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 Dream
You write for the younger you. For the younger you who always dreamed but never believed you really could. For the younger you who wished with all of her heart to create a dream. For the younger you who saw no limits. For the younger you who still dreams today. For the you that still…
Having all the time in the world isn’t always a good thing
You might think that having all the time in the world to do your writing is a good thing. You have these images of people with unlimited time sitting there with a candle burning, a notebook and a pen on their desk, wistfully staring out of the window and contemplating existence. However, I don’t think…
This is not a plan
“You said you had a plan for this?! Flying into the port with no approvals is not a plan.” Taelew looked over at his co-pilot. Yivonn was not one for breaking the rules, which is why he hadn’t told her of the plan until they were on the final descent. “I do have a plan,”…
Editing a First Draft – Top Tips
First drafts are fickle creatures. They are hastily thrown together (especially if you are a “gardener” writer like myself) and need work to form the story that you see in your mind’s eye. Editing your first draft can feel like climbing a mountain without a guidebook – there is simply so much to fix, and…
Travelling around your world – Writing on Caffeine
This month in my newsletter, Writing on Caffeine, I’m talking about warm up exercises for your writing craft, why they’re important and a few ideas for you to use! Like any craft, you need to practice your writing muscles outside of your core projects, and that’s where little warm ups can come into help! Not…
Lessons from Flowers
Flowers can teach us a lot. They can teach us about what it takes to grow. That you have to be fed with the basics of human needs before you can truly flourish. That everyone grows at their own rate, and that other people’s journey cannot be compared to your own. They teach us that…
February Thoughts – Welcoming Spring
This month has been a waxing and waning of writing inspiration and time. Sometimes I find there are weeks I can sit at a desk and write a lot, other times I have to go and rest on the sofa. I was really struggling to get back into my novel until I spoke with one…
Travelling around your world – Writing on Caffeine
This month in my newsletter, Writing on Caffeine, I’m looking at worldbuilding, and the topic of conversation is how your characters travel around your world. How people travel can be intrinsic to how large or small the world they experience is – if everyone travels on foot, then journeys of a few hundred miles will…
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 