Last year, I did a post about why I'm grateful for books. Those reasons have stayed largely the same, so I don't feel the need to do another such post. I thought about doing a post listing the specific books I've read this year that I'm most grateful for, but those are basically just my favorites, and I'll be listing them in my 2024 Reading Wrap-up. So instead, we're going to make this a writing post!
First of all, here are a few writing-related things I'm grateful for this year:
1. The Washington Writers Conference I went to back in May!
You can read my post about the conference here. I loved it so much that I'm planning on going again next year, and I'm hoping to bring a couple friends along this time! I really think that this experience helped me become more disciplined as a writer.
2. The FreeWyrd writers group, which I also started attending in May.
A few weeks after the writers conference, I started attending a writers group at a bookstore called Wyrd Books (pronounced "Word" Books, not weird or wired) that's about a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute drive from my house. I've only missed one meeting since then! The people I've met there have been so encouraging and I value their friendships and feedback.
3. Storytellers Open Mic Night.
Storytellers: A Theater Arts Academy is a theater group for young people that I participated in when I was a teen. I've tried to stay involved since then by going to shows and even teaching a writing class this past summer, and in August they started an open mic night for their 18-and-up performers and alumni. Everyone else brings music, but I don't like singing in front of people, so I bring writing projects that I'm working on. It's just a really lovely community that I'm so grateful to be a part of.
And now, a writing update!
At the time of my last update on my Snow White retelling, Hunted, I was at 27,270 words. For a few weeks in between now and then, I was challenging myself to write 551 words per day, and I stuck to that goal for a couple weeks, but recently I've just been too busy and have given myself some slack. Despite that, I have made a decent amount of progress and am now at 47,231 words! My goal is to finish by the end of the year, although that's not looking too likely at the moment. In the meantime, here are a couple snippets!
🏹
“Well, Diana Stornoway,” said Rosh, smiling, “it’s a pleasure to officially meet you.”
“A pleasure to meet you as well–Your Highness,” I added. The fact that he was dead shouldn’t affect the way I addressed him. However, he waved aside the honorific.
“Just Rosh, please. May I ask you a question, Diana?”
🏹
“Is this amusing to you? Is it all just a game?” hissed the queen.
“I have been in your service for thirty years,” said Fest. “Our bond has lasted longer than your marriage. In all that time, I have never disobeyed a command from you.” He reached out, oddly, and tapped her chest. Her hand flew to the chain around her neck–the one I had noticed disappearing under her dress on my very first visit to the palace. “Tell me, how does it feel to be denied something you want?”
YES I would read Hunted based on those snippets girl🤩🤩🤩🤩 -bekah
ReplyDeleteI'm counting on it! <3
DeleteCan’t wait to read your words. Rooting for you
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thank you!
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