Writing Consumed My Time: I’m Back, For Real Now

Yeah, yeah so remember how I posted a million months ago about how I was back to regular blogging? And then I essentially stopped blogging after that? I got a wee-bit side-tracked with writing… and let me say writing is a time-hungry little beast. Just ask my husband! I don’t think I’ve said more than 10 words to him since July. (That isn’t remotely true, but some days it feels like that.)

Writing: 

I queried my novel (FYI a lot has changed since I made that blog post) a little less than a year ago, and it went nowhere. So I did some reading on fiction writing (and HOLY HELL did I learn a CRAP TON). Mostly, I learned that my book sucked. So this past June, I changed it from third person to first person, which is really a massive re-write.

Then, an honest and awesome beta-reader looked over some of my first few chapters and tore them to shreds (in the best way possible). I did some more reading, trying to understand some of the criticism. And again, HOLY COW did I learn things. I also learned again, that my novel sucked even more than I thought I did.

So I went through and fixed it. I am sure there is still so much to be done, but maaannnn to all my beta-readers who read that thing in the past. I am sorry. I have something so, so, so, so many MAGNITUDES better to offer you if you ever want to give it another go. 

Anyway, since I have just finished the third/fourth/100th/whatever re-write, I’m giving the novel some breathing room and saying hello to the blog again!

Reading:

What’s reading? Because let me tell you, I’ve done none of that (you see, writing occupied my life these past few months).

Well, not completely true. I have done a lot of reading about writing (the photo associated with this blog post are some of the books I’ve read about writing. If you have other ones you’d recommend, let me know!). That counts, right?

Outside of that, I think I’ve DNF’d maybe 10+ books in the last few months? I’ve made it through a handful, and I’ll get around to reviewing those soon. I think now that I’m finished working on my novel, I’ll be able to devote some legit time to reading…

Until I decide it’s time to start writing something else.

So what are you reading right now? What amazing book has crossed your path that I must read?

A.S. Thornton

A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.