Novels and Narrations No 20

Welcome back to another monthly post in my Novels and Narrations blog series! In this series, you get updates on my writing in all facets: from celebrations and excitement to dealing with impostor syndrome, hopelessness and rejection. Thanks, as always, for caring about my work as a writer and supporting me in this way. ❤

Writing Intentions for the Year

As a quick refresher, here are my writing intentions for the year:

• Create a healthy, low-pressure but regularly-kept writing routine
• Continue to work on my MFA and work to improve potential writing weaknesses
• Write draft zero of my fantasy romance WIP, tentatively titled THE BECKONED AND THE BOUND (TBATB)
• Form more friendships with writers and better support those friends who are already on this writing journey with me

So, now that we’re refreshed, how did I do during my first month post-COVID?

August Accomplishments

My specific goals for July (which were actually June) were as follows:

• Continue researching as much as I can
• Confirm my thesis project

Friends, after so many months of reporting failure, we have a success! Despite COVID doing its best to ruin all progress, I have completed four research books on Viking culture. I still have plenty of research to do, but, after meeting with my thesis advisor last week and confirming BLOOD PRICE as my thesis, I can now move onto the editing stages. I’ll detail those down below.

Not only that, but I also created an online writing group for a few friends of mine to help me stay accountable. And when I say that group was the entire reason I made any progress on any of that research. I am not lying!! It has been such a joy and I am very thankful for it. Which was the main focus of the “better support” goal above, so I actually completed one. Yay!

September Focuses

September will be a mixed month, I feel. The semester’s super charged start won’t slow until mid-September, then October hits (which is always the most intense of all the months in academia). Yet, we are also in the middle of our advising transition and September is when it starts to go into affect, so that’ll be interested. My sister is also due with her second child in September, which is an exciting life event!

Needless to say, I’ll have my work cut out for me, that’s for sure.

With all that in mind, I’d like to:

• Complete my synopsis assignment (due Sept. 1st)
• Start working on opening scenes with BLOOD PRICE
• Continue research

Currently, the plan my thesis advisor and I have come up with is this: I have great determination, work ethic and fantastic story ideas. However, in my short stories, she has considered my craft subpar (😭). So, our goal is to work on craft and really do in-depth scene revision and writing, up through 100 pages, if possible.

First, though, I have to write a synopsis that details the vision of the novel, to make sure the major beats are all there. That’s due Sept. 1st, so that’s my main focus! I am also going to start researching into period taboo, since I need a bit of a break from the Viking history binge I’ve been on.

In Sum

It was very refreshing to actually have a Novels and Narrations update post feel like a win. I am definitely riding the high of meeting with my advisor (despite the admission that I’m not as strong as I hoped I was as a writer). Because the entire reason I’m getting an MFA (aside from my job paying for it) was to become a better novel writer. And so far, it’s felt like I haven’t gotten to work on that at all, despite starting my third year in the program this fall. Getting to finally do what I want is just so damn refreshing.

Thanks for supporting me in my own journey and reading another installment of Novels and Narrations! ❤