It’s the end of another month, and in April, I kept up promise last month to be brave and try new things.  This month has been quieter: a month of reading and recharging.

The end-of-month round up, ‘Previously’, is organised by Miss Cole, with lovely banner by Carrisa Taylor.

Previously in Writing

This month was CampNaNoWriMo, a writing event where you set your own goals and work with a group of your most eccentric mates to meet your goals together.

My writing goal was 20k, which has been met, and the project in focus this month is still DIVIDE. It’s been a real experience, going back to a project from 2013/2014.

if you’ve been following this blog for long, you’ll know I get worn out hard when doing rapid redrafts. Rewriting the same project multiple times in a year, or two years, is incredibly hard on me but often necessary.

Coming back to a project after two years apart from it, though? Turns out I love it. It’s so refreshing, coming back to these old friends and familiar faces and worlds with a stronger grasp of my own writing style. The change in my ability is immediately visible, and oh man, it feels so great!

Next month, the goal is to finish DIVIDE, send it out to betas, and move on to my next WIP.

Previous in Reading

So, I finally did a tally-up of my fearsome Kindle, physical, and library to-read piles. Here’s how we’re looking.

Ebook Must-Read Pile: 79 Books
Physical TBR Pile: 83 Books
Library Pile: 3 Books
Audible TBRs:  3 (United States of Japan; The Diviners by Libba Bray; Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman)
Total: 168

Jeez. That’s a heck of a lot to get through, to the point where I’m thinking up increasingly intricate rewards systems to get myself through it all. At my current rate of reading that’s maybe three years of reading, but I’m hoping to get that number down to 150 sooner rather than later, and step one is being transparent about what I’m adding and removing from the hoard.

But  I read 10 books this month, so I’m off to a solid start!

Books Added this Month:

Storm in a Teacup by Emmie Mears [eBook]
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters (2) [eBook]
One Crow Alone [eBook]
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge [eBook]
Story Engineering by Larry Brooks [eBook, Kindle Unlimited]
Writing 21st Century Fiction by Donald Maass [eBook, Kindle Unlimited]
Writing the Breakout Novel  by Donald Maass [eBook, Kindle Unlimited]
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass [eBook, Kindle Unlimited]
The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass [eBook, Kindle Unlimited]

Books Finished & Removed:

Mr Katz is a Zombie [eBook]
Spectacles by Sue Perkins [Audiobook]
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif [Paperback]
Stormdancer [eBook]
Pirate Story [BETA READ]
Sleepless [eBook]
Envy of Angels [eBook]
Building an Author Platform That Can Launch Anything [eBook]
The Girl with all the Gifts [Audiobook]
Shrike: The Masked Songbird [eBook]

Next Time In Goals

• FINISH DIVIDE.
• Make some art.
• Continue with choir.
• Continue with exercise.