All about Books, Writing journey

September arrival and summer goodbyes

August Catch Up and September Plans

September is here with the promise of my favourite season  — Autumn. Cold, crisp mornings with colourful leaves littering the ground tempts people to run through them like a toddler. They always make me smile. Or am I the only one who feels that urge to do that when faced with a pile of leaves? Colder days also make me want to curl up, read  and write.

 

September Catch Up

 

My visitors left a few days so writing is back on my agenda and I hope to see my word count increase as I get my writing room back but best of all writing group has begun again. Two hours a week of uninterrupted writing time, catching up with friends and of course, eating biscuits or if we are lucky cake. I lost a stone over the summer by not eating carbs – I wonder if this will continue when fresh homemade cakes such as warm chocolate brownies are brought in. I have missed the companionship of fellow writers, the exercises and prompts but especially the laughs our stories will bring either by design or accident. I have my new notebook and pencil ready to be filled.

Last month reads

This month planned reads

  • The Lost Children by Helen Phifer
  • The Amber Maze by Christopher Bowden – watch out for a review this week at Duvet Dwellers books
  • Josie James and the Teardrops Summer by Lily Mae Walters – watch out for review on Duvet Dwellers books this week.
  • Titania’s Book of Hours A Celebration of the Witch’s Year by Titania Hardie – a bargain find in the charity shop

I am cutting back on blog tours and reviews to focus on my WIP but it would be impossible not to read and luckily, writers need to read. I wonder if there are any writers who find reading a chore.

Happy writing and reading!

 

All about Books, Writing journey

July catch up and #NaNoWriMo again

July is here with a heatwave and beautiful sunny days. Perfect weather for camping but I am not packing my tent up. This month is NaNoWriMo Camp so I have joined a cabin with fellow writers for support. My pen and PC mouse are poised ready to start. In the past I have set a target of words with one success but I have research to do so it is target hours this time. Wish me luck I need it.

Books read in June

  • The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney
  • Every Note Played by Lisa Genova
  • Book Towns by Alex Johnson
  • Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness- keep eye out for review this week
  • The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
  • Mother by Hannah Begbie
  • How to Keep a Secret by Sarah Morgan
  • A Cornish Secret by Emma Burstall

July reads

With NaNo happening I hope to put my hours in there so apart from blog tour books it is research books for me.

  • Druidcraft by Philip Carr-Gomm
  • The Path of Druidry: Walking the Ancient Green Way by Penny Billington
  • Soul Traveler by Albert Taylor
  • An Artsisan Lovestyle by Kiltie Jackson
  • No.More.Plastic by Martin Dorey

Time for a cuppa and say hello to the sun before I get lost in The Ellfaenian Journals to get organised for tomorrow’s big push.

Enjoy the weekend!

Word count for WIP: 48,106

Percy update: he is still alive!

 

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All about Books, Writing journey

May Catch Up and plans for June 

May slipped by and June has been here a week so it must be time for a quick cuppa and a catch-up.

May catch up and June plans
Time for a cuppa

Writing

 

Though I have made inroads to my WIP with nearly 50,000 words, I began to be overwhelmed by the disjointed scenes my brain had conjured and my inability to arrange them in a coherent chronological order. I found myself caught in a writing slump. Luckily, I heard that Shaunta Grimes was doing a course – ninja write a long (NWAL) and this was an opportunity to revisit my synopsis and characters; to get back on track. It is early days but I feel more upbeat and determined to finish Amber’s tale and a secret project, one Elsie is excited about.

My plans to be organised for the beginning of  NWAL fell apart with an injured hand and then a weekend hospital admission. Though my hand is better than before, physio and painkillers are the way forward to get it back to full use. If I was slow before, I am on snail pace now.

 May catch up

This is the month for taking stock and moving forward towards my goals.

I plan to

  •  follow NWAL’s mantra to read and write every day
  • enter two writing competitions
  • solidify my characters and backstories
  • arrange my scenes into chronological order – a big task
  • research settings for Amber and Willow
  • research Whitby history and folklore
  • delve into the world of witchcraft and Druidry
  • Make mood boards for my main characters

Books read in May

 

Some unique and wonderful books have been read in May including my favourite of the year and possibly my lifetime.

  • The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton. I was eager to read this after reading the short story Alive. It did not disappoint.
  • The Things We Should have Said by Rachel Burton.
  • We Others by Sue Bentley. This book has got under my skin for its imagery, setting, and characters.  If you love fantasy and magical realism find a copy and enjoy. My review on Duvet Dwellers Books is here. It is Elsie’s favourite book too so I apologise in advance if it is talked about a lot.
  • The Songs of Us by Emma Cooper. A romance it has a unique premise of a woman aptly named Melody sings when anxiety kicks in. It’s funny, heartbreaking and clever. There is an accompanying playlist to give the reading experience an added layer.

June reads

 

  • The Date by Louise Jensen
  • Every Note played by Lisa Genova
  • Artisan Lovestyle by Kiltie Jackson
  • The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney
  • Book Towns by Alex Johnson

 

What are you up to this month? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy reading and writing.

Kate Kenzie's Blog