Quarterly wrap: April – June 2021
What a hectic few months! It has been a bit of a transitional time for me, meaning I’ve read very little and made little progress on my writing projects, but it’s not all bad news. Come and learn the details of what I’ve been up to in this second quarterly update of 2021!! →
Well talk about a hectic three months! As I sit down to write this post, my second quarterly update of 2021, I realise that this quarter has been a real transitional period in my life. I haven’t made much progress on my creative goals since my last update, but to be fair there has been a lot going on! The key developments in my life throughout April, May and June are as follows:
Settling into my new place. As you may recall from my last update, I moved into my own place at the end of March, so much of my energy the last three months has been spent on settling into a new routine. You know—cooking, cleaning, paying the rent, familiarising myself with a new home and a new area. It’s been an adjustment, but it’s also been so much fun!!
COVID chaos strikes again. Right when I was getting into the swing of things, there was another COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne in late May. As a result, we went into another snap lockdown which, while the right thing to do, really threw me for a loop this time around. There were also so many flow-on effects; my coping mechanism has basically been binge-watching Netflix…
Starting a new role at work. Of course, the aforementioned lockdown just happened to coincide with beginning a new role in the Grad program I’m in at work. I feel super lucky to have a secure job in such uncertain times, but starting something new in isolation is NOT my favourite thing. On the plus side, the new work is super exciting and involves some really incredible fieldwork!
I once again achieved my blogging goal for 2021 this quarter by publishing 3x new content posts (not including this update). At times it felt like a bit of a struggle to get myself across the line, but in the end I got there and I think the posts were well-received. If you haven’t taken a peek at them yet, you can access this quarter’s blog content by clicking on the tiles below.
As mentioned in my previous update, I’ll only be talking about the writing projects I’m actively working on in these quarterly wrap-ups. It’s been a slow three months on the writing front on account of the life developments I discussed above, but I’ve managed to inch my way forwards. A little. I’ve provided a summary of what I’ve achieved this quarter, and you can always check out my Books page for the most up-to-date information.
Holding Up the Sky
Status: Querying
Word count: 85,000 (approx.)
What’s new:
One of my key goals for 2021 is to finalise the publishing pathway for my contemporary YA novel Holding Up the Sky. I’m still waiting to hear back either way from two of the Australian publishers I submitted the manuscript to, but in the meantime I’ve engaged a freelance editor. Even if plan A doesn’t work out, I’ll begin the professional editing process in early 2022!
First the Song (Graceborn #2)
Status: Writing 2nd draft
Word count: 12,721 (5.8%)
What’s new:
This quarter, I started working on the second draft of First the Song (Graceborn #2). So far I’ve rewritten the prologue and the first three chapters, which is a few chapters shy of where I hoped to be by now. But on the bright side, I’m very pleased with what I HAVE written, so there’s that. It’s not looking likely I’ll actually finish the draft in 2021, yet if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last 18 months it’s that anything can happen!
After getting off to a cracking start on the reading front this year, I’ve only managed to get through a measly 2 books in the last three months. Most of my reading time this quarter has instead been spent watching TV shows to give my brain a break from the chaos. I’m now a little behind on my 2021 Goodreads challenge goal, but I’m not too worried. Anyway, the books I did read are shown below…
What have you been up to over the last three months? Has life been chaotic or peaceful or somewhere in between? Are you on track to reach your 2021 goals?
Rebecca Alasdair
I'm an Australian indie author who hoards books, loves dogs and coffee, and has a tendency of staying up all night!
7 Comments
Andrew McDowell
I’ve made a few guest appearances on other blogs, and a few minor publications are in the works. But with the sequel to Mystical Greenwood, I’ve kept hitting brick walls. So I’ve had to set it aside for a while.
Rebecca Alasdair
That must be frustrating to hit brick walls! Sometimes it’s a sign you need to take a step back until inspiration strikes again. It sounds like you’ve been keeping busy with your other projects though!! 😀
Andrew McDowell
Yes. Good luck with everything!
Rebecca Alasdair
Thanks. And you!
Andrew McDowell
You’re welcome, and thank you! Hope you’ve been enjoying my posts.
Tomas
I hope your life settles down soon, and that you’ll be able to let your creativity soar again soon. The last quarter-year was on-and-off for me as well, and I don’t dare to guess what may happen over the summer.
Rebecca Alasdair
Thanks Tomas! It really is hard to predict what will happen and how life will unfold these days, right? I’m just trying to make the best of it and not stress to much about what I haven’t achieved…which is easier said than done sometimes! I hope the next few months treat you well 😊