That’s a wrap! March 2020
What a month! Who would have thought our world would change so much so quickly? And yet…life must go on. This March I have made some meaningful writing progress and finished some amazing books, so come and check out all the details and tell me about your life in lockdown!! →
What a month! Who would have thought our world would change so much so quickly? I can barely believe it was only a few weeks ago I was gushing over starting my first full-time job and moaning about trying to balance all my creative goals! March 2020 has sure been one of the most unique months of my life, and has consisted of the following “highlights”:
Working from home. Like a very large proportion of the world, I am now working from home and am feeling very, very lucky to have a secure job. It’s definitely a challenge not having my colleagues around, but we all have to do our part. Fellow Victorians, make sure you monitor the DHHS website for all COVID-19 updates!
Getting my hair cut. This may seem like a minor occurrence, but my hair is now shorter than it has been since I was about thee years old. Like…short enough I can’t even tie it up. I felt like it was time for something different so I got my locks hacked straight off! I’m told it suits me, and I’m loving it so far!!
Highest website traffic. This March, I have set a new record for monthly views and visitors here on my website/blog! I don’t monitor my stats too much because I know it will stress me out, but I definitely received far more traffic than I expected. Is it because everyone is at home and has nothing to do…?
During March, I published 2 full blog posts as per my goals for 2020. You can check these out below!
I’ve also come across some excellent content posted by my fellows in the writing community! Here are some blog posts I’ve enjoyed over the last few weeks:
- 5 lessons learned after releasing my first book by K.M. Allan
- 10 reasons it’s OK to write sad stories by Meg Dowell @ Novelty Revisions
- Why tropes are awesome (and how to use them in your writing) by Hannah Heath
- Why perfectionism could be stifling you by Ari Meghlen
- How to edit a novel: An in-depth look at my editing process by Madeline Bartson @ Happy When Writing
- How to craft a one-page synopsis using story beats by Sue Coletta (guest post on A Writer’s Path)
I certainly didn’t hold back with my writing goals for 2020, so technically I now have three key writing projects. The current status of each of these WIPs, and the progress I made during March, is detailed below!
Holding Up the Sky
“The weight of the sky—of the whole world—was pushing down, and it was crushing me.”
Status: Querying
Word count: 84,878
What’s new: I don’t really have any updates to report for my contemporary YA novel Holding Up the Sky. I’m still waiting to hear from the literary agent I queried at the end of last year, but I need to get onto querying some others! Anyone have any recommendations on how to find the right agent(s) for your book and/or recommendations on agents themselves?
Blood of Old (Graceborn #1)
“The Old has returned…and what once was, will be again.”
Status: Beta reading
Word count: 195,170
What’s new: Beta reading is still in progress for Blood of Old, the first book in my fantasy series Graceborn. Another few readers are nearing the end now, and I’m so both excited and slightly terrified to receive their final feedback! It’s looking likely that I’ll make a few minor revisions to the book once this round is done, before seeking out a secondary round of betas later this year. Stay tuned!
First the Song (Graceborn #2)
The story continues…
Status: Writing 1st draft
Word count: 15,379 (6.7%)
What’s new: This month, I’ve made some excellent progress on First the Song, the second book in the Graceborn series! I FINALLY finished the detailed outline, which ended up being a whopping 51,016 words all on its own. No wonder it took me so long! I only took a few days off before launching straight into the first draft, where I have already written a couple of chapters. But first drafts are so hard…
<Top secret project>
A brand new WIP!
Status: Planning
Word count: 0
What’s new: You may have heard me mention that I’m starting a brand new WIP this year. The main reason is that I want to write the first draft of something completely fresh during NaNoWriMo in November 2020! All I’ll say about this top secret project right now is that it is another contemporary YA standalone, and I have dedicated the month of March to developing all the characters!
Despite many distractions, I managed to read a total of 4 books during March—which keeps me well on track for my 2020 Goodreads Challenge goal. The titles I finished in the last month are:
How crazy has your March been? Are you coping okay with everything that’s going on? What writing and/or reading progress have you made?
Rebecca Alasdair
I'm an Australian indie author who hoards books, loves dogs and coffee, and has a tendency of staying up all night!
No Comments
K.M. Allan
Thanks for including my blog post, Rebecca, and introducing me to some other posts I hadn’t read yet. All your WIP’s sounds great! Good luck with them and with working from home. Happy to see Blackbirch kept you entertained in March 😊. What a crazy month for everyone.
Rebecca Alasdair
I know right? And thank YOU for supplying me with some great content to keep myself entertained!! 😊
K.M. Allan
😊
Andrew McDowell
Congrats, and best wishes! I’m doing all right, though I wish I were writing more than I have been. Hopefully that’ll change soon.
Rebecca Alasdair
Thanks—and to you!! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself in these trying times 😊
Andrew McDowell
You’re welcome, and thanks. With blogging I’m continuing to post on my blog once a month, though this month’s stats were a little lower than the last two, but it looks like people are still enjoying them. We’ll see what April brings.
Bryan J. Fagan
Such a crazy time but we’ll get through it. Hope everyone is healthy in your world.
Rebecca Alasdair
Thanks Bryan! We’re all good so far. All the best to you and your family too 😊
Bryan J. Fagan
Thank you. 🙂
Lorraine Ambers
Ooh, the new hair sounds gorgeous. 💜💜
Rebecca Alasdair
Thanks! I’m very pleased with it 😊