What’s Up Wednesday! End-of-May Edition!
I'm back from the hot and pleasant island of Cyprus, and back with another What's Up Wednesday post as hosted by blog friend Jaime and her sister Erin! Like Colin, this post is mostly to let you know that I'm back, alive and kickin'!

What I’m Reading
I finished Chuck Wendig's THE BLUE BLAZES, which was a long and rewarding read. It was nice to hop over to adult urban fantasy again for a bit. I then started reading DARE YOU TO by Katie McGarry. Not really feeling it, it's not clicking with me.
Once I've done DARE YOU TO I'm going to give TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD a spin, because I've been itching to read this classic for ages and I haven't got round to it yet.
What I’m Writing
My holiday kicked me out of my good writing habits, so I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of things.
Toying with a plot bunny for a middle grade/children's story, but I think I'm just being flighty. I've hit some plotting issues with the middle section of Leviathan Rises and I think I'm just procrastinating from that.
Still, plot bunnies are fun! And I'll be getting back to the seamonster story shortly, fingers crossed.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Writer and friend John Dixon recently shared the trailer for INTELLIGENCE, based on his upcoming YA novel PHOENIX ISLAND. Take a look! It stars Sawyer from LOST (Josh Holloway) and looks like it'll include a few of my favourite things: badass ladies! Witty banter!
I loved this article: “‘We Have Always Fought’: Challenging the ‘Women, Cattle and Slaves’ Narrative” by Kameron Hurley.
I also just read Stephenie Perkin's blog about the status of her upcoming "Isla and the Happily Ever After" and her struggles with depression. It wasn't inspiring, but it was an important post to read as a far of her work.
Also, Elementary, which I just finished and loved every minute of. Strong female characters! Generally good representations of all minorities! A male-female bromance! This was a brilliant way to spend my time waiting for BBC's Sherlock, and despite my reservations about the show I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
Check out the trailer, which has minor spoilers for the first episode but gives you a good idea of the show's style.
What Else I've Been Up To
I managed to get severe food poisoning while in Cyprus, which messed me up for about a week afterwards. I'm doing better now, but I have a lot to catch up on: reading, writing, and blogging especially.
I didn't do myself any favours by buying a PS3 console, but heeeeeey... it's nice to spend some time gaming, even if I need to learn to manage my time better.
March Targets aka The Month Where I Want to Flip Tables
Social Targets: This month isn't going so well for me, for a barrel load of reasons that I'm not going to bore you with, so I'm scaling back this months targets. The aim of the game this month is to just get through it.
Also, I'll be doing lots of baking, because baking makes the world a better place.
Writing Targets: None. I'll still be writing, because I'm basically addicted now, but I'm not pushing any targets this month.
Blogging Targets: Fixed the comments, currently trying to fix the Twitter autoposts. I''ll be trying to do a review of Self-Editing for Fiction Writes and Requiem. I'm also helping out with a new group blog and I should have more news about that by the end of the month.
Art Targets: Going to try and digitally colour some of my recent sketches to help me pin down a character's design.
Reading Targets: Finish beta-reading for a very talented writer friend who I've kept waiting far too long. Read Requiem (UK Pub Date: 21st March) and finish Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.
How's March going for everyone? If you're also having a rough time, I am here to send you sympathy by the boatload. Let's flip tables together to express our rage against this month.

February Targets: The Results
Okay, this post is super-late, but here we go!
Writing Targets: Start revising the "Girls Who Fix Giant Robots" draft. Recovering from January deadlines this month so writing is a low priority. I'm planning to get in a lot of gaming and movie watching.
RESULT: I actually tried very hard not to do writing this month... but I failed and ended up starting the second draft of this WIP as well as a new project. Turns out I really hate not having something to work on.
Blogging Targets: Inspirational photos for the WIP, review of Blood Magic.
RESULT: None of that, but I took care of the sketchbook scan posts I was planning to do in January.
Art Targets: Just anything, really. Got a few ideas for character illustrations that I'd like to try and bring to life.
RESULT: I had quite a productive art month, with snow demons, catgirls and sketches galore. Managed to keep up life drawing and other sketch practices through the month too.
Social Targets: Stornoway Trip planned for February 25th - 2nd March.
RESULT: Stornoway was visited! It was nice to introduce my fiancé to the island, and to get a bit of a break.
Reading Targets: Read Pantomime, Blood Magic, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Write to be Published, Stiff and Maus
RESULT: Read Pantomime so far, and currently beta-reading a manuscript for a friend, as well a handful of comics. Not a bad month, even if I didn't stick to my targets.
My Night in a Nutshell
Oh god my housemate just tricked me into saying Robert Downey Junior was Sherlock NO OH GOD I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN IT
*curls up into a corner whispering "Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Cumberbatch, BenedictCumberbatchBenedictCumberbatchBenedictCumberbatch"*
I'm going to get kicked out of Tumblr now, aren't I?
In a bid for redemption, here's a story: While watching Screen Wipe, I saw an iPlayer advert with Tom Hiddleston in it.
On the phone after I completely lost my ability to form names. "So, how's Thor-- I mean Boar... Oh, it's just me and Thor -- I MEAN JOSH."
February Targets
Writing Targets: Start revising the "Girls Who Fix Giant Robots" draft. Recovering from January deadlines this month so writing is a low priority. I'm planning to get in a lot of gaming and movie watching.
Reading Targets: Read Pantomime, Blood Magic, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Write to be Published, Stiff and Maus
Blogging Targets: Inspirational photos for the WIP, review of Blood Magic.
Art Targets: Just anything, really. Got a few ideas for character illustrations that I'd like to try and bring to life.
Social Targets: Stornoway Trip planned for February 25th - 2nd March.
Have you got any targets to aim for this month? Let me know in the comments!
The Day The Alarm Didn’t Stop
Early this morning, there was a problem in the office where I work.
The security door is stuck with the alarm blaring. Ow, my head. #officeproblems
— Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
Initially, I wasn't too fussed. I had mechanisms in place to deal with distracting office noise.
Headphones + white noise ftw. It's bad that I've developed coping methods for preserving sanity during alarm failures...
— Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
But then it continued for over an hour.
The alarm is still going at full volume. The door engineers need to be sent up from Glasgow. 3 hours away. #help — Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
Think I'll spend lunchtime hiding in the canteen and listening to "Cabin Pressure". — Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
And continued.
HULK SMASH PUNY DOOR ALARM
— Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
...and continued...
A guy with a toolkit just came in, looked at the door, and then left. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?
— Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
Until, four hours later:
FINALLY. SILENCE. Finallllllllyyyyy~ — Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
And hours later, the memory remains.
My ears are still ringing... — Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
Though there were some highlights to lessen the headaches.
The fire alarm test went wrong and the alarm got stuck for a minute. Between each blast there was hysterical, terrified laughter. #notagain — Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
Oh hey, looks like half the building thought that was an actual alarm. *waves out the window*
— Emma Maree Urquhart (@EMaree) January 28, 2013
After all that, I'm glad to me home with a cup of Chai tea and my trusty TARDIS dressing gown. It's just a shame I can still hear the ringing.
January Targets
I'm going to start posting monthly targets on the blog to keep me focussed. Let's see how it goes!
Writing Targets: Finish editing REBEL and send it off to the lovely agent. On a tight deadline for this one, trying to get it all done and dusted ASAP.
Reading Targets: Read Seraphina, Write to be Published, Teeth, Stiff and Batman: Year One
Blogging Targets: Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2013, some New Years babbling about personal changes, a review of Seraphina and some sketchbook scans.
Art Targets: Clothing studies for REBEL, life and reference drawing. Art is low priority this month because writing is going to be quite intense.
Social Targets: Lots of birthdays in the second half of this month. I'll have to pick out some brilliant presents! :)
Have you got any targets to aim for this month? Let me know in the comments!
















