person POV. However, if you’re writing a fantasy epic, how do you manage multiple POVs in your novel? Here are my top three tips: 1) be picky with your POVs2) write a unique character voice for each POV3) use your POVs … More Top 3 tips for writing Multiple POVs
Writing On Caffeine – All about Sub-Plots
This month in my newsletter, Writing on Caffeine, I’m looking at writing craft tips, and this month it’s all about how to write Sub-Plots. Those arcs that lie beneath the main plot which either feed into a wider storyline of a series or help drive the story towards the main plot arc. I’m going to … More Writing On Caffeine – All about Sub-Plots
Writing on Caffeine
The one thing I have been trying to stay on top of is my monthly writing advice newsletter Writing on Caffeine. This month was all about Sub-Plots, and in writing it I actually realised just how much I’ve learnt from repeatedly head-desking over the past year of writing my novel.
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What I’ve been watching this month
Vigil is a new BBC thriller from the same people who produce Line of Duty. I’m not 100% convinced, but it is a lot of fun to watch in the evening!
What If TV show had delightfully surprised me. I did not think it would be as fun as it is, and it’s a nice easy 25 minute watch with dinner!
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was also very excellent – not only because it was my first time in a cinema since 2019 (!!) but also because there were exactly 100% more dragons than I expected and I am here for it.
Featured Image Credit: Samatha Gades on Unsplash
