That’s a wrap! November 2020
November 2020 has been out-of-control busy: I’ve read a book, worked two jobs, come out of lockdown, and also won NaNoWriMo. I’m ready for a nice, long rest, but before that happens, come check out what I’ve been up to and let me know how you are!! →
November 2020 has been out-of-control busy, and I’m probably about to dissolve into a puddle of goo. A nice long rest is doubtlessly in order, but before that happens I’d like to fill you guys in on the key highlights in my life over the last four-and-a-bit weeks:
Out of lockdown. November has finally seen my home city of Melbourne come out of lockdown, and today marks the 31st day in a row of 0 NEW COVID-19 CASES! I’m so proud of everyone for sticking it out, and I must admit I really enjoyed getting to go out for brunch last weekend!
Working two jobs. I’ve actually been doing this all year, but it this month really drove it home for me. Many of my weekends were taken up by my second job, which is not really sustainable in the long-term, but sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done. And believe it or not, December should be quieter!
NaNoWriMo. On top of everything else, I participated in NaNoWriMo this month…and I completed the challenge! It’s something I really set myself up for throughout the year, and while this first draft is probably the shortest and roughest I’ve ever written, I’m so proud of it! You can learn more below.
As a result of some pre-planning, I was still able to publish 2 full blog posts this month, as per my blogging goal for 2020. If you haven’t already, you can check out this new content below!!
I didn’t spend much time online this month, but I did carve out a few minutes while drafting this post to check out what my fellow bloggers have been up to. Take a look at this great content:
- 7 novel plotting quotes to inspire and encourage you by M.L. Davis @ Uninspired Writers
- 7 tips for creating awesome characters by K.M. Allan
- How being a writer affects reading by Tomas K. “Grizzly”
- How to create conflict in a story: Four-corner opposition by Madeline @ The Story Soul
November has been a MASSIVE month for my writing…depending on which WIP we’re talking about, since everything else was put on hold for my NaNoWriMo book! The current status of my three key writing projects that span four separate novels is as follows:
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: Not a lot to report on my contemporary YA novel Holding Up the Sky. I’ve got a bit of work to do next month to prepare for direct submission, as well as a bit of soul-searching while I decide exactly who I’m submitting too. I’m thinking about scaling down my submission plan so my little book doesn’t get lost in the world of big publishers, but I’ll keep you guys in the loop!
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: I had another beta reader finish Blood of Old, the first book in my fantasy series Graceborn, this month, and they provided some SUPER valuable feedback! Now there is only one left to go, who should be finished in the next few weeks, and then I can get to work editing. I’ve got some very exciting new ideas to explore, and I’m so grateful to my betas for helping bring these ideas to the fore!
First the Song (Graceborn #2)
The story continues…
Status: Writing 1st draft
Word count: 143,287 (68.2%)
What’s new: First the Song, the second book in the Graceborn series, was on hold this month for NaNoWriMo. Originally, I intended to get back to this draft in December, but for two reasons that plan is going to have to change. First, I’m completely exhausted and need a break. And second, I think the storyline will need an overhaul as a result of the edits planned for book one. I don’t want to waste words on something I KNOW will change!
The Layers Beneath Us
Two boys. Eight days. A disaster in the making.
Status: 1st draft complete
Word count: 56,656
What’s new: The Layers Beneath Us is the standalone YA contemporary novel that was my project for NaNoWriMo 2020…and I am very, very excited to announce that I FINISHED IT!! I reached 50k words on Day 28, then pushed on to finish the entire draft on Day 29. The book covers 30 chapters, and I am so pleased with how it’s turned out. Keep your eyes out for a more detailed NaNoWriMo wrap-up post in the next 1-2 weeks!!
Fortunately I have already achieved my 2020 Goodreads challenge goal, because this month I only managed to finish reading 1 new book. I did re-read a couple of old favourites, but most of my reading time was spent lying on the couch, brain-dead! I was tired! Anyway, the book I did read was:
What have you been up to this November? Did you participate in NaNoWriMo? Are you as in need of a break as I am?
Rebecca Alasdair
I'm an Australian indie author who hoards books, loves dogs and coffee, and has a tendency of staying up all night!
12 Comments
K.M. Allan
Congrats on winning NaNo, Rebecca! Sounds like you had a productive month and added lots of words to your projects. Thanks once again for including one of my blogs in your wrap up post 😊.
Rebecca Alasdair
You’re very welcome! I always enjoy your posts! I’ve certainly had a busy month and am pleased with what I’ve achieved…and now it’s time for a break!! 😂
K.M. Allan
I’m looking forward to the last two weeks of the year. I always take them off 😊.
Rebecca Alasdair
A very wise idea!!
Andrew McDowell
Congrats on your accomplishments, Rebecca. Writing wise, this month wasn’t very productive, though a beta reader did look at what I have so far for the sequel to Mystical Greenwood. I haven’t had a lot of success in building a career, so it might be time to take a different direction. I may have found a possible path, but I want to be sure first.
On a better note, two anthologies featuring my work, Fae Dreams and As the World Burns, were released. The 19th of this month marked my website’s 5th anniversary; my blog post from this month (which came earlier than that) looked back on some of the things I did over those years. Also, I’ve created an Amazon author page and on my site’s pages that have book links, I chose to rearrange the order they were in (and add Australian Amazon links).
Rebecca Alasdair
Thanks Andrew! I think we place a lot of value on productivity sometimes…maybe too much. Even if you didn’t write much this month it looks like you’ve had many other fantastic achievements!! And all the best with exploring the new career path—sounds exciting!! 😀
Andrew McDowell
Thank you, Rebecca. Best of luck with everything. Hope you’ve been enjoying my posts.
Ed White
Good to see you’ve been productive this month. I’ve been busy working two jobs, reading, writing, among other things. Haven’t done much blogging. Heart of Dragons is coming along in its alpha manuscript, too!
Rebecca Alasdair
Oh I know that busy feeling well!! Glad to hear HoD is coming along nicely! I’ve encountered some hiccups in my book 2, so its likely to get an overhaul once I’ve finished considering all the beta feedback from book 1!!
Tomas
Enjoy your post-lockdown break, I hope it’ll refresh your imagination.
Also thanks for the mention.
By the way, the post didn’t appear in my WP Reader yet, so something might be getting bugged… again.
Tomas
Okay, I see it there now, so maybe there’s just some delay… or maybe commenting fixed it shrugs
Rebecca Alasdair
Phew! I think it can take a bit longer to come up than posts from a WordPress.com site but I’m glad it sorted itself out!! And thanks for your kind words 😊