Month-End Update: October 2017

If October were a chapter in a novel, I would let my eyes linger over the final word. Then, I would take a deep breath and close the book, keeping my thumb wedged between the pages to mark my place. As I cradled the tome against my chest, my eyes would sting with tears already cried, but a small smile would play at my lips. After a few moments, I would sigh and reopen the novel, ready to face whatever Chapter 11 had in store.

In other words, October was bittersweet. The month began with a personal loss, but also with an outpouring of love for which I am incredibly grateful. It ended with a wonderful visit from my best friend and a few days exploring my new, long-term but still temporary, home in San Francisco (that’s us at the Golden Gate bridge). Somewhere in between, I followed my creative passions to some major world-building for my upcoming dark fantasy series … but didn’t make as much progress as I’d hoped in Desertera.

All in all, October has been a bit of a mixed bag. But, sticking with my “positivity” New Year’s resolution, I’m going to focus on the good. I wrote more in October than I did in September. I’m feeling more confident in my author skin. And I’ve got two more months to work on my 2017 goals!

Now, let’s recap the details …

Writing & Publishing

Main goals:
Create five days a week – still a little behind
Write a second novel – starting for NaNoWriMo!

While my October word count is nothing to write home about, it’s exponentially better than September. Though I’ll be starting NaNoWriMo late (due to my friend’s visit), I plan to write a large chunk of a new novel. Good news for Desertera fans: given my recently revised publishing plan, this will now be Desertera #4!

Business

Main goals:
Make $2,000 from Boxthorn Press – catching up
Create short story for my Reader List – in progress
Blog twice per month – on track
Read 52 books this year – catching up!

Things are slow but steady in the business realm. There’s a lot I want to put into practice for 2018, so I’m trying to focus more on writing for the rest of this year. Once again, good news for readers!

Books Read:
Angel & Faith: Season 10, Vol. 3 by Victor Gischler
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10, Vol. 3 by Christos Gage
Selkie Cove (Ingenious Mechanical Devices #5) by Kara Jorgensen
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Angel Omnibus by Jeffrey J. Mariotte
The Sixth Gate by K.T. Munson

Book in Progress:
Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

Personal

Main Goals:
Work on positivity – still going well
Break a bad habit – huge improvement!
Exercise 3x week – still doing it!

While being positive was difficult this month, I’m still proud of the attitude I maintained. Though I did have two stress migraine days (my first in over a year), I remembered to be kind to myself and give my body the time it needed to rest. As for my bad habit and exercising, I’m actually impressing myself with the progress I’ve made and even rewarded myself to some goal-related treats. Woot!

Goals for November
Participate in NaNoWriMo (and ideally catch up)
Send Desertera short story to my editor
Begin Desertera #4
Continue re-evaluating and planning for 2018

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How was your October? What’s your project for NaNoWriMo? Share your successes, failures, and goals in the comments!