October is here! My favorite time of year. Cosy woolly jumpers lie on the horizon, Pumpkin Spice is EVERYWHERE, and long jackets are back in style, the fall leaves are on the trees, and we’re in that middle-ground where the weather is dry and not-too-cold.
NaNoWriMo is looming closer with every day. We’re entering peak writing season!
What I’m Writing
Last week’s goal of 5,000 new words totally didn’t happen.
Woops.
Next week’s goal: focus on outlines. Chuck Wendig had a post about all the methods you can use to outline a story, which blew my mind. I thought I knew most of the methods available to outliners. I WAS SO WRONG.
And now I want to try all of them.
What I’m Reading
Still beta-reading at the moment, though I’m also breaking it up with chapters of A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, which is an amazing, amazing book. I’m really enjoying the writing, the characters, the worldbuilding. ALL OF IT.
Reading A Darker Shade of Magic by @veschwab to refuel between beta reads and it is EVERYTHING I hoped it would be. pic.twitter.com/BfilqLLktE
— Banshee Maree (@EMaree) October 4, 2015
Loving Victoria Ying’s art as an accompaniment to A Darker Shade of Magic. #ADSOM @veschwab http://t.co/wtT0RbtHQ8 pic.twitter.com/yRWFaAnpFj — Banshee Maree (@EMaree) October 4, 2015
I’m also really excited about Laura Lam’s upcoming FALSE HEARTS, which had its cover reveal this week.
I an so, so excited for @LR_Lam‘s FALSE HEARTS. Orphan Black meets Inception. http://t.co/7LMqDL1kpG pic.twitter.com/75j46LxgHI — Banshee Maree (@EMaree) October 4, 2015
Lastly, an article I enjoyed: Why You Don’t Need Rhino Skin to be a Writer is a great article about the fundamental incompatibility between writing, which attracts empathetic and anxious people, and the common advice that you need thick skin to survive in this industry.
I also really liked this website that breaks down recent movies into beat sheet examples.
What Else I’ve Been Up To
It was my 24th birthday last weekend, and I spent it doing a lot of driving about and eating way too much cake. It was good times. Awesome gifts were received.
Mac was also by my side for most of my birthday weekend adventures, so have some pictures of his adorable fluffy mug.
That’s it for this week! What have you got ahead of you, writer friends?
Is that a doge toy? Wow. Much cool. Very love. Wow.
Pumpkin spice is a big thing across the pond? I didn’t know that. I think I saw you get your first pumpkin spice latte. What did you think? I’m not a huge fan myself, but I do get the love of seasonal stuff.
I’m pretty sure my friend has been trying to get me to read A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC. I’ll have to pick that up whenever I finish with EMPIRE ASCENDANT.
SUCH DOGE YES MANY WOWS
Pumpkin spice isn’t really a big thing here — we have the lattes in Starbucks, that’s it, no pumpkin spice flavoured food or anything. It’s not really a big thing here at all, but after seeing what a MASSIVE thing it is stateside I had to explore!
I really enjoyed my PSL. It’s an odd flavour, very sweet and artificial, but very pleasant.
YESSSSS PLEASE READ ADSOM IT’S SO. FRIGGIN’. GOOD.
Yay outlines! I use a weird hybrid method combining beat sheets with character arcs, in the hope that one day I’ll finish a draft which doesn’t need major revisions (if only!). I’m kind of obsessed with different plotting methods and story structure.
I also loved that article about not needing thick skin to be a writer, because I’m definitely not thick-skinned! I have to avoid Goodreads for my own sanity’s sake…
DEFINITELY AVOID GOODREADS. NO GOOD EVER COMES FROM THAT SHADOWY PLACE.
That outlining method sounds amazing! Do you have any posts about how you combine the two?
…You have a doge.
Happy 24th! Good age. Enjoy it ^_^
I HAVE A DOGE! And thank you, I hope it’ll be a good year. Got lots of growing up to do!
Happy birthday last week! That’s where I was too, birthdaying. Surprisingly, I was also writing too. In fact, the birthday was an excuse not to clean the house or chase kids and just write. *sigh* Good times.