September the beginning of Fall (sort of) and the start of my busy season. I was desperate to get a few different things done before my crazy schedule got even crazier, and I am happy to report I did it.
I also got to take a trip to two new states! I visited Seattle, Washington to explore and be a tourist and then Boise, Idaho to visit my wonderful critique partner, Kelsey Atkins. It was such a cool blessing to get to finally meet someone I’ve been working with for the better part of a year, and while flying to a strange city to meet a practical strange was a little nerve-wracking, we had a blast!
What I Read
GRAND TOTAL: 4
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Towering Sky by Katherine McGee
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
September Reads
What I Wrote
I am extremely proud to report that I finished first draft of The Blood Between Us – ten chapters (25,388 words) in twelve days!!! It was a stretch, and I had a hard time pushing through but I did it by the skin of my teeth. It’s way too long and a total mess, but I am really happy with what I have so far.
I was also able to get back on track with the blog and publish one new post per week. Check them out and let me know what you’d like to see next!
- How to use Pinterest to inspire, outline and write your novel
- 14 cozy and creepy books to get you in the mood for Fall
- The Good, The Bad & The Overdone: Tropes in fiction (and how to use them effectively)
Coming Up
October is going to be absolutely insane for me from a travel and work perspective, and – with the first draft of TBBU completed – it’s the perfect time to take a break! I highly encourage all writers to do so between drafts so that they can come back with fresh eyes and minds. I will also be shifting back to start revisions on a previous novel which take up the bulk of my free writing time.
As far as reading goes, I don’t think I will have much time, but there are a few books I’ve been waiting to read that I am super excited about!
- Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
- Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
- Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd
Are you excited to kick off Fall! What are your goals for the rest of the year? Let me know!
Tauri Cox 
Congrats on finishing your writing!!! Now it’s time for the editing, best of luck for that 😉
I think I loved The Night Circus because the writing was so beautiful and because of the slow plot… I’m the kind of person who doesn’t mind when nothing much happens in a book, and when the book focuses more on the atmosphere and the characters. So that kind of slow building is definitely not a writing style for everyone.
LikeLike
Thank you! And yes I totally agree – depends on your personal taste!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tauri–
Found your J.K. Rowling-inspired Lengthening post on Pinterest. Consequently spent the past hour exploring and loving your blog! I am obsessed with your style and creativity. I really hope 700 Main gets published soon so I can get my hands on it (first chapter was great!), and I wish you the best of luck with TBBU. One of my goals is to write a novel that’s over 100,000 words (mine are always annoyingly 80,000)…I hope cutting and editing goes well!
I had to scrap my first novel after a hundred rejections, but I submitted my second to a whole round of agents this August. Among short stories and poetry to magazines (hoping to legitimize myself to agents…I have only seven publishing credits), I am trying to write for Harlequin, since they take unagented submissions. Romantic novellas are new for me, though, so I’ve been scouring the internet for tips 🙂 So thank you for the lengthening tips in your post and your other helpful writing tips and tricks. Your tone is so kind and encouraging amidst the sea of rejections and “this is not right for us”s I’m drowning in. I also completely agree with most of your reading criticisms (even the Harry Potter movie adaptions 😉 ).
Best of luck! You’re a great writer, and I can’t wait to see your book in print!
—Rae
LikeLike
You are seriously the sweetest and made my day! Thank you!!
My first novel also got over 100 rejections and have zero publishing credits so I totally know how it goes. I wish you the best of luck and if you ever have any questions please let me know!
LikeLike