On the status of things ....

[seraphcelene]

Three books behind on this year's Reading Challenge that, if I'm honest, has everything to do with the way I'm mood reading my way through life these days. Bookmarks (of the chaotic kind) live in three things that I'm moving through regularly and three other things that are on the back burner but that I'm still picking at.

The sum of which means that I haven't finishing anything and I'm three books behind on #goals.

1. My Heart is a Chainsaw - Stephen Graham Jones
2. Gallant - V.E. Schwab
3. The Searcher - Tana French
4. The World That We Know - Alice Hoffman
5. Unlock Your Storybook Heart
6. A Song of Fire and Ice - George R.R. Martin

And then there's the things that are just kind of floating:

7. Caste - Isabel Wilkerson
8. Salem's Lot - Stephen King

I am a mood reader and all over the place. And because I am writing and chasing aesthetics, I re-read a passage or two of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia and Daughter of Hounds by Caitlin R. Kiernan before I get started. I've added in Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth for parts of the novel because I'm also studying how body horror and dread work. It's a job of work on top of work. But I love it and it continues and the finish line is so close I can taste it.

Comments

[lynnenne]

Congratulations on making it this far! I'm glad you're loving it. :)

[seraphcelene]

I MISS the ease and camaraderie of fandom life in the ye olde Buffy days. Developing a writer community in non-fandom life has been odd and full of hiccups. lettered is my constant.

This is the closest I've ever been to a complete draft that does what I'm hoping for. It boggles my mind that there's still editing and massaging once I get it to an agent and then sold (I am speaking manifestation into the universe here and insisting that it WILL BE SOLD!)

Anyway. The love/hate tangle of creative pursuits is utterly wild.

How are you?! I love dropping into here and finding familiar faces. Other constants.

[lynnenne]

That's so cool that you and lettered are writing buddies. :)

Things are kind of weird for me at the moment. I've lost a couple of people this year and my job has been nothing but changes, so it's been a bit stressful. But I'm coping... avoiding a nervous breakdown, at least so far!

Fandom has been a great support for me, actually. I joined Tumblr and didn't expect to find such an active community over there. There's always lots of chatter and pics and fic to react to, which helps keep my mind off the stressful stuff. Hobbies help!

[thawrecka]

Good luck with your reading goals!

[seraphcelene]

Thank you!!! I set my reading goal at 20 books this year. I'm two books behind schedule.

I finished My Heart is a Chainsaw, technically, last night. It's midnight here. I'm up. Writing. 30K words left to edit and I need to get them all done by the end of the month.

OMG. Sometimes I'm horrified by how much I don't like them and sometimes I'm honestly unable to determine if anything makes sense. Been too close to the MS for too long. c'est la vie, I guess.

I should be reading for comps. I'm not. I find the idea of comps utterly challenging. I'm nowhere near objective enough for that.

Anyway.

How are you, friend?! Reading anything interesting?? I know you're drafting, too. How goes the craft?

[thawrecka]

I've set my goal for the year at 30 books. I remember back when I could blow through 100 in a year, and I'm not sure how.

I should be reading for comps. I'm not. I find the idea of comps utterly challenging. I'm nowhere near objective enough for that. Same!

Reading anything interesting?? I know you're drafting, too. How goes the craft? I've been reading a ton of things, mostly sf/f/horror, which is not what I'm writing. Some good, some bad. I've definitely read some stand outs this year, but as soon as I try to remember them for a list my brain goes blank.

As far as drafting, it's a slow going process. Ever since I got my current job (which involved a steep learning curve and a lot of mental work) it feels like I've forgotten how to write and I'm slowly trying to re-teach myself.