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!
The Return of the Green Witch (Flash Fiction)
“If these are your fabled ruins,” Unlana remarked, “I’m disappointed.” Ewani ignored her captors remarks, drinking in the sight before her. The ancient stones still stood in tall columns, towering towards the sky from the depths of the basin. Once they would have held the worship platform, made from wood and iron. Now, they only … More The Return of the Green Witch (Flash Fiction)
Beyond Humanity (From the Archives)
“You think this will help?” Treyko asked, twisting his head in the vice of the chair. Even now, he still smiled. Heelna remembered those days, before she too had been plugged into the mainframe. Easier days, simpler days. “You know it will,” Heelna replied, as she tightened the wrist straps on Treyko’s wrists and upper … More Beyond Humanity (From the Archives)
What I thought about Jade City
Armed with a new kindle and a resolution to read some more books, I went on a buying spree at the start of 2021 for some new fantasy novels and world that I hadn’t read before. Having joined “bookstagram” over the pandemic, I’ve been exposed to a lot more diverse authors and stories that I … More What I thought about Jade City
What makes a Main Character?
There are lots of different ways you can define the concept of a main character. They’re the ones with the Points of View (POVs), they’re the ones with the most chapters, or they’re the ones that the story revolves around. A main character, for me, is a little bit of all of those three. Importantly, … More What makes a Main Character?
Why did you say that? (Flash Fiction)
“Why did you say that?” Tanee paused, wiping the knife on his sleeve. “What?” he whispered, “about the prophecy being bullshit? You and I both know we can’t live our lives in accordance to some crap from hundreds of years ago.” Tanee could feel the anger in Hyaie’s eyes as they bored into the back … More Why did you say that? (Flash Fiction)
Writing On Caffeine – Describing Characters
This month in my newsletter, Writing on Caffeine, I’m looking at building characters, and in particular how you describe your character. I’ll be looking at some ideas to consider when creating your character’s physical appearance, as well as some top tips to consider when describing your characters in your novel. Are you ready to learn … More Writing On Caffeine – Describing Characters
Vacuum (From the Archives)
Geyle watched the world spin below her. She tapped her foot gently on the window that separated her from the vacuum of space. The sound echoed inside the table, a gentle tap tap tap to match the gentle rhythm of her heartbeat. Most hated the training area, being exposed on four sides to the vast … More Vacuum (From the Archives)
A reflection on the year
I always like reflecting on the past year as we sit in that time after Christmas and before the New Year is rung in. It’s a chance to step back and see the work and memories that you’ve made over a longer period of time – the months might fly by but the year in … More A reflection on the year
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
Alex.J.Cobalt 