Goodbye April

So April, you were longer than March. That's fine. I guess. Can't really do anything about it now.
May, it's your turn.


Just like 2019, I wanted to make some resolutions and (try to) stick to them. As a reminder, here were my updated resolutions.


2020 Resolutions:

     (1) Write [almost] every day

     (2) Don't stop reading

     (3) Complete something (e.g. a manuscript)

     (4) Share love of books/writing
     (5) Be kinder to myself

(1) EVERY DAY. Well, every day but one. And it was kind of a really rough day.

(2) Books read this month: 0. Yup. But I wrote every day.

(3) Holy freaking fuck. Hold on to your hats people. In April, I wrote/added 121 pages to my manuscript.

I finished the final pen-to-paper to my computer edits. Before edits, my manuscript, in all of its shitty-first-drafts glory was 189 pages. It's now 451 pages.

Now to just do that a few more times (bleh!). I'm going to also make a few more really major changes (because I hate myself). But I have like three (or six) checklists and pages of editing tips typed up for this new round of edits. Stay tuned.

(4) Posts this month (including this one): 8.

(5) April wasn't that great eating well or exercising. But I kind of said screw it and did whatever I wanted (ate whatever I wanted). Lots of mudslides. Yup.


Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?


Any exciting May reads?
Anything I should check out?

#socialdistancing #coronavirus #newyearsresolutions #goodbyeapril #hellomay #hello2020 #keeplearning #writeeveryday #dontstopreading #completesomething #getprofessional #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Writing/Editing Update

Why is it that we fall in love with our characters and then put them through so much crap?

Like I love them so freaking much.
And yet, trauma, have a whole lot of it, yeah?

Like the other day I had to make an author decision. Push the reader out of my head and think like a writer. I knew my one character would never X to the other, but like that other character, his biggest fear is the first one doing X. So like...it had to happen...
I'll give you a nice cup of tea for it though, dear. No worries. <3

#writing #editing #writerproblems #socialdistancing #coronavirus #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

WTF, Abigail?

WTF, Abigail?

What is this? What did I mean here? What does that even say? Where was this supposed to fit in? How was that even supposed to work?

None of this makes any sense sometimes.

Don't you just love editing?

#writing #editing #writerproblems #socialdistancing #coronavirus #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

On Love's Light Wings

MERLIN AND MORGANA. GREAT SNAKES.

Okay, I don't know if anyone made this connection at all. But I did the other day. And I really, really, really needed to share.

While doing research for my manuscript (research I've done 2 times before and just never wrote it down--didn't this time either), and reading the balcony scene fifty times through (again) from Romeo and Juliet, I found this gem.

The spell our babe Baz uses to levitate Penny and himself at the end of Carry On? On Love's Light Wings? "It's a hard spell and an old spell, and it works only if you understand the Great Vowel Shift of the Sixteenth Century--and if you're stupidly in love"? That one? (I knew you knew it--but I just really like the whole quote).

Well, it's from Romeo and Juliet. From when they're chatting/flirting. She asks how he got over the garden gates, because they're hella high (me paraphrasing here). He says: "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls; for stony limits cannot hold love out."

So our fearless leader @rainbowrowell directly compared our boys (Simon and Baz) to the most famous of starcrossed lovers (Romeo and Juliet). Just saying. This book keeps getting more and more perfect. Just saying.

#carryon #rainbowrowell #waywardson #anywaythewindblows #snowbaz #basilton #romeoandjuliet #williamshakespeare #onloveslightwings #starcrossed #socialdistancing #coronavirus #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Writing/Editing Update

This was me last night. Totally and completely channeling Janet. Like Jaison-and-Tahani-doing-it Janet but pre-Derek Janet. With all that glitching. Yeah.

So I figured out how to go through my entire manuscript (which right now is in four separate word document) and highlight any and all use of the To Be verbs (aka the ever hated passive voice).

Except, it didn't highlight all of the contractions that contained To Be verbs.
And, it highlighted all of the To Be verbs in my dialogue.
So it was a really, really cool discovery. Until, I went full Janet and had to go through and un-highlight passive voice in my dialogue.

I've attached how to highlight passive voice in your word document in case you want to give it a shot. Just be warned, it might only be 80% worth it.

#passivevoice #writing #editing #writerproblems #wordproblems #janet #thegoodplace #socialdistancing #coronavirus #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Peter Pan

If you could go anywhere in Neverland, where would it be?

Me? I'd go freaking everywhere.

As long as I had a notarized note (multiple copies hidden around the island) promising that I could return home afterwards. Because, a vaca is one thing, an accidental permanent residence? Well, Pan has been known to do a lot worse

#peterpan #jmbarrie #neverland #psychopathpan #peterbreaksthrough #socialdistancing #coronavirus #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Harry Potter

Just another obligatory Harry Potter post. ;)

If you could have any fantastic beast, what would it be?
Canon or not.
Because let's be honest, Remus didn't die. And neither did Sirius. Or Fred. Amongst others. Just to be clear. ;)

#harrypotter #jkrowlling #fantasticbeasts #remuslupin #siriusblack #fredwealsey #noonedied #everyonelived #happilyeverafter #socialdistancing #coronavirus #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Character/Setting Reference Pictures

Bragging a little...

Okay, so I took the advice from one of my followers/bookstagram colleagues/friends, and I used Pinterest to find reference pictures for my manuscript.

It was super freaking easy. And, like all things Pinterest related, super freaking addicting.

I'm obsessed with some of the reference pictures I found. Obsessed. Like my writing needs (needs) to take a break every once in a while just to like look at my boards. It doesn't make sense. But I'm very proud of them and wanted to show a few off.

I have a board for my settings, organized by specific location.

And a board for my characters, organized by individual.

Okay, that's all. Have a Happy Friday and a fabulous, self-isolating weekend! :)

#socialdistancing #coronavirus #nomotivation #pinterest #characterreferences #settingreferences #writerboards #editingproblems #reading #writing #writerproblems #avoidingwriting #books #bookstagam #bookphotography #ilovebooks