Category: writing

January Results and February Goals

If you are reading this, it means we have all made it through the first month of 2023. January has been my most productive month so far, and that’s not just in 2023, but for a long time. I’ve been able to set a routine and keep making progress little by little. I’ve never been happier.

Here’s how January went:

January Results

Writing

Participate in the NYC Midnight Short Story Competition

This month, The NYC Midnight Short Story Competition went well—Once I got my butt in gear. For the first few days, I took my time, then realized how soon the deadline was. I panicked a bit, then did a mad dash to the end and finally submitted it. At first, I wasn’t sure I would do well with the prompt, but now that it’s done and looking back, I did the best I could. Now I can’t wait for the results and of course, the next NYC Midnight challenge.

Edit One Short Story

This month, I did edit a short story. (Actually I edited two if you count the NYC Midnight submission). I have to say I quite enjoyed it. The short story I edited was one from January of 2015. So far, it has been amazing to see how far I’ve come in my writing. One down, several more to go. I’m starting to remember that editing isn’t as easy as writing, though it is quite informative.

Edit Three Chapters

For quite a bit of the month, I wasn’t sure I would make the three chapter goal. I had a few long chapters to work on and some days not a lot of time to work on them, especially with homework and other duties. I’m pleased to say, I did get three chapters done (with one day to spare). Sometimes, it’s better to let the editing process surprise me. A chapter ended sooner, which means I get to add another chapter and really lay on the romance (my favorite!)

Personal

Exercise

So far, exercising has been going well. I did a long streak of 8 days in a row, then there was a not so great streak of a few days I missed due to inclement weather. Now, I’ve been doing my best to make it out and at least walk every day, or at least three days a week, like I wanted, but some days it isn’t easy.

Journal

I had to work at it, and force myself to journal when there were tough days, but I managed to journal every day in January. I really enjoyed sitting down with myself and journaling through any thoughts or concerns I had. By the end of the month, I was actively excited for my journaling.

Now I have to keep everything up through the rest of the year.

Bonus

This month, I also wrote a few plays for my current class. Once I got the format down, I didn’t absolutely hate it. I have had experience writing plays and screenplays in the past, so it was fun to be able to jump back into it in an educational setting. I got to adapt one of my previous short stories, so that was another version of editing and tweaking that I really enjoyed.

I also read two books this month. I’m working on another book review to post, but the first one is up already.

Word Count: 25,260

Here’s what I hope to accomplish in February:

February Goals

Writing

Edit One Short Story

Similar to last year, I want to edit a short story a month. It worked last year with writing them, so why not do a year of editing? Last month went so well, I can’t wait to get started! The hardest part will be choosing which story to edit!

Edit 4 chapters

After a trial run in January, I think I have this editing thing down. I want to see if I can get 4 chapters edited, which is about 1 a week. I am hoping that some chapters will be shorter and take less time to edit, so maybe I can add on a few extra, but I’ll have to wait and see how the month goes.

Finish a short story from 2022

I have two short stories I still need to finish from 2022. The story for November and December. I would like to finish at least one of them this month, and then perhaps the other one next month. With a few paragraphs a day throughout the month, it shouldn’t take me too long to make decent progress and get at least one of them finished.

Personal

Exercise

Even though I didn’t manage to exercise every day last month, I did manage to average at least 3 times a week. I have noticed I feel so much better when I exercise and more creative. I would like to get out and walk or do some form of exercise at least 5 days a week.

Journal

In January, I managed to write in my journal every day, and it definitely improved my mental health. I would like to keep that up and write every day with no excuses.

Bre Writes Book Reviews: Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson

This Review Contains Spoilers for The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. And most likely Sing Me Forgotten. You have been warned.

I have to start this review by saying: This is one of my favorite books I’ve read so far.

I have never revealed this, but I am a huge fan of musical theatre and literature. The Phantom of The Opera was the musical that gave me the drive and spark to explore more musicals. Once I read the book, my obsession only grew further.

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson is a gender-bent, magic based, steam-punk retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. At first, I was a little skeptical. Retellings aren’t always my cup of tea (especially with how overdone a lot of retellings have been lately). I am happy to say this book did not disappoint.

I love the character of Isda. Her determination, her drive, her obsession with Emeric, all the things, Erik from POTO had, but with a feminine flair. Her growth in the novel from disfigured girl willing to hide and do whatever she is told to choosing her own destiny was such a beautiful read. Her personal growth with Emeric was such a delight. Their quips were so good and their growing relationship captured everything in a romance that I really enjoy. The only problem is I didn’t know how to pronounce her name. I’m guessing Iz-Dah, since her nickname was Iz, but I kept reading it as I(s)da.

Emeric was a delight. From his quips with the statues to his love of caramel and his pure sunshine personality, I found myself craving more of him on the page. With the novel told from Isda’s point of view, I really could feel the love between Isda and Emeric.

The music and the aspect of music bringing the characters together was such a fun tidbit and a great nod to the original Phantom of the Opera. The subtle and not so subtle references to POTO were such a joy that I physically reacted to so many of them. There was a love and respect for the original work and I am so glad there were so many small hints to pick up on.

The mechanics of magic was a little confusing at first, with the Fendoirs and the Gravoirs, but the more I read, the more it made sense. I enjoyed the magic aspect and especially the backstory of Les Trois. I would have liked a bit more history, and more connection to the true villain, but it was so well done that I can’t really complain much.

SPOILERS HERE.

The biggest complaint I have is the ending. I know how POTO ends, both the musical and the book. Erik is a terrible being that has done terrible things, and there’s no way Christine would ever stay with him (except in Love Never Dies, but we’re not talking about that). Deep down, I knew what would have to happen between Isda and Emeric, but I wished it didn’t. I wanted Isda to get everything she had ever dreamed of. My heart ached for her and Emeric.

SPOILERS END

I would love to read a sequel. Such a sad but satisfying cliffhanger and I can’t help but want more.

Rating: 5/5

If you liked this review, leave me a comment and suggest what I should read next!

Wednesday Works: Nice Ring To It

The day had been perfect. Coffee in the morning while in bed. Packing for a trip with no little petty arguments, excitement for getting out of town for a few days. Everything had been perfect.

She had a feeling something was happening. Something in the air felt like change, charged with excitement. On their usual afternoon walk, they talked of the future, as they had before, but even then, their conversation was different.

Then, that night, it all began to make sense.

Waiting for their friends to arrive for dinner, preparing the potatoes and the steak, he came in and revealed the news they had been fighting again.

She sighed and kept stirring the potatoes. Then she asked if they were going to be like their friends, fighting all the time, never on the same page.

He promised they wouldn’t.

Once everyone was inside, shooting stars outside was brought up and he led her out onto the deck.

As soon as they were all out on the deck, the apprehension snuck in. Candles decorated the deck, arranged in perfect symmetry and protected from the night breeze. The stars shimmered up above, the bright spots of planets there too.

After a cute, but nervous speech, he got down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

She, of course, said yes without a single doubt in her mind.

Once the ring was on, and they had toasted and sat down to dinner, the thought struck her.

“Fiancée has a nice ring to it.”

December Results and 2022 Year End Round Up

I cannot believe another year of writing has come and gone! This year has definitely had its ups and downs, but I’m happy I’ve been able to do what I love in writing and creating.

December Results

One Short Story

As much as I wanted to write a short story this month, writing was a bit of a chore. Between all the preparation of reducing my hours at my current job and all the preparation of getting everything settled for the new job, writing took a bit of a backseat. There were several days where I didn’t even write at all. So unfortunately, I still have one and a half short stories that I’m taking with me into the new year.

Continue Edits

December wasn’t really the month for edits. Between finishing up final papers for school, getting everything ready for a new job, and wrapping up things at my current job, things got quite a bit hectic. Though I did make a more solid plan to make sure edits do get done.

Poetry

It took me a little while to get into the groove with the poetry contest, but I finished at least 18 poems and submitted them to the contest just before Christmas. I really enjoyed writing and putting together something I haven’t done in a while. Returning to poetry was fun, and something I might continue into next year.

Non-Writing Related

In December, a lot happened. I worked my butt off at my job, plus filling out paperwork for the new job and eventually started that job right after Christmas. I wrote poetry and technically published said poetry. I wrote some flash fiction and published to Medium.

While this month wasn’t a spectacularly big word count month, it was a big month as far as preparing for the future. Besides publishing to Medium and signing a publishing contract for poetry, I also opened an Etsy store and truly looked in to publishing some of my previous works.

In personal news, I got engaged. I couldn’t be happier.

Word Count: 10,341

Year End Results

As far as the whole year goes, I feel pretty successful. I didn’t manage to reach all of my goals, but I put in a good effort and have a lot to show for it. I feel like I’ve made large leaps and bounds compared to where I was at this time last year, and I hope I’ll have even more to show for it when we reach this time next year.

Here’s how I did on my goals for 2022:

Write Every Day

As hard as I tried to write every single day of the year, it just simply wasn’t possible. Something would come up, or lack of motivation would strike. That being said, I feel like I did the best I could given the circumstances.

January: 100%

February: 100%

March: 83%, with 26/31 days

April: 86%, with 26/30 days

May: 93% with 29/31 days

June: 100%

July: 77% with 24/31 days

August: 80% with 25/31 days

September: 80% with 24/30 days

October: 87% with 27/31 days

November: 100%

December: 55%, with 17/31

Total/Average: 87%, with 317 days of writing.

Short Story a Month

For the short stories, I didn’t always finish them in one span of 30 days, but I did finish 11/12 I set out to do. I think that’s pretty impressive.

Violet

Angie

Sinead

The Red Flower

Trifecta

Fairytales

Inventors of Tomorrow-NYC FF contest round one

Mess is Easier-NYC FF contest round two

The Goodbye Girl – First piece of fiction written for my bachelor’s program

The Way Out

Two of a Kind

Write/Edit Six Novels in 2022

Writing and editing was my big goal for 2022. I figured I could get a lot more done than I did. Due to time constraints and other goals and projects (like school and a full-time job), I did not finish or edit as many projects as I had planned to. Still, I’m happy that I finished the projects I did finish.

Magic and Romance – Finished June 2022 (First Draft)

Ghost House Heart – Finished October 2022 (First Draft)

Speaking From the Soul: Poems of Places Yet Explored – Finished December 2022 (First Draft)

Read at least Four Books

Surprisingly, reading was easier than I expected it to be. I haven’t really kept a great reading schedule over the past few years, whether it was due to school or a hectic work/life balance, but I was quite pleased to get back into reading. Maybe I shouldn’t have spent more time reading than writing, but I have no regrets. I read a lot of great books this year.

SpellMaker by Charlie N. Holmberg- Feb 2022

The Phantom of the Bathtub by Eugenia Riley – Feb 2022

A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene- March 2022

A Throne of Ruin by K.F. Breene- March 2022

A Kingdom of Ruin by K.F. Breene- March 2022

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter- April 2022

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy-September 2022

Dis-Harmony: A Jigsaw Collection of Misguided Dating by Rachel R. Kovach- September 2022

Love and Lexapro by Emma Alexis Woodard- September 2022

Creative Challenges

For 2022, I had planned on competing in every NYC Midnight competition. As hard as I tried, once again with a busy schedule and hectic life, it simply wasn’t possible to compete in all of them. I did very much enjoy the ones I did compete in though.

NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge: Did Not Compete

This challenge, I signed up for, but had to drop out at the last minute due to procrastination and homework. Unfortunately for the time being, homework and school has to come first.

NYC Midnight Microfiction Challenge (100 Word):

This year, the microfiction challenge was quite fun. I started out with a genre I don’t usually write and had fun with it, even if it was a bit crass. In the first round, I scored 13th place, which meant I got to go on to round 2 and write another 100-word story. I didn’t place in round two, but I had fun writing it and getting feedback.

NYC Midnight Microficiton Challenge (250 Word):

This is the first time I’ve competed in this challenge, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I’m not used to 250 words, but it does give a lot more to play with than 100 words. I’m looking forward to the challenge that round two brings in the upcoming year.

NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge:

This year, I got to write in a genre I’ve never written in before for round one. I enjoyed it and got to play around with some fun futuristic elements. In round two, I got to experiment with some really dark themes and actually scare myself with the piece I wrote.

NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge: Did Not Compete

NYC Midnight Short Screenplay Challenge:Did Not Compete

NYC Midnight Rhyming Story Challenge: Did Not Compete

I signed up for this one, but due to several other obligations (mainly homework) I was not able to actually write and submit anything. Instead, I have the prompts saved up for some future plans.

Year End Word Count: 216,988

Monday Microfiction: Count Your Blessings

The day the mine collapsed, her new husband came home unscathed, covered in dirt and dust from head to toe. She counted each and every blessing as she inspected him and scrubbed him clean. Wrapped up in the desperation of newlyweds, she counted her blessings as her hands explored his body. Once they were finished, and he lay sleeping, she turned to his uniform.

She scrubbed the dark stains from his clothes, counted each one as a blessing that he came home alive, then took it out to the line to hang. Halfway through hanging his uniform, her husband came out.

“Lover of mine, the laundry can wait.” He kissed her cheek gently, the intoxication of him enough to pull her away from the chores. “Come back to bed.”

There were still more blessings to come.

November Results and December Goals

Thank Goodness November is finally over. I usually love November for the intense joy of writing, but this November has kicked my butt in too many ways. I’m excited we’re now in December, a brand new month, with brand new goals, but that also means the year is wrapping up. Time to get my butt in gear and finish the year strong.

Here’s how I did in my goals.

November Results

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo could have gone better this year. With oral surgery, a wedding to attend, antibiotics, cough medicine and everything else that went on this month, it was a struggle to find the time and the energy to sit down and write words. At one point, I was even close to 10K behind, but I slowly started to crawl my way back and try to make a dent in the actual novel I should be working on and not all my side projects. Thankfully, the last day of the month, I crossed the finish line on multiple projects and reached the 50K mark.

Continue Edits

This month, edits were stop and go. There were a few days where I was consistent in editing, and then there were more days where I wasn’t consistent at all. Unfortunately there were a lot of zeros on my spreadsheet for editing, but I expected that with it being NaNoWriMo and all. Drafting is definitely quicker than editing and usually gives me more words. But I did learn a decent trick over the last few weeks of editing backwards and keeping the story fresh in my head. Hopefully it helps me edit more words as we roll into December.

One Short Story/Finish a Short Story

This month, I worked a little bit on everything. I started a new short story and added that to my ever-growing list of short stories for the year. I finished two short stories this month and nearly caught up in my short story per month quota. By the end of the year, I hope to have 12 short stories that I can edit next year and see where they end up.

NYC Midnight’s 250 Microfiction Competition

The NYC Midnight Microfiction challenge went well. I was able to throw it together in a few hours, right in the heat of COVID and more than enough cough medicine to kill a horse. The genre was romantic comedy and I hope I caught enough romance and comedy to make it shine in only 250 words. Now I wait for the results.

Word Count: 50,721

Toward the end of October, I fell down my stairs and had to nurse that back to health with a metric ton of Ibuprofen and Tylenol. Then the first week of November I had oral surgery and had a tooth removed and had to take antibiotics and narcotics (which always make me queasy), then finally the week after that, COVID finally caught up with me and kicked my ass. Toward the end of the month, when I finally started to feel like myself again after a few days off, I managed to catch up on all my projects for the month. I really found the community of writers in my local area which helped me find the final push I needed to get some things done.

For the first time, I published some of my microfiction to Medium. You can read it and follow me here.

December Goals

One Short Story

I already have my idea for the short story in December. I already have a good portion of the short story from November mapped out. I’m hoping to work on both in the next month and finish my goal of 12 short stories this year strong. It’s been a really good year for short stories and I’m looking forward to adding another story to my ever-growing list.

Continue Edits

Edits are picking up again after NaNoWriMo and now that I have a direction, I’m ready to get moving and make as much progress as I can before the end of the year. I’m thinking if I spend at least thirty minutes a day doing some kind of editing, I’ll have more than I started with at the beginning of the month.

Poetry

On a whim, I signed up for a poetry competition. I’ve been looking for more publishing opportunities, and that will hopefully include poetry one of these days. The goal for the competition is one poem a day for 21 days. Either way, if I manage to get a few poems down, it’s more than what I started with at the end of the month.

What goal are you trying to wrap up by the end of the year?

October Results and November Goals

October started off a bit rocky, with a lot of things that needed to get done, and then simply didn’t get done. The month thankfully picked up a bit more toward the end, which means I was able to hit some goals.

Here’s how I did in October:

October Results

Inktober and Writetober

None of these goals ended up happening. I was so excited to go forth and create and post, but then it just didn’t happen. Whether it was exhaustion from work or lack of motivtation, I only posted one day and then decided I had more important things to work on this month with the little time I have to create and Inktober, Writetober and Instawrimo weren’t those things. Maybe next year, or throughout the year there will be more doodles. We shall see..

Finsh Ghost House Heart

At first, I wasn’t sure if I would finish Ghost House Heart this month. I’ve been working on the project since January of 2020 and it’s been dragging for a long time, but I am pleasantly surprised to reveal that I did finish Ghost House Heart at the end of the month. I am so relieved and happy and so excited to start something new in November.

Continue Edits

I’m still working through edits, even past my self-imposed deadline. I did hit 25K in the edits so far, and I’m counting that as a big accomplishment. I also started something new with my edits, where I have started to edit the book backwards to make the foreshadowing easier. I’m hoping it will help the edits go by a little quicker, especially since we’re quickly approaching November. There are still more edits to be done, but a decent amount of progress has been made.

Prepare for NaNoWriMo

This goal was relatively easy. As it just so happens, last year when I plotted the second novel there was way too much plot for a single novel, so I ended up separating it into two. This gives the characters more bonding time and more time for anguish as they continue their journey toward the crown. This year’s novel is called “Magic and Obligation” and I’m excited to get started on it in November. A few days before NaNoWriMo started, I did finally sit down and plot my big plot points, so I feel like I am adequately prepared.

(Possible) NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Challenge Part Three

This goal didn’t happen, which I’m fine with. Over the last few years, I have consistently placed higher and that is good enough for me for the moment. It’s actually better this goal didn’t happen, because that gave me more time to focus on other things I needed to work on, like edits and finishing a novel.

In October, I didn’t submit anything for the Rhyming Story challenge. The deadline snuck up on me and ultimately, school had to come first. Speaking of school: I finished another class. This class was by far my favorite, a short fiction workshop where I got the opportunity to write a short story and have it critiqued by my peers and my instructor. I loved it, but now it’s time to move onto the next class: World Literature II. I was supposed to have dental surgery in October, but it got moved to November, so that’s coming up. A few other opportunities have come up, but I’m not quite ready to reveal those just yet so stay tuned!

Word Count: 20,520

Here’s what I plan to do in November:

November Goals

NaNoWriMo

Every November is NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. This year is no exception, even with an upcoming dental surgery and everything else life has been throwing my way lately. I’m hoping after my surgery and a few other important things I have to attend the first week of November that things will settle and I can get some good writing in.

Continue Edits

Am I that crazy person that is going to work on two projects in November during NaNoWriMo. Yes. Edits have been going well and I would like to make more progress than I have been. I would like to get to the halfway point of edits by the end of November, if not sooner. We’ll have to see how the month goes.

One Short Story/Finish a Short Story

This year started off so strong with a short story every month. It’s been more difficult as the year winds down, but I’m hoping I can finish and/or start another short story in November and keep pushing toward 12 short stories by the end of the year. I’ve been encountering the problem where there’s more plot to my ideas than a short story will hold, which isn’t always a bad idea.

NYC Midnight’s 250 Microfiction Competition

Another NYC Midnight Competition popped up and since I didn’t finish or even submit the Rhyming Story Challenge, I figured a 250 word challenge shouldn’t be that difficult. We’ll see if I can fit it into my crazy November schedule.

Finally Done: Ghost House Heart

I’ve been working on and off on Ghost House Heart since January of 2020. I’m so pleased and relieved that the first draft is finally done.

September Results and October Goals

We’re in the slippery slide of the last part of the year. How are we already in October??? September felt like it just started yesterday, and yet here we are.

I had a lot of goals in September. Here’s how I did:

September Results

Write One Short Story

September was an awesome month for short stories. I didn’t finish the short story that I intended to finish, but I did write and submit my first piece of fiction for my Bachelor’s program in Creative Writing, and that just so happened to be a short story. I’m quite proud of it. I’m still working on the short story for August, but I’m making progress there too.

Continue Edits on Book One

I continued edits on book one and finished a chapter. While I still didn’t make as much progress as I would have liked, I did begin to set up a routine and find balance between writing and editing. I now have a routine and a daily writing/editing time and I’m making sure I do everything I can to keep it. Now, I just have to continue making as much progress as I can on my edits.

Instagram Writer Friends Challenge

September started with the best intentions. I posted for the first nine days of the Writer Friends Challenge and then life got in the way. I kept meaning to catch up on the days I missed, and then next thing I knew, September was over. I’m hoping next time I attempt I’ll have more success.

NYC Midnight’s Rhyming Story Challenge

The NYC Midnight Rhyming Story Challenge is still going. I thought it was only in September, but it ends today. Typical me, I have procrastinated on it all week and now the deadline is tomorrow. I’ll have to provide an update sometime in October.

In September, I also managed to finish two books and start a third. Strangely, even though I usually read fiction, I read two non-fiction/memoirs. I also started a new class and submitted my first creative work for my writing program and it felt so good. I also set up a routine for writing, to make it feel less hectic, so we’ll see how that goes for the end of the year.

Word Count: 20,187

October Goals

Inktober and Writetober

October is always busy for me. With Inktober and Writetober and Instawrimo going on all at the same time, it’s going to be a busy month posting to social media. I hope I can keep up along with everything else I’m working on this month. I’m not the best artist as far as drawing goes, but I like to give it a shot every year and have a little fun with it. Writetober is exciting because it’s fifty words or less, which makes it fun to tell a story in as few words as possible.

Finsh Ghost House Heart

I’ve been working on Ghost House Heart on and off since 2020. I have finally made some progress and I can see the end. I have two chapters left and I’m excited to finally say I finished the first draft. I’m ready to move on to something else, like the novel I plan to write in November for NaNoWriMo.

Continue Edits

I’m still working on edits, but now I have a routine and I know where I’m going with the edits. I’m hoping to make more progress before November rolls around and hopefully get through the halfway point.

Prepare for NaNoWriMo

November is fast approaching, whether I like it or not. This year, the past few months have flown by with school and work and everything else in between. I have a loose idea of what I’m writing, but it never helps to prepare sooner rather than later.

(Possible) NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Challenge Part Three

I’m still waiting on results from round two. Round three is not guaranteed yet, but I’m hoping I can participate this year. I really enjoy the challenges from NYC Midnight. For now, this is only a possible goal.

October is going to be busy for me! What are some of your goals?

July Results and August Goals

July has been a wild month, with several trips, loads of homework and a day job, it’s a wonder I had time to get any creative projects done. Still, I made a good effort in all of my creative endeavors.

Here’s how I did:

July Results

Write One Short Story

In July I finished one short story and a couple of other short stories in a few anthologies I’ve been working on since 2016. I made it an informal goal of mine to write at least a little bit in every project I have open when the opportunity presented itself and I’m glad that I can keep the works open and going and even exciting.

Camp NaNoWrimo

As is with the case with edits, I never seem to get enough done in the time alotted. I did make some strides to get some edits done. There were days when I would get a ton of work done and move through the story with ease, but some days were like pulling teeth. I love the story and I’m still pushing through for edits, even though Camp NaNoWriMo is now over. As for the word count for Camp NaNo, I only really got about half way where I wanted to be.

NYC Midnight 100 Word Microfiction Challenge Round Three

Unfortunately, I didn’t place in the second round of the challenge so I could not continue on to round three. I did however receive some good feedback on the work I submitted, so I am happy with the results.

This month, we took several trips to the lake, a trip down to Los Angeles to see Dear Evan Hansen (cried my eyes out), and a last minute trip to a funeral out of state. The class I’m currently in for school has a lot of papers to write and a lot of in-depth work, which meant there was a lot of writing for homework, but not as much time as I would have liked for creativity. Still, I’m getting closer to the end of my program, with a projected graduation date of August of 2023.

Word Count: 17,964

August Goals

Write One Short Story

In July, I actually didn’t write a short story specific to July. I finished the short story from June and worked on some anthology pieces, but with all the extra projects I’ve been doing for the NYC Midnight challenges and everything else, I already have something like 11 short projects done this year. I would like to start a short story this month, specifically dedicated to August, but we’ll see how the month goes.

Continue Edits on Book One

I started editing book one and so far so good. I would like to dedicate more time to edits in August and get further through the edits. It will have to come down to finding balance to take the time to sit and edit.

Mini 1000 Words of Summer

In June, I participated in Jami Attenburg’s 1000 Words of Summer. I found out there will be a miniature version for a week in August and I’m hoping to use it to get some good work done in August and perhaps get the push I need to find that creative spark again.

NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Second Round

The second round of NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Contest takes place during the second week of August. I’m excited to get my prompt, excited to spend a weekend writing something completely new from scratch and excited to get some more creativity flowing.

Finished Project Alert!

I have finally finished the 2021 NaNoWriMo project Magic and Romance.

May Results and June Goals

May Results

Write One Short Story

The short story this month was nowhere near as easy as I had expected it to be. There were several starts and stops and several days where I didn’t do a lot of writing for the short story. Unfortunately, this short story will have to continue into June. I’m still interested in it, and finally found a direction, so I’m thankful for that.

Reach 100K or Finish the 2021 NaNoWriMo Novel

I barely reached 100K on the last day of the month, but I did reach it. I was very behind for most of the month, but thankfully, I was able to find some motivation and get my butt moving. At first, writing a lot in a short amount of time absolutely sucked. I’ve been out of it so long I feel like it was hard to get a routine again. The last few days of the month helped me build it up again and I am so excited to see where the end of this novel goes next month.

Edit Something

I’m happy to say that I have edited something this month. I started editing an old manuscript, one of my favorite ones I’ve ever written, and I managed to reach somewhere between the 20% mark by editing a chapter every couple of days. I plan to continue the editing through June and hopefully complete it in July.

Word Count: 9,874

June Goals

Write One Short Story/Finish the short story from May

I’m really enjoying writing about a short story a month, but sometimes the story is so long, or the month is so short that one short story doesn’t fit or vice versa. This month, I’m finishing 5e short story from May and starting a new one for June. I already have everything set up, but the only thing will be finding time to write.

NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Challenge

This is one of my favorite challenges from NYC Midnight. A mystery prompt with a setting, an object and a genre and 48 hours to write a story in 1000 words or less. I really enjoy the quickness of the whole thing and the brevity of it all. It’s a fun challenge where I can’t take myself too seriously and I get to play around.

Finish the 2021 NaNoWriMo Novel

I’m nearly done with the novel and June is going to be the month that I finish it. It’s been sitting around too long and I need to put the words “THE END” on it and move onto another project. I’m excited to see how the plot unfolds and what surprises I can give myself as I work toward completing the novel.

Wednesday Works: On Writing

I didn’t write yesterday. I could not find one iota of a pocket of time to put words down on the page. I did not shout into the void, nor build up a world where the reader can escape from our chaotic world.

I did not write yesterday. I did not throw words onto the page to see what sticks. I did not bend and twist the English language to tell a tale I can be proud of.

I did not write yesterday, so I did my best to make sure I wrote today.

April Results and May Goals

April unfortunately was not better than March. There’s always a lot of heartbreak for me in April, and I’m sad to say there was only more this year. Even through all of the issues I had through the month, I still tried to accomplish my goals.

April Results

Finish/Write One Short Story

I finished the short story for March in April, way later than I had planned, but I am quite happy with it. What it came down to was sitting down and putting words on the page, as it happens with everything else! As for the second short story of the month, AKA the short story for April, I finished it with a day to spare, and surprised myself with a great writing streak like I haven’t had in a while. It was one of the darkest things I have written, but it was quite fun.

Camp NaNoWriMo

This year, Camp NaNoWriMo did not go as well as I had hoped. I had so many hopes for several works that simply fell flat as the month went on. While I did write a decent amount of words on several works, it simply wasn’t the year to be successful at Camp in April. I’m still writing and still pushing forward in several projects though.

Poetry

April was National Poetry Month. For the first few days, I attempted to write a poem a day, but it ended up falling off and I think I wrote a max of five poems. While I didn’t write a poem every day in April, I did enjoy thinking about words in a different way and experimenting.

NYC Midnight’s 100 Word Microfiction Challenge

Thankfully, the microfiction challenge went well this year. I was able to sit down and write something rather pithy for the challenge and submit it without any issues. It exactly the gentle nudge I needed to get excited about writing again.

Hazel the cat celebrated her last birthday (14!), but the next day we had to put her down. We gave her the best birthday and spent all the time we could on that Saturday, but we knew it was her time. Another class for school wrapped up, and I’m grateful. This class, along with all the circumstances around it kicked my butt, but everything managed to work out in the end. I also managed to finish reading another book and start a new one in the month of April.

April is always difficult. At the end of the month it was my mom’s birthday and the day right after is the day she died. This year marks nine years, and in certain ways it gets easier, but also more difficult. I don’t cry as much as I used to, but at times, it feels like the grief is getting deeper.

I’m happy to say that April is over.

Word Count: 10,869

May Goals

Write One Short Story

The goal is so far going well, even if there have been a few small bumps in the road. I’m hoping to keep the goal going and have a lot to show for it at the end of the year. I’m not sure what I’m working on this month yet, but I’m sure it will come to me soon.

Reach 100K or Finish the 2021 NaNoWriMo Novel

I have an outline, I know what needs to happen, but lack of motivation lately has been kicking my butt. I’m really hoping to buckle down and make some progress or even finish the 2021 NaNo Project. Currently I’m sitting at around 88K, so 100K is not a crazy goal.

Edit Something

I’ve had the itch to edit for quite a while, but certain projects are taking me longer than I have liked. I’m hoping that I can get back into editing a few projects and make some good progress that I’ll feel good about. I have a loose plan set up, and I hope I can stick to it and have some progress by the end of the month.

Wednesday Works: The April Girls

The April girls are all there in Heaven,

Sitting in a cafe drinking tea.

Or maybe they’re all raising hell,

In some dingy bar.

Maybe they’re up there,

Chasing lives they wish they had lived,

Making up for the time they lost.

Maybe they’re watching over me and C,

Making bets,

Passing along the binoculars,

Always saying:

“I told you so”.

Wednesday Works: A Glimpse of the Current Week

This week, this month, writing has been difficult. April is always a harsh month with a lot of painful anniversaries, but the creativity never stops.

Here’s a little look at what I’m working on this week.

NaNoWriMo project from 2021

MAR has been dragging, but I finally have a direction and an outline.

Short Story of the Month from March

Granted, the last half of March was shitty, so I’m playing catch up. I have yet to even begin the short story for April, but there’s still enough month left.

Final Essay for Mythology class

Usually, I don’t have any issues with schoolwork, but with the craziness of March and the continued craziness in April, an essay on journeying to the underworld is especially difficult with the death anniversaries I have this month.

Several Open Projects that want to come back into play.

One of my goals when I was feeling low over the weekend was 100 words in all the open projects I have. The first time, 100 words was hard, but the last few times it has opened up the floodgates and I’m excited to work on projects again.

March Results and April Goals

March has been absolutely crazy, with a lot of weird and bad news. It seemed like everything seemed to consipire against me completing my goals and making progress on anything really. The whole month of March was not a good writing month, or even a good school month, and I felt like I was just spinning my wheels and waiting for the next setback.

March Results

Write One Short Story

The short story started out so well at the beginning of the month. Then, I had my first non-writing day in 277 days. After that, the short story seemed to flounder and then stay on the back burner for school and work and anything and everything else.

Finish My 2021 NaNoWriMo Project

It wasn’t in the cards this month to finish my 2021 NaNoWriMo Project. With hectic schedules, more in-depth homework assignments and new stressors, it just wasn’t the month to finish anything. I’m hoping to take a break and come back to it fresh in the next couple months.

Attend a Writing Conference Online

This goal is actually one I have been able to somewhat complete. While I didn’t actually attend any of the live conference, I am able to watch the recordings and gain the knowledge from them. I am excited to gain more knowledge from this conference and learn all I can.

In March, I read three books that I honestly did not think would be my cup of tea, but pleasantly surprised me. I didn’t really think I would like spicy adult romances with smut in 90% of the chapters, but the story sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately, it adversely affected my writing time, so I aim to find a balance over the next few months.

March was quite a tough month. I got some bad news regarding a beloved family pet, Hazel, and the last bit of the month was touch and go as far as everything goes. She turns 14 today, and I am hoping to give her the best birthday ever. Please, if any of you have pets, give them a nice cuddle or a treat and show them you love them.

Hazel

Word Count: 3,509

April Goals

Finish/Write One Short Story

I have to say, I really enjoyed the short story I was writing for March before everything went to pot. It is a really strong idea and I want to see it done, and possibly work on the second half of the story in April. I’m hoping to get back into my routine of writing daily again, especially since March was so hectic and not a good writing month at all.

Camp NaNoWriMo

This year, for Camp NaNoWriMo, I’m not planning on working on one project, but multiple. A short story, a memoir or two, poetry, edits. Anything and everything, I am counting toward Camp NaNoWriMo, and I’m hoping to have some fun with it.

Poetry

April is National Poetry Month, and I’m hoping to get a small piece of poetry written every day to encourage the habit of writing every day again. Who knows? Some of it might even be half decent.

NYC Midnight’s 100 Word Microfiction Challenge

I’ve signed up for the Challenge and I’m really hoping that at 100 words I can find some time to get it done between homework and all of the other creative projects I have going on. Here’s hoping I can make it happen.

I’m really hoping April is a better month than March was, for multiple reasons.

February Results and March Goals

February was a busy month. Between work, writing and school I feel like it simultaneously dragged on and flew by all at once. February, I have been very happy to say, has been a relatively productive month.

Here’s how I did on my goals:

February Results

Write One Short Story

I finished a short story this month, and true to form over the last few years, I always write somewhat sad stories in February. The short stories over the past few months have been vastly different, both in content and how excited I’ve been to write them. The short story this month, I definitely left until the last minute, but it almost seemed appropriate because of the heavy subject matter.

Finish An Open Project

I technically did finish an open project when I finished the short story for this month, but that was not exactly what I meant when I made the goal. I suppose I should be more specific next month.

Read One Book

I read TWO books this month! I finished the second book in the Spellbreaker Duology by Charlie N. Holmberg, SpellMaker, which I loved, and The Phantom of the Bathtub by Eugenia Riley, which was not my cup of tea. Two wildly different books, but it would seem that I have caught the reading bug again. I have definitely missed reading a book and immersing myself in other worlds. I enjoyed it so much over the last few weeks that I have added reading as one of my daily goals. Hopefully that means I’ll read a lot more books this year!

This month, I also finished a class for my bachelor’s program, started an email newsletter through Substack (more on that later), and I have begun to come up with some ideas for projects I have never attempted to write before. Overall, I am quite pleased with how February went.

Word Count:12,136

March Goals

Write One Short Story

The goal to write a short story a month continues. I’m hoping March goes easier than February, but we shall wait and see. At the time I’m writing this post, I still have no idea what the short story of this month will be, but I am excited to get writing anyway.

Finish My 2021 NaNoWriMo Project

I have made my goal more specific. This month, I would like to finish my 2021 NaNoWriMo project. It’s been slow going since December and I would like to get it finished before the next installment of Camp NaNoWriMo in April. As of now, I would guess I’m about 75% or so through, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get that last 25% done, or so I hope.

Attend a Writing Conference Online

Last year, I signed up for the Women in Publishing Summit, but didn’t actually attend anything live since my schedule was so hectic working nights last year. This conference is wonderful because everything is recorded to watch later. This year, I have signed up again and even though I work all of the days, I’m hoping to at least get in on a few sessions. Everything I’ve seen so far is so helpful and I have high hopes for this year.

Wednesday Works: With This Kiss…

“With this kiss, I die!”

They were six, performing a dumbed down version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for a room full of their parents. She was Juliet, and he in all of his front toothless glory was Romeo. They had practiced and practiced, but had never actually kissed in any of the practices. Mrs. Monroe has glossed over the fact when they had asked.

But now it was unavoidable.

“Miss Monroe,” Wally Siegelman called out off stage, breaking his character of Romeo and looking for the teacher. “Am I really supposed to kiss Rosie or can it be all pretend like?”

The audience of our parents broke out into a rumble of laughter. She laughed with them, even though Juliet was supposed to be in a death like sleep. Wally was and always would be a one of a kind.

He didn’t kiss her that performance or any of the others that followed. He just made it really convincing as he leaned forward just enough and blew a raspberry in her ear.

Every single night the audience laughed, and Shakespeare rolled in his grave.

Wednesday Works: Dear Writer’s Block

Dear Writer’s Block,

It’s not you, it’s me.

I’ve been so busy with everything that’s been going on, with long hours at work, too much homework on the weekends and a full social life that I haven’t been able to sit down and shoo you away with the keyboard.

Sure, you let me get a few words here and there so I can say I “write every day” but it’s never enough to leave me fulfilled and with a sense of accomplishment. It’s never enough to make me feel like I mean it when I say “I am a writer!”

Well, today that has to stop. I’ve spent too many days, weeks, months now trying to make something of the ideas in my head and then you step in and tell me to do anything but write.

You tell me: scroll Facebook (or any social media), it will make you feel great about your self esteem. Then I get distracted and don’t get words down.

You tell me: Play a few flash games for some inspiration, I’ll let you think about writing once you finish the level. And then I finish the level and don’t get words down.

You tell me: Don’t bother writing on your breaks and lunches from work, you’ll feel better about it when you get home. Then, when I get home, I don’t feel like writing, let alone doing anything else because I am so exhausted.

Writer’s Block, you keep making me these promises and then when I finally do sit down to write, to get words on the page and make a difference, you appear with the gentle whisper of “It’s not the right time.”

Respectfully, I thank you for protecting me during the times I wasn’t ready. I thank you for the times when I truly needed a distraction and needed your guidance enough to step away from a project. I thank you for the opportunities that arose when I couldn’t write.

But respectfully, we are done.

It’s time for me to write again and you’re not needed here.

-Bre