HELLO FRIENDS. I HAVE MISSED YOU THIS GLORIOUS OCTOBER.

I know I have been kind of AWOL this month. I’m sorry, but life and writing happened. (So. Much. Writing.)

This month I gave myself a challenge – write something fiction every day. It didn’t have to be much. I just wanted to give myself that push to work on my for fun projects, which I have been neglecting for a few months.

I did really well with it – only not writing for one day this month, because I was busy with a baby shower and a ton of driving. I’m okay with that. And I got more than 11,000 words written. I’m honestly really impressed with myself.

And now it is time for NaNoWriMo, which I am participating in, sort of. I know I can’t write 50,000 words on top of writing for work, and still be a functioning human. I know my life too well for that. Instead, I’m planning to do 50k of both – both work writing and fiction writing! I’m hoping to get 15-20k of fiction writing, but we’ll see how it pans out!

Books I’ve Read:

Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel José Older | City of Betrayal by Claudie Arsenault | Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore | Quackery by Lydia Kang | Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao | The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty | Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy | Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake | The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso | The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia |

Posts I Wrote:

Review:: Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore | Review:: Peter Darling by Austin Chant | Character Interview:: Cal from CITY OF BETRAYAL | Review:: Quackery by Lydia Kang | Review:: The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty | Review:: City of Betrayal by Claudie Arsenault | Review:: The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso | Character Interview:: Stake Sauce |

Links I Liked:

Fandom for Robots | Confronting the Costs of Writing | #DVPIT: ON LIKES AND FIRE | ‘But you don’t look disabled?’ What living with an invisible disability is really like | Arlington Cemetery’s Headstone-Eating Trees | The Story of Place | Trans Girl in Love | Using Science and History to Unlock the Secrets of Bread | Changeable Skins, Consummate Catchphrases | Why is your dongle called a ‘dongle?’ | Seasons of Glass and Iron | #66: Getting Past the Confidence Sinkhole | What Being Asexual Means to Me | A Week in Asexual Characters – Brune | The Lack of Publish Gay YA By Gay Authors? Lets Talk About It | How Surrealism Enriches Storytelling About Women | Medical Mondays: Useful Apps | Happy Halloween–and last day of Foxtober!

 Journalism I Wrote:

Prosecution rests in federal fraud trial in Danville | Defense points fingers in federal trial against contractor | Defense of contractor ends case in federal fraud trial | Jury finds former defense contractor guilty on all charges | New security protocols cause legal snafu in Pittsylvania County | Public hearing cancelled after outcry from volunteer fire departments in Pittsylvania County | DEADLY TREND? Data shows Danville had state’s highest per-capita homicide rate among cities in 2016; police chief cites gang activity for surge | County increases court fees, hires firm to study jail, courthouse needs | Pittsylvania County seeks grants, private financing to ready industrial parks | Sentencing scheduled for former military contractor | Accolades keep growing for Callands farmer | God’s Storehouse has high goal of donations for 30th anniversary | Ringgold Rail Trail updates complete | New wing celebrated at Roman Eagle Rehabilitation and Health Care Center | Familiar face set to lead Institute