Hey y’all!

It’s been a few days, I know. I’m starting to feel pressured to put out content and make it good. I’m reading through books at 2x the speed and I’m not loving them. I don’t know if it’s the speed (which usually isn’t a problem) or my anticipation making my expectations too high, or just the pressure of needing to get content on my blog. But it’s causing me stress.

I get stressed trying to force myself to finish books quickly and get reviews written. I know I don’t retain books on a good day, but it’s getting really bad. I’m also busy with work and life outside of blogging and bookish things, and now with NaNo starting today, something has to give, even if it’s just a little bit.

Blogging, while I do love it, so easily slips into this “focus on this, only this, and let it run your life” and I don’t want it to feel like a chore. The reason I ended up not posting for most of last week was because of that. I didn’t get through the books I’d planned too, so I didn’t write the reviews, and then I was forcing myself to spend hours after work trying to read the rest, and get reviews written. Then it would be almost 2AM and I’d have to give up, because I have work the next day. So then, I didn’t post, and that is a sort of stressor.

I’ve been trying to give myself space and time and only post when I want to, and not post when I don’t, but it’s so easy for me to slip into the “I must post every day, or two times a day” mentality when I see what that does for my stats.

So, I’m choosing to step back, just a bit. This won’t be a full hiatus; I do have some posts planned and pre-written that I want to publish. I also want to keep y’all updating with my NaNoWriMo project! But if you don’t see me posting for a few days, or you suddenly see multiples a day, just know I’m doing it on my own time, and taking time for myself. This altered schedule might carry through until the end of the year, but I’ll see.

With working full time and doing NaNo this month, I still need Me Time, and blogging is going to have to take a back seat for a few weeks.

As for NaNo – I’m participating again this year!

I’m working on a project I’ve dubbed #PirateWIP with a working title of The World’s Edge. It’s loosely inspired by this post I saw about Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner. Very loosely. But there’s a prophecy, some Primordial Gods, some spice, chaos and a battle and journey that will either doom humanity or save it.

I have high hopes, and I can only cross my fingers that I can write what I envision in my head. There’s a whole cast of characters – Pirate King, Farrier of Souls, a Siren, a Princess, a Rakish Rogue, a Pirate, an Orphan, a Cinnamon Roll, a Forgotten Girl, and an uncle who escapes danger by pure chance. Toss in a prophecy, treasure, and some Primordial gods, and that’s #PirateWIP.

Some of my initial plans for this WIP have already been shot to hell.

I don’t know if Halsey is magic or what, but her albums always unlock something in my brain. Her latest is no exception. A week ago, I had zero ideas for the plot of this book. I was struggling and had no idea what I was doing for NaNo, or how I would even write. Then I listened to “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” and my brain just unlocked. Whole scenes wrote themselves in my head while at work. Plot lines appeared out of thin air and wove themselves together. Character relationships that I had planned, fell apart and reformed.

You might think I’m exaggerating and thinking that there is no way one album made this WIP crystal clear. Okay, maybe not entirely crystal clear, but I have a solid plan, a solid outline, whereas 24 hours before listening, I had nothing but a prophecy and a list of characters.

So, needless to say, I’m actually pretty excited. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve actually been truly inspired to write. And so much so, that when I open a Word doc, I don’t just stare mindlessly at it.

As for updating y’all – my plan is to do an update post every Monday in November, with a final one in the beginning of December. I’ll check in with weekly word counts and possibly a little snippet/sneak peek. I’m really excited for this story, and I’m hoping it really puts me back in the writing mood so I can dive back into my SFWIP and possibly my Beach Contemporary WIP in December. I really want to get back into writing, so I want this to go well.

I also have a Highlight over on my Instagram where I’ll be posting some (hopefully) regular updates and snippets. I’ll also possibly be asking for input in the form of polls if I need some advice! So, if you want to follow me over there and follow the journey of drafting #PirateWIP – here’s a link!

Let me know if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo this year! And feel free to add me as a Buddy on the site!