It’s February, which means it’s time for Writer Recharge!
Once again hosted by Alison Miller, Liz Parker, Elodie Nowodazkij Sara Biren, and myself, Writer Recharge is your chance for a four-week jump start in the middle of a cold, dreary winter. Set goals for yourself, check in once a week, and connect with other recharging writers. Find all the details HERE.
#WriterRecharge Update One
- WRITE/REVISE – By the end of February I want to be done drafting my WiP, Stars Like Dust, and I’d like to have started addressing the revision to-do list I’ve made for it. –> I spent the week doing a read-thru of what I’ve got so far. And… I wrote new words for Stars Like Dust! It’s been awhile so it was a struggle, but I’m finally starting to reclaim my momentum. Just for fun, I started a short story, too.
- READ/REREAD – I’d like to read at least four books this month, at least one non-contemporary, and at least one a non-YA. –> I read two books last week: Gayle Forman’s I Was Here and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (checking my non-YA goal block). Now I’m reading The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson (and crossing off my non-contemporary goal).
- STRETCH – One of my Thirty Before 35 goals is to write something that’s not contemporary YA, so I hope to start brainstorming what that something might be. I have some vague ideas, but writing anything outside the realm of Real Life is a big stretch for me, which means this project is going to require a lot of musing. –> Still brainstorming…
- SELF – I’d like to pick up yoga again. I’ve been slacking over the last several months, and I hope to practice at least twice a week. –> Success! I practiced yoga two times over the last week. Hoping to do three or four session in the coming week.
- CONNECT – Ooh, this one’s easy! I’m headed to West Virginia for a weekend-long writing retreat this Thursday. I’ve never done one, and some of my favorite writing buddies are coming! –> Success! We had an amazing weekend. Perfect location, awesome company, inspiring conversation, and lots of productivity. Can’t wait to do another!
- FUN – My daughter and I are going to start a quilt this month. Even if we only make it to the store to choose fabrics… it’s happening. Baby steps. 🙂 –> We haven’t started yet, but we plan to in the coming weeks.
Participating in Writer Recharge?
Head over to Sara’s blog to link your update post.
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This weekend was SO MUCH FUN and so refreshing. I really can´t wait for the next retreat. And I am so so happy I got to finally meet you in person 🙂 I am very much looking forward to reading STARS LIKE DUST from start to finish! Cheering you on for ALL your goals ❤
Thanks, lady! I had a blast this weekend, and I’m so looking forward to next time. Best of luck with Plato this week — I (selfishly) want you to get lots done so I can read. 🙂
Awesome on the progress! I haven’t written a short story in FOREVER, but every once in awhile I pull out old ones and debate what to do with them 🙂
BRAVE NEW WORLD is the last book-I-started-but-didn’t-finish that I still need to tackle. I’m hoping to get to it later this year.
Have a great week!
I did not like BRAVE NEW WORLD at all. I would’ve quit, but my husband just read it and said I should ready it too so we could chat about it and… ugh. It was a chore. I’m happy to be back in the YA world! Best of luck with your goals this week, Jennifer!
Glad to hear you had a good time last weekend! 🙂 Great job on the writing progress, too!
Thanks so much, Emma! ❤
Glad you guys had a good time and that you were able to draft a bit of the WiP! Hope you have another productive week!
Thanks, lady. We had an awesome time, but we missed you! Next time for sure. 🙂
It sounds like you did awesome on your goals this week! The retreat sounds like so much fun.
I read I Was Here the other day and The Kiss of Deception is one of my favorites 🙂
I’ve heard such great things about TKoD recently. I’m 100 pages in and loving it. Thankful for friends who talk up awesome books because it wasn’t even on my radar last year. Have a great week, Sarah!
Your writing retreat looked like so much fun! Glad you ladies had a great time. I think that might have to become a goal of mine: attend a writing retreat with writer friends. Just read your comment about BRAVE NEW WORLD, and is it bad that I totally want to high-five you for not liking it either? LOL I’ll never understand how some books become classics. So happy to hear that you’ve added more words to STARS LIKE DUST. Hope they just keep on flowing! 😀
Ugh… Not a fan of BRAVE NEW WORLD at all. Finishing was truly a chore. I don’t care how popular or clever or “before its time” that book is — it is not for me. It’s bizarre, and so dry! Anyway… 🙂 Hope you have a great week, and best of luck with your word count, Jaime!
I am going to do yoga this week if it kills me. And I am so proud of you for making that a goal!!
Thanks, Kim! I did yoga again today and I am SO sore. Feels good to be more active, though. 🙂
Hurray for yoga! It’s by far my favorite form of exercise, of course I like the hot yoga best–both heated vinyasa and hot 26. See you on Twitter this week 🙂
Yoga is my favorite too! Well, running too, but I hardly do that anymore because I’m old and my joints hurt. 🙂 I’ve tried hot yoga before — Bikram, and it kicked my ass. Such an awesome challenge, though, and a great feeling when you’re done. Have a fantastic week, lady!
I found BNW dry as well but I am glad I read it. I have a goal of reading a book I never read in hs for required reading or college or whatnot. I feel like I missed a lot. (recently read- brave new world, handmaid’s tale,…next up is things we carried!) GREAT work on your progress…so excited for your book! and yay for meeting up with writing friends and doing that retreat- I am jealous! I’ve always wanted to do one.
Oh, I’ve heard great things about THE THINGS THEY CARRIED! Maybe I’ll check my library, then we can read together and chat. 🙂 Have an excellent week, Rachel!
YAY for STARS LIKE DUST! Also, yay for your stretch goal! That is daunting and awesome! 😀 You are killing it with your goals, but I have come to expect that of you. 🙂
Oh and I saw some of your Brave New World comments. I agree. It is SO weird and bizarre that I actually remember very little from it – except that I thought it was strange and bizarre (and properly adult-dystopian depressing at the end).
Yes — BRAVE NEW WORLD was SO weird. Plus, the writing was incredibly dry. I don’t know… I guess I’m spoiled by fast-paced YA with excellent voice. 🙂 Have a fantastic week, Alice!
Sounds like your writing retreat was just wonderful. I’m already starting to plan another one for October myself – it’s so nice to get away and focus on your words. And have some fun, too!
Hope your week is going well!
It really was wonderful, and I can’t wait to do another. We’re thinking of October too! Congrats on all you’ve accomplished this week, Sara!
Congrats on getting some new words down! That’s always exciting, even when (and sometimes especially when) it’s difficult. And yay for taking time to spend with writer friends and doing yoga. Sounds like it was a a great week!
Thanks so much, Susan! It was a very good week. Hopefully I can be even more motivated in the coming week! Have a great one. 🙂