Dudes. We’re a month into 2022 already. No stinkin’ way.
I feel like I missed a ton of stuff, since I didn’t do a monthly wrapup/goals post in January, so I’ll try and sum up a few things in this one. I’ll end up addressing my yearly goals rather than monthly ones because I kinda didn’t have any for January.
Except for survive. And finish Bound and Determined.
I did manage the first, surprisingly, but the second I’m pushing back. Again. But only until the end of this month.
ANYWAY. Enough jibber-jabber. On to the updates...
What I Did Last Month
Y’all, I actually crossed one of my five yearly goals off my list within the first month of the year! Whoop whoop! To recap, these are my goals for 2022 as a whole:
Publish Bound and Determined.
Get my driver’s license.
Get my TCC in small business marketing management.
Release my first issue in Sky’s the Limit Literary Journal.
Launch S&J Editors
No, the goal I met wasn’t publishing Bound and Determined. Gosh, I haven’t even finished it yet, like I’d planned to do in December. Of 2020.
That said, I made a significant amount of progress that I’ll share with y’all in a minute.
First, allow me to introduce y’all to…
Yes, my friends and fellow writers, I am officially an editor, alongside my friend E. K. Seaver, so if you’re interested in developmental, line edits, or proofreads for your novel, short story, or nonfiction project, come check out out!
I’m also thiiiiiiis close to releasing the aforementioned journal, which is my main goal for this month. More on that later, though. *winks *
I also wrote and posted a devotion every. single. day. on Facebook, which is quite honestly a consistent commitment I hadn’t expected to uphold. The devotions, although short and simple and really nothing more than commentary on a passage of Scripture, went over really well, actually, and I had multiple people ask me if I planned on publishing them in a book. So I am. Eventually.
Finally, I participated in Kellyn Roth’s Beyond Her Calling blog tour; interviewed one of my favorite authors, Laura Frantz; and wrote a handful of reviews (I am still insanely backlogged, though, so Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll catch up some this month).
So far, nothing on podcasting or bookstagramming yet, but I have made the decision to start a YouTube channel very soon...I just need to actually make the videos. In the meantime, I’ve started research on my special project (pst, it’s a nonfiction!) and it’s going much better than expected!
I still have work to do on Book Nations (my Christian writing blog) and on this here blog as well, and I’ll now be juggling both blogs with a Facebook group I created called The Christian Creative Coterie. All my writers and editors and designers and artists out there...y’all might wanna check it out!
This Month’s Goals
Well, y’all all know my main goal is finishing BAD. Fortunately, I think I can finally say that’s an attainable goal...and I’ll explain why in the progress section. A very attainable goal, since I wrote about 13k last month and am now on the glorious Chapter 63. Which means I PASSED THE 200K MARK. I LITERALLY PASSED IT. This novel is officially an epic and I have no idea what I’m going to do with it...or myself once I finish it.
I literally only have, like, a couple chapters left...assuming my characters don’t decide to get lost or shot at or arrested or drown all of a sudden when I’m trying to write them a happily ever after. (Spoiler alert: that will never happen. Because I’m not giving them a happily ever after. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!)
Anyway. Moving on.
Next goal? Release Sky’s the Limit Press and The Journal. Oh, and write a blog post explaining what that is. *winks* Suffice it to say that I think y’all will be very excited. Especially those of y’all who have been craving another short story contest…
Other than that, I’m not putting anything else on me, except for wrapping up this semester’s eight-week course. And writing a poem a day based on a Bible verse! And, maybe, putting together that devotional I mentioned.
Monthly Progress
Thanks to Star Wars (long story, but instead of watching the three two-hour long prequel films per my brother’s begging, I got an early start writing), I wrote about 13k last month and am now on the glorious Chapter 63. Which means I PASSED THE 200K MARK. I LITERALLY PASSED IT. This novel is officially an epic and I have no idea what I’m going to do with it...or myself once I finish it.
Aside from edit it to death, of course.
Reading Highlights
I don’t know how, but I read like only two books last month. Okay, okay, five. But considering I typically read twice that many, that seems like barely anything at all.
So, naturally, I’m only going to pick three favorites from this month. *winks *
A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz. Everything this woman writes is g o r g e o u s and just so perfect. Her latest novel included, and you can find out why in my review!
Beyond Her Calling by Kellyn Roth. Of course, it’s another Alice and Ivy novel. How could I not love it? Exactly, and you can read more gushing in—you guessed it—my review!
Reviving the Commander by Nadine C. Keels. When I heard that this was a “mature” romance, I jumped at the change to read it! And by mature, I mean with a middle-aged hero and heroine! I love stories about older heroines and heroes (especially heroes *swoons*), but only when they’re well-done and authentic. Suffice it to say that this classically-written inspirational fantasy was beautifully executed! I loved it!
Top Posts
Most of my posts last month were for the Beyond Her Calling blog tour, so as you can imagine, the two most popular posts were Kellyn’s guest post (which is amazing. You must read it) and my review of the novel!
Whew. It’s over. We made it through January and all the busyness thereof. So now I must ask...how was your new year? How was your January? Did you complete all your goals for January? What about February? What are your plans?
While we’re at it...how’s your writing (or other creative project) going? Read any good books lately? Let me know in the comments!
Y’all have a fantabulous Valentine’s Day! May you grow more in love with Jesus this February and show His love to every you come in contact with!
200k words, that's crazy!! Bravo!
I don't know if I completed all my goals last month, but I do know I learned way more than I bargained for, started several new beginnings and left feeling super excited for what God has in store for the rest of 2022.
Best wishes for your February goals!
Thank you for sharing!
YAY CONGRATS ON REACHING THAT MILESTONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D I finished PAH a couple days ago and am still trying to decide if I'll go with my author side and congratulate you on a cliffhanger well-written or go with my reader side and SCREAM FROM THE ROOFTOPS HOW HORRIBLE YOU ARE FOR MAKING ME WAIT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS I MEAN SERIOUSLY GRACE HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SURVIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!??!???!?! *collapses back on couch and sobs* (BTW, just clarifying that you most certainly are NOT horrible - 'twas Angry Reader speaking. :P)
And so excited for all this upcoming stuff!!!!!! :D
You made it to 200k words!! CONGRATULATIONS!
200,000 words? Oh my word, congrats, Grace! That's absolutely epic. I need to start emotionally preparing myself for this book already. 🤣 And an upcoming devotional? Yes! I'd love to read that!