MONTHLY UPDATE: April 2018

Third time’s a charm! I hope.

Welcome to my April 2018 update post, now the third of its kind. This month has been a struggle from the get-go, battling the university blues while also juggling two jobs and my writing. Somehow, I’ve still managed to finish reading four novels, write/rewrite a poem for ANZAC Day, and develop my Instagram skills. Also, I reached 50 followers on this blog!!! Please read on to find out what I’ve accomplished with my WIPs, and what I chose as my Quote of the Month!

WRITING PROGRESS

Holding Up the Sky

Despite a number of false starts, I’ve finally managed to make some proper progress on the third draft of my contemporary YA novel Holding Up the Sky. This month, I have finalised my plans for a significant restructuring of the story’s first third and completed edits for 3.75 chapters. I may or may not have crossed the line from perfection to perfectionism while doing so, at one time spending a whole half-hour on a 4-line paragraph. As a result, this draft is likely to take longer than I anticipated, but I’m hopeful it will lead to a better end result! You can read Chapter 1 here.

STATUS: writing draft #3

WORD COUNT: 13,500 / 90,000 (15%)

Old Blood (Graceborn #1)

Okay. I admit it. I’m still giddy, on a high, after finishing the first draft of my epic fantasy novel Old Blood last month. For the last 4.5 weeks I have been tinkering with various world-building concepts, namely language development and key historical events. It’s so much fun! Plans for book 2 (nope, you don’t get to know it’s title just yet) are also being fleshed out and shored up. I’d originally planned to commence the (somewhat daunting) editing process mid-May, but have decided to postpone until the bulk of Holding Up the Sky‘s third draft is done. In the meantime, you can read a special excerpt here.

STATUS: completed draft #1

WORD COUNT: 166,000

BOOKS I READ

Cloaked in Shadow by Ben Alderson

Zacriah is concerned with two things in life: hunting, and dodging the boy who broke his heart. But both those things become distant concerns when he is drafted into the king’s new legion of shapeshifters, because Zacriah now has a bigger problem: he isn’t a shapeshifter…and his true power must be kept a secret at all costs.

MY THOUGHTS: This book had a number of the elements I love in high fantasy: magic, princes, romance…impending war. Some of the “twists” were a tad predictable and I would have liked a bit more clarity about the types of magic users, but maybe I have to wait for the sequel!

GENRE: high fantasy | YA | LGBT

SERIES: The Dragori #1

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Jude and her twin brother Noah couldn’t be any more different. Quiet Noah draws constantly, while daredevil Jude talks enough for both of them, but they are inseparable. Fast forward three years. The twins are barely speaking, and if they can’t find their way back to each other through the lies and betrayal, their relationship may be lost forever.

MY THOUGHTS: One word: Wow. I loved, loved, loved Noah’s POV—the artistic language was just so beautiful! I also enjoyed Jude’s POV, which is a win since 90% of female narrators in YA fiction irritate the hell out of me. An awesome story about family and forgiveness 🌞

GENRE: contemporary | YA | LGBT

SERIES: (stand alone)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

One cold night, in the most unlikely corner of Chicago, Will Grayson meets Will Grayson, and from that moment on, their lives collide and intertwine in ways neither could ever have expected. Fate is hurtling them towards the same crossroads, converging on the extraordinary musical produced by someone who means the world to them both.

MY THOUGHTS: This book was…different. Good different! As different as the two Wills! They both had such different voices, Will Grayson’s so apathetic and will grayson’s so sad and lonely and longing :'( But the one who really made the story? Well. His name is Tiny Cooper.

GENRE: contemporary | YA | LGBT

SERIES: (stand alone)

Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill

When ten-year-old Daniel Tate vanished from one of California’s most elite communities, he left no trace. Six years later, he resurfaces on a snow street in Vancouver, and his overjoyed family brings him home to a life of luxury he is too traumatised to remember. It’s perfect. A miracle. Except for one thing: he isn’t Daniel Tate.

MY THOUGHTS: Oh my god oh my god oh my god THIS BOOK! I will never be the same again! So creepy and thrilling and utterly, utterly heartbreaking. I must admit the lack of chapters kinda pissed me off…but not as much as that ending. Why, Cristin Terrill, WHY?!

GENRE: contemporary | thriller | YA

SERIES: (stand alone)

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

So says Jude to Noah in the final chapter of I’ll Give You the Sun. I chose this quote for a few reasons. One, it captures the type of beautiful language that permeates every page and paragraph of this remarkable book. Two, it touches on so many elements that the story explores: being “different people” depending on who we’re with, making good choices, making mistakes, grief, forgiveness, broken relationships, falling in love, art, growing up,. And three, it really summarises the lessons the twins have learned and the understanding and acceptance they come to by the end of the book 🙂

LIFE IN GENERAL

As I indicated at the start of this post, this month has been a bit of a struggle. SO BUSY. As a result, I made the difficult but long-coming decision to resign from my lifeguard job to focus on uni and work. And writing. Some of my other achievements this month include:

• saying farewell to a friend of 9 years who is moving overseas :'(

• writing a poem for ANZAC Day

• taking my parents to see Love, Simon and watching my dad cry!

• REACHING 50 FOLLOWERS ON THIS BLOG!!!

• reaching 58 followers on Instagram already! (selection of pics below)

What progress did you make with your writing this month? Did you read any good books? What is your Quote of the Month?

Rebecca Alasdair