Monthly Review & Quarterly Goals

 

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It's been so long since I've had a monthly review, I even forgot what picture I was using. At this point, I'm not even going to say I didn't mean to miss three weeks. I'm just bad at keeping a schedule.

This has been a very eventful month for me! I released Fractured Princess at the end of May and had a very successful day at Dover Comic Con two weeks later. I was even surprised to meet people who had remembered me from the 2021 Comic Con and last year's, where I just handed out "Coming Soon" gift bags. I'm proud of myself for talking to people and coming up with an elevator pitch on the fly. A few people didn't know what Final Fantasy was, so it was pointless to use that all the time. The pitch definitely made some eyes light up. I loved to see it.

The day after Comic Con, I flew over to Nashville to watch my friend conduct his second annual Juneteenth Symphony. If you love symphonic music, please follow the Nashville African American Wind Symphony. They're going to do even bigger things in the future. I know it. Being in Nashville, first off, makes me never want to leave (I absolutely love it there), but seeing my friend do what he loves also makes me want to do so much more of the things I love, especially as a career. How I'll shift into that, we'll see, but I do not want to be a State worker forever. Could be a bit of near-40-life crisis talk emerging, but we'll see about that over the next 12 months as well. When I got home, I met with my cousin to help him do some plotting (pantser me? what?) for his novel. We were two very excited squirrels, but we got some work done! I love seeing how his story evolved, and he said my writing journey helped him do it, so that's a major bonus for me. If I could do something like that every day as my job, that would be ideal.

Shifting gears a little bit, if you're reading this straight from my blog, you'll notice a new Comic Con event in my sidebar! There is a Blue Hen Comic Con coming to Dover this November, and it will be TWO days long! I should stay in a hotel just for the heck of it, but I live less than 10 minutes away from the venue. haha This will be my first indoor convention, so I can't wait to see what the difference is. It will be held in the old Sears building at our slowly dying mall, so if we're lucky, they'll have more events like this in that space. 

Today is also the 5th Friday of the month, so it's time to look at my quarterly goals! Back in March, my main goal was releasing FP and getting the word out. I put together two Facebook ad campaigns, one leading up to the relaunch and one after. I believe they did pretty well. A few people at Comic Con said they saw the ad! That's really cool how it works. I wish I could've seen it. I really don't get on social media like I used to.

My goal for this quarter is to practice more voice work. If you follow me on the socials, I've posted two readings and a character voice so far. I plan to do more, and maybe listen to another audiobook, because I said I was going to, so I could hear different narrators.

Speaking of books, I'm almost halfway done my Goodreads goal, which is great at the end of June! I'll share some of what I'm reading next Friday (promise). Writing-wise, I'm almost finished the second chapter of Divided Princess (again), and I hope to incorporate some of the action I wrote in the first draft. I know for sure how this book is going to end and how the final book will turn out. I just have to get to them. Always A and Z with me.

So, for reading and writing, my goal is to read at least three more books and maybe get to the midpoint of the first part of DP. I can do it.

Did you make any goals this past quarter? What are you looking forward to this summer?

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FRACTURED PRINCESS is available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback, and on Barnes & Noble's website in Paperback!

January Review

 

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It's the last Friday of January, and what a month it has been!

I've been preparing Fractured Princess for its final cover reveal and release date. The plan is for next Friday, so be on the lookout! I will try not to make the biggest deal about it, but going back to indie publishing is exciting for me. I'm glad to have the reins again.

I'm slipping back into writing more in Divided Princess, reworking some scenes to strengthen the story. I was talking to my younger sister about it while we were sipping wine in Vegas (I can't believe we were in VEGAS), and thinking about getting to Book 3, knowing for sure how that plot will go, motivates me to keep going!

I also applied to be a vendor at Multiverse Con in October. I believe I will hear if I'm in next month. We'll see. If so, it will be my first out-of-Dover convention, for which I will be super nervous.

Speaking of applying, I applied for a couple of rare-to-see proofreading jobs. When they look legitimate and are telecommute positions, I have to jump at the chance. I might have two big projects coming up from local clients, so we shall see! I love proofreading, if I haven't told y'all enough.

Wrapping this up, I hope everyone had a good month. If not, here's to a better February! See you then. 

September Review

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Welcome to Fall!

September has been a pretty okay month. I've been taking the bus to work, so I have a chance to read more. I cut my book goal in half for the year when I realized I wasn't going to reach 2 books per month. I might get in more than 12 this year, though, so I'll try 24 next year. I'll be on vacation next week, so I plan on sitting and reading, reading the first part of DP, and catching up on shows I've started and have yet to finish.

The job is going very well. With the whole department full of new people, we're all learning together, so my productivity has been higher than ever in any State job. haha The commute is draining, but we'll be moving a little further south early next year, so I won't have to get up before 6am to try to catch the bus. It's only 8-minute difference from one building to the other, but the new building would require too many buses, and I spend too much time checking routes and times for ONE bus every in-office day (anxiety is a bitch). Freelance-wise, I haven't received Fiverr requests for a long time, and Twitter won't let me send the Tweet to promote it for some reason. I'll try again soon. My other freelance proofreading work went very well this past summer. I'm finishing up a project this coming week, and hopefully I can work with the company again soon.

On another note, I'm going to cancel the Patreon. I know it's only been a few months, but it's not getting any hits, and I'm the kind of person who has no motivation to do things if no one is interested in it. I tried to hold out, but trying to drum up content for a patron who literally lives with me is disheartening. I can just tell her my updates. Maybe I can try again later when I have more engagement, but not right now.

Oh shoot, there's a 5th Friday this month. As usual, I will look back on my last goals, see what I accomplished, and also post what my goals for the next quarter will be. I'm excited for the end of the year, because 2023 means I will be free to start hyping, promoting, and SELLING Fractured Princess again. I can't wait, and I hope you can't either.

Enjoy the weekend!

August Review

 

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It is the last Friday of August. Kids are starting to go back to school, and I am one month into my new job. It's close to an hour commute, so I switch between taking the bus and driving on the days I work in-office. I get to telecommute Wednesdays and Fridays, so I get some semblance of rest between the tiresome driving. Our office is relocating next year about 7 miles south, but there's also going to be an office down the street from me, so maybe I can beg my way into there one day a week. We'll see.

My sister and I are preparing to amp up our housing search before anything else breaks down in this one. We had to replace our whole HVAC system last month, a highly unexpected cost. When we sell, we'll be able to pay off the loan we had to take out. We're looking at renting, because we don't want to live together forever, but the market is not for buyers or renters right now. Adulting is highly overrated.

I finally finished Black Leopard Red Wolf, and oh my God, what a story. Figuratively, I can't wait for the next book, which I think is out (*looks* yes, it came out in February), but mentally, I need a break from the density and rawness of Marlon James's writing. The action and the dialogue were my favorite parts of the story. Overall, it is not a happy one, but how many epic fantasies really are?

I officially finished the first part of Divided Princess, the sequel to Fractured Princess. (The books are split into three parts as a nod to my old Final Fantasy games that were three discs on Playstation One.) I had written "Book Two" much earlier in what I had been writing, but the scene I completed this week felt much more like a suspenseful ending. Whereas the first book has 15-16 chapters per part, so far Book One of Divided Princess has 20. A few are short, because Cyan talks a lot more this book. What does a Watchman do when his Watch no longer needs him for protection but is still his baby sister? Little things like that. I like getting to explore his mind more. He's my favorite character.

For the rest of the month, I plan to finish The Bellas' memoir that I started some time last year, do some more writing, get my next two Patreon posts ready, and slide into September excited for whatever will come. See you there!

May Review

 

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Happy Friday!

It is the last Friday of May! This has been an interesting month for writing. I’ve written close to 2,000 of what’s so far 3,000 words of a backstory that gets mentioned in the sequel in far less words than will actually be in the sequel. Haha But on the bright side, I’m still writing! I said last week that I’ll have to do some plotting to actually get back into this sequel, and yeah, that’s really going to have to happen. I have so many ideas that are popping into my head to propel the story to its major plot points, but I need to make sure the right pieces get put down to get to them. And I really can’t wait to get to Book 3, but I have no choice!

Career-wise, I had a virtual interview for an admin position in the HR department upstate. I have an in-person interview with them early June. I’m a little on the fence about the position, but it included proofreading in the description, so that intrigued me. Then yesterday, I saw an editing position open for the Legislative Branch, so I applied immediately. I have never seen these types of job available for the State, so that’s a good thing to see such a change. I’m really trying to get out of administrative work entirely. Full-time editing has been a dream of mine for a long time.

And maybe one day, I’ll be full-time author? Maybe? *high-pitched voice* Either way, one more week until I launch my Patreon (nervous yelling)!

May Writing Update: Preparing for Comic-Con and Patreon!

 

Happy Friday! It is the 3rd Friday of the month, so that means it is time for me to share some writing-like updates for you all!

I purchased a new domain for an official website that's not just the blog, so if you visit debrareneebooks.com, you will see a fresh new landing page! I modeled it off of N.K. Jemisin's landing page, something simple that represents me. There is also a sneak peek of the first chapter of Fractured Princess that I added for potential new readers who I plan to meet at Dover Comic-Con!

The convention is now a month away, and I'm excited to get back out there and share some free merchandise. I purchased new bookmarks, business cards, and info cards with my Linktree for anyone interested. I wanted to create booklets with some free chapters, but the cost of that was astronomical. With that in mind, I also need to create a sign for donations, because I will definitely need some up to Launch 3.0.

I plan to start a Patreon in June to help with all of this. After creating a Kickstarter for the cover for Launch 1.0, I did everything else out of pocket, and I barely have pockets. I have a lot planned for monthly updates, and I hope to gain more attention with it, so as long as I keep on the grind, I think things will pan out well.

I also decided to release the book on my birthday again. I did say I wanted to release the book in Spring, but I am going to use that time for pre-orders and promotion. I don't want to rush everything like I did the first time. But by Spring, I do want to reveal the updated cover. I'm excited about it.

Last thing before this gets too long, I'm still writing! I'm happy about that, too. One thing I might need to do, however, is sit down and *gasp* plot out the second half of Divided Princess and the third book. I've already cut some potential scenes because of the turn the story has taken of its own volition, so I do need to write down some thought bubbles or trees, something.

Wish me luck!

Quarterly Goals

 

It is the 5th Friday of the month, and that means I reflect on the goals I set the previous quarter, check my progress, and set new goals if needed!

I should have read 8 books by now, but I've at least finished 4 and listened to 2, so I'm patting myself on the back. I'm glad Goodreads doesn't count when I started reading a book, though, because, oof. I actually saw a tweet that said to DNF (do not finish) a book you're dreading picking back up, and I believe I will have to do that. I have so many other books I need to start, books that I bought almost 10 years ago at this point. If a book is bad or just not for me, then, that needs to be okay, Deborah (I have to tell it to myself).

I've actually been writing more, some just getting "off-screen" narratives out of my head and some that are actually going to end up in Divided Princess's pages. My contract with WCP ends in January, so in the meantime, I am working with someone to prepare the re-release of Fractured Princess that Spring (a more definitive date is forthcoming). If all goes well with that, I want DP finished, edited, beta'ed, and ready by Winter 2023. I wish I could keep publishing the books on my birthday like I did the very first one, but maybe the next series premiere (*wink*).

So, I had an interview for a proofreading job this past quarter. Unfortunately, it pays pennies, and if I were younger, that would suffice, but I have a mortgage and student loans, so it does not suffice at all. I actually saved the description of a job I saw on Upwork as something I'd love to do. I've done a few jobs on Fiverr, too, and I also have a couple of other pending job prospects that may just turn me in the right direction. We shall see!

And since scheduling this post, I've also picked up a freelance job as a copywriter for my sister's friends' company and discussed another full-time role with another company. Both have told me I was low-balling myself, so my price is about to go UP!

So overall, things are continuing to move, some even speeding up. I'm feeling a little more optimistic about everything, and I hope that continues.

January Review and Quarterly Goals

I was sitting here thinking there are 5 Wednesdays in this month, but there are only 4. Then, I wondered how my last quarterly goals post was in the September but the next one isn't until March. Then, I remembered I take a break in December. Ooops. haha So here is a double dose of my monthly review and goals for the quarter.

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January went by in a blur. I'm happy to say this new year, I entered with a much better mindset than last year. I was super depressed and grieving at the end of 2020, so I was very miserable January 1, 2021. After that, I started writing letters to my mom, and that really helped with my grief, and I moved on to the stress of a parent publisher that wasn't giving me any type of attention or support (except for the publicist. She was amazing).

Having requested to be released in December, I'm currently waiting for the official documents that confirm that, so I can focus on the road to self-publishing again. If all goes as planned, I want to start promoting at this year's Dover Comic Con, then release again on my birthday like I did the first time. It would be a nice little present to myself.

My older sister started a  group with a book called "Designing Your Life". We discuss what our life could be and how we might be able to get there. Our last activity, we created three jobs based on what gives us the most energy and engagement in our day-to-day life. All three of mine were far more creative than what I'm doing now. If I can get to do one of them, I know I'll be happier. One of my plans after my mom passed was to not get stuck in a job that drains the life out of me and do more things that I want to do. I need to start working towards that. That said...

My goals for the remainder of this quarter are:

Read 24 books this year (I'm already a book behind at this rate, but if I can read another book in the next 5 days, I'll feel like a wizard). I've had a couple of books that made me love sitting for an hour or so with some music and just reading again. I'm going to try to get back into the habit.

Write more. The other day, I wrote about 500 words while recrafting a scene in my sequel to FP. I was so excited. I've been opening that document up more, and I started recrafting another scene that I think will help push Jonnie forward a little more. I've also figured out the biggest plot in the story, just have to get to it. I'm squeeing inside just thinking about it.

Apply for more jobs. If I get added to one more task because someone else is retiring, I might implode. I understand my boss trusts me with stuff, which is always appreciated, but the bad thing about working for the State is that they like to pile stuff onto you when people leave, and of course you don't get paid extra for it. At another department, I spent almost a year doing another administrative assistant's job for free after they decided not to refill the position (sideways bitter smile). The one thing I know for certain is that I no longer want to do anything that resembles office work. I hate it. So I have to constantly force myself not to look at those openings so I'm not in the same place every 3 years at a new job. I need something more creative, and if that means taking a chance and stepping out to do something new, then that's what I'll have to do.

So, to sum up my results from September Quarterly Goals post, I'll say, things are slowly starting to move, and I'll say that's okay for now.

November Review

 

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I honestly did not mean to take the month off, so let me provide an update at least!

November did fly by, in my defense. I attended Dover's First Friday on the 5th and was able to sell many of my books. I hope to sell the rest of the Downtown Dover Partnership at the December event. The publisher is currently in the process of changing the cover to try to gain more attention and buyers, so we'll see how that works out.

Since creating a Seller's Account on Fiverr, I've completed 2 bio editing gigs, and I've edited a bio and a letter for two band directors in Tennessee (those were free, because they were for my friend, but I'll take the exposure any day)! I may even be working with the second customer on her book in the next few months. I really love editing, so I'm hoping this is the start of switching my career. I've been applying to things a little more frequently and even applying to things I think I might not have the full qualifications for. You never know until you try.

So, my mom's house is trying to fall apart before my sister and I can leave it. On the bright side, the repairs will increase the value of the home. On the down side, we have to fix the stuff before we can leave! We wanted to move this September, but we weren't looking that hard. I haven't even started packing. We will see how that works out as well.

On a Thanksgiving note, while I do celebrate, I do it strictly for the fact that it has been the time my family gets together to eat and enjoy each other after my Pop-pops death in '98. This year, I want to acknowledge that for Indigenous Americans, it is a day of mourning. There was no "First Thanksgiving." There was a breach of a treaty and a massacre. It's sad that we've been taught differently, but the victor always gets to tell the history (have you ever asked someone from England why the Puritans came over here in the first place? The answer will surprise you). Please take some time to educate yourself this week on what really happened to the Indigenous people and how it continues to affect their throughout the country, and even the continent.

See you in December!

October Review

 

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There was a meme that I saw the other day that told October to slow down! It's already almost November?! Geez.

I haven't had too much happening. My last newsy interview went live 2 days after my September Review, so here that is: Arts Playlist: Debra Renee Byrd’s ‘Fractured Princess.

The National Black Book Festival occurred this weekend virtually, and my SF(F)or the Culture crew interviewed Saturday. We are probably in the last video, as they split the sessions up by AM/PM. It was so fun, and apparently, I have to go watch the original Terminator, or I can't come back. XD

November is a busy month outside of work for me, but it's also the month where we have the most State holidays, so that will balance out. If I do NaNoWriMo, I will be working on as many scenes for the Shattered Chronicles as I can. I have to figure out the conclusion. I see everything else but it!

I'm still looking to leave admin work. I applied for a Content Moderator job with a video game streaming company that I wasn't too sure I had the qualifications for, but my sister pushed me to do it, and I even wrote my first creative out-of-the-box cover letter to get noticed, but I got the rejection email today. It was worth a shot, and I'm proud of that cover letter. I also forwarded the job to my Black Girl Gamers, so I hope one of them applied and will get it.

Good luck to everyone who will do NaNoWriMo! DVPit is also happening right now, and I had the pleasure of mentoring two contest winners this past month, so I wish them and everyone else who pitches the best of luck!

Quarterly Goals - Where Am I Headed?

Oh look, a post almost 4 hours late. On brand.

We have reached another 5th Wednesday! These are the days in which I share my goals for the quarter and see how I fared with the ones from the previous quarter. It looks like in June, I mentioned that September of 2020 was also a quarterly goals post, and so I could see how I did after a year. Let's see:

My first major goal was to get back into the swing of things. Result: Eh.

Yeah, about that swing. On the bright side, I've been more active on social media to draw attention to Fractured Princess. Trying to do the whole brand thing is not really my thing, and the Instagram Promo Bots comment more than my actual followers, but I suppose it's a start. Writing-wise, I'm really excited about where The Shattered Chronicles is going, but I once again have to figure out all the letters between Point A and Point Z.

Reading-wise, I'm reading N.K. Jemisin's The City We Became right now, and I am loving it! I read "The City Born Great" when she put that out, and it starts off the book with a little twist to get the big story rolling. Here is the cool cover art and the blurb.

Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She's got five.

But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.

This story is Nora's love letter to New York, and I wish I loved Dover that much. haha I can't wait to see what happens, and if I'm lucky, this will get me back into the reading habit! Monster Pulse, one of the web comics I've been reading for over 10 years just ended recently (sob), so I've started another one that I actually started reading years ago and forgot. So, I guess I can't say I haven't been reading; I've been consistent with the web comics. I'm actually reading 4 right now: The Undeath of Me, White Noise, Love Not Found, and Sleepless Domain. Some others that I was reading have sadly fallen off due to either life happening or website issues, but I hope to see some of them return in the future.

My second major goal was to find a job I really want to do. Result: Eh??

So, as I was looking through LinkedIn daily and trying to sift through what were real job postings (we just can't get away from bots anywhere!), I thought to myself, "It would be nice if there was a website where we could post what we do, and people reach out to us instead of the other way around." Then, I remembered Fiverr. It was staring me in the face this whole time! I used Fiverr to get in touch with a cartographer for my book, and people post their "gigs" there to gain work. Whereas I've tried other places where you have to still look through jobs and present yourself over and over to clients, the clients come to you on Fiverr. So, I created a seller account there for proofreading and editing, which I love to do! Now, I just need clients. I also took a few weeks to proofread my Managing Editor's first book, and he said he would recommend me to the publisher for gigs. That would be a big step in the direction I want to go. I had a freelance proofreading job way back after I graduated college, and doing it again felt so good. I wish there were more jobs like that online.

All that said, I'm back in the office full-time, no telecommuting, although I probably could've asked to. I just thought if I don't have to be home, I shouldn't. Curse my work ethic (although I am posting this at work right now). Plus, there is a lot of archiving that I'm now responsible for, so I have to be here to work on filing. Blah.

My goals for the next three months are to just continue making progress on all I'm getting back into. I think starting vague can be helpful sometimes. Less chance of disappointment.

See you in October!

Quarterly Goals

This is officially the fastest year in the history of fast years. It is the last Wednesday in JUNE!

On the 5th Wednesday that pops up quarterly, I share/brainstorm/word-vomit my goals for the next three months. I took a break in December and March, so I had to hop back to my Quarterly Goals post from September to see what my goals were supposed to have been these past 9 months (I could've had a baby hahaha).

My first major goal was to get back into the swing of things. Result: Eh. I have been doing a little better, but I still have a way to go. I might not get back to writing and reading the way I used to. On the bright side, I do know what I need to write. Just have to press forward and get it done. And when I get back into a good reading pace, I'll have probably a hundred books and e-books to start with. I have been doing a little better with blogs, at least.

My second major goal was to find a job I really want to do. Result: Eh?? Since September, I bowed out of the startup production company I joined, and while I've been looking at gaming-related jobs, I don't have the credentials. We go back into the office full time in September, and words can't express how much I'm dreading that. On the other hand, I do have the traditional publication to look forward to. I know not to get my hopes up that I'll become a millionaire best-seller off of one book, but I am definitely over the 8-4:30 secretary jobs. They were never part of my plan. I know my plans don't really mean much, so I'm grateful that I'm starting to see my author dreams coming true. In the meantime, if there's a work-from-home job in the cards for me, hopefully that's a new day job in my future.

Incidentally, the next 5th Wednesday falls in September again, so I'll get to see what I've accomplished a year out with the next Quarterly Goals post. Who knows what the next 3 months will bring? Let's find out!

Quarterly Goals

 

I just realized that my quarterly goal post should take place in October, but 2020 remains on brand, as nothing is going as it should. There are 5 Wednesdays in September, but not October, so here we are!

Here were my August goals:

To get back into the swing of things - So far, I'm doing an okay job. I've been writing. My friends and I are starting a non-church book club together. We're always in church, so we wanted to do something with no relation to it. Balance is always key.

To find a job I really want to do - I'm content at my current 9-to-5 (also read 8-to-4:30), but it's not my passion, and it's certainly not in my field. As I mentioned in August, I joined a startup production company, and I edited a script for the producer. That is stuff I could do all day, especially if it paid well. I'm also part of Black Girl Gamers, and the founder posts jobs she finds. There is one for a short-term, paid video game writer traineeship. The hours are flexible, and it's virtual, so I think I'm going to apply and see where it takes me.

My next goal is to get back into reading other people's blogs. I haven't done it consistently in a long time, and I know it's because I have so much else going on it's hard to do, but still.

My next quarterly goals will be in December, so I guess I will update you on how the upcoming quarter panned out, and what my plans will be for the first quarter in 2021!

I hope you all enjoy what's left of September.

Monthly Review

 

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September is already almost over, guys. It's wild.

I gained momentum this month. I had to be back in the office many days, but I didn't completely mind. It also helped me write more. I'm actually used to writing at work, so . . . I need to break that habit. haha BUT last Tuesday, I wrote 1,156 words and a 200-word query. Last Wednesday I wrote 1,698 words! That felt super good. So now, I'm actively writing in THREE works in progress. We'll see where they take me.

Reading is still slow, but I'll just start over in 2021. I didn't even set a goal on Goodreads. I think I've read maybe 5 books, and fortunately some comics.

Last Tuesday, my younger sister and I became owners of our mom's house. We'll be selling it and moving soon. It'll be bittersweet. Our mom bought that house for us to have our friends over, and we were introverts and didn't like drama, so we never brought them over. We've been in the house for 21 years, the longest we've ever lived anywhere. But it's also time to be in our own space. My sister started a Pinterest board for interior designs. At first I didn't care, but I realize, we have two different styles, so I might want to, so we can meet in the middle somewhere. I'm also interested in the style of the house as a whole. I hate the style of our current house. I need to look up house types.

As for work, I'm not unhappy about being back in the office, as I said, but I do realize I'm unhappy still being in an office period. I've always wanted to just be a writer, and the publishing industry, though it's trying to change, is really hard to break into as a black writer, let alone a speculative fiction writer. That said, two of the three projects I'm working on are romance novels, which I haven't done in YEARS, but I do want to give it a go. Romance was my wheelhouse when I was a fan fiction writer. I know I can do it.

I have two more quarterly posts for the year to see if I've reached any goals. December will be unique, because I'll get to set some for 2021. Not that I want time to keep moving as quickly as it is, but I could stand waking up and it no longer being 2020.

Catching Up: Monthly Review, Writing Update, & Quarterly Goals

 

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September is around the corner, and I have accomplished very little. I don't think I even read the entire month of August, except for web comics and a book for my Praise & Worship Team at church. This weekend, I did start writing again, so that is a positive. I'm working on a new beginning scene for my new adult fantasy. I also took a peek at the last scene I wrote for Fractured Princess's sequel, so I need to get back into that as well. I know where the story is going, but I need to know why. That's something I may need to flesh out.

I've gotten a lot of TV watching in for sure. I binge watched both seasons of The Umbrella Academy at  the beginning of the month. A great series, and I'm always jealous to see someone successfully execute the "mutant school" trope. That was what I first started writing when I was little. Maybe I'll be able to get it right, too, one day. I'm now on the last season of Avatar: Legend of Korra. I saw the first season and the first few episodes of the second when it first came out, but according to fans, Nickelodeon moved the show's time slot often, so no one could really watch it like they wanted; and so I've watched the rest of Season 2 and Seasons 3 and 4 for the very first time. It's amazing to see how the world has evolved, especially without Aang in it.

What I've done the most this month is play video games, mainly Apex Legends, but I'm also replaying the FFVII Remake, and I started a few new games: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Fall Guys. They've been pretty therapeutic when they're not stressing me out. I've been part of the Black Girl Gamers group for a couple of months now, and it's been nice having a safe space to just enjoy myself and talk with others like me. Some of us are even going through the same things, like recently losing a parent, and that's very comforting.

I just realized I missed my quarterly goals post for July, but that's okay. My goal this quarter is to get back in the swing of things. I'd also like to try to pursue a job I really want to do. Being home since March, you realize what you're looking forward to when the world opens back up, and being at a job that I'm doing just to have a job is not one of those things. I joined a startup production's Discord this week, and I don't know how far that will take me, but we will see. I've also been asked to be on a panel for the Asexuality Visibility & Education Network in September, so I'm very excited and nervous to discuss ace visibility in fiction. I need to go ahead and move some of the ace books I have on my To-Read list up to #1.

Lastly, I started a new Instagram for my writing, gaming, and tv habits, so if you would like to follow me, please do! My handle is DebReneeByrd.

I hope everyone else has had a good August. I will see you next week for the monthly IWSG Post!

Monthly Review

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I came into July expecting to be posting. I got my IWSG post up on the 1st. On the 3rd, my mom told the family she was stopping her chemo treatments while we were all together at my older sister's where she was taking care of her. On the 7th, my older sister called my younger sister frantic because some of the things mom was saying was scaring her, so we went back up to her house. On the 10th, we watched our mom die.

Fortunately, we were "prepared" generally, if not emotionally. She had been battling Stage 4 lung cancer for 18 months, which is more than what our local doctors predicted, and thankfully my older sister set her up with Fox Chase, who took great care of her. She had a tumor wrapped around her bronchus. After her first 6 months of chemo, it was gone, but the metastases weren't changing, and her body was starting to shut down on the new chemo. She did not want to be incapacitated. She used to tell us that even when she was healthy. Emotionally, we're pretty wrecked. The deterioration happened so fast. At the end of June, she was walking around. Two weeks later, she was gone.

My younger sister and I stayed at our older sister's from the 7th through my birthday on the 19th. We mostly sat in mom's in-law suite and every now and then looked over at her recliner where she sat and slept the last few days before my sister ordered her a hospice bed. My older sister, brother-in-law, and niece had been living with mom for about a year. They bought their home specifically so she could move in with them. We had all hoped for more time for her, especially for her to do more than just be sick and get treatment.

I haven't recovered from that night. Thursday morning to Friday evening, aside from maybe 2 hours of sleep, was one long day. My younger sister and I don't really leave our rooms except to work. If I could've, I would have taken the whole month off. I went back to work last Wednesday, and I plan to return to my part time this week. I had just started reading a new book, but I haven't really touched it since the beginning of July. I had also just started writing again, so I'm trying to pick it back up. Trying to "get back to normal" isn't really something I want to do without it involving calling or seeing my mom. But this is where I am.

I wish I had a more positive update, but unfortunately, I don't.

Insecure Writer's Support Group: Updates!

 

Happy Wednesday! I was so excited to post that I almost posted a week early.

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and for us writers, that means it's time to throw our cares into the blogosphere and encourage each other through good and bad thoughts. A big thank you as always to Alex J. Cavanaugh, the mastermind behind this whole project. You can visit his website and the Insecure Writer's Support Group site to join and visit the co-hosts and other participants.

[Side note: I just change the format to justified, and now I hope I remember to do that always. It looks so clean!]

On October 22, I started my new job back with the State of Delaware, not back at my old department (those cats declined TWICE!), but it wasn't meant to be, so I am joyfully in a different department. From day 1, I've felt so much lighter and stress-free. My boss is everything my previous boss was not, and I feel like I really am part of a team and not just the help. Also, I HAVE MY OWN OFFICE!

(I just inserted this one because I love my computer wall paper.)

Never in my life did I ever imagine having my own 4 walls and a door. I've been in cubicles and shared spaces my entire career existence! Every now and then, I just stand around in awe that they hired me. I don't want that feeling to wear off.

On October 29, I received my last agent rejection letter, so I will now be researching how to self-publish. I want to get the ball rolling on a Kickstarter for my cover art and marketing, and this time next year, I want to have a published book. Wish me the best!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

I forgot to check on the last icon.  I have a feeling it's not only huge but not centered.

But happy October! It's the first Wednesday, and that means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Visit the official website here, and stop by creator Alex J. Cavanaugh's site to catch up with him and the co-hosts for this month.

I'm going to start with this month's question, which I usually forget: How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?


Well, I posted about when my pastor died a couple of years ago. It was around the same time I got my current job, so those were two major life events in the same month. Not much writing happened for me that year.

A year ago, almost exactly, my mom was basically forced to retire from her job, which was in another department where I work, and the anger and bitterness I felt then helped me finally start working on my current project.

I've had several problems with my focus at this job since, to the point where I was put on a performance improvement plan a couple of months ago.

But this past Friday, I accepted a job back with the State, so I will finally be leaving this job I absolutely hate in less than 3 weeks now. I don't know how that will affect my writing, but we will see.

I've been on hiatus for the past few weeks, and I think I'm going to keep it up (except first Wednesdays) until next year. I have a lot of responsibilities after work now, so it's hard to blog on top of everything else. If I have anything particularly interesting to share (the Pitch Wars results are around the corner), I'll let y'all know.

Insecure Writers Support Group

It's 6PM on the first Wednesday of the month, and that means I've forgotten to post this morning.

I hope everyone's had a good day. Are you writing anything new? Reading anything exciting? I just opened my package with Maurene Goo's I Believe in A Thing Called Love and am expecting Dhonielle Clayton's The Belles to arrive any hour now! I'm almost finished with Fourteen Hundred Cowries and Other African Tales, and so I hope to be able to read the next book more quickly.

I'm working steadily on a new project, which I'm excited about. It's a YA/NA fantasy with African influences. I hope it works out. Yesterday, I started seeing what Fractured Princess looks like in 1st Person Present Tense, as it's the only one I  haven't tried out yet. Wish me luck!

I'm also on the lookout for a new job. I don't have the will to get up in the morning for the one I currently have, and I feel bad that I prayed for a full-time job and can't enjoy the one I was given. Lesson learned. A few new jobs have caught my eye, though, so I'm working myself up to apply. One is a Proofreading job, but it's also a contract position. The other is a job at a new state division that really catches my eye, but it's less money than I make right now, and I'm already struggling. I'll figure out what to do.

Have a great month! Hope to see you around.

IWSG: Finding a Day Job You Love

I don't know how big this is about to be, font-wise (I'm on my phone), but hello! This is the monthly blog hop for Insecure Writers. Feel free to join in at www.insecurewriterssuportgroup.com. There you can visit the Sensei, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the co-hosts for the month, and other insecure writers!

I am writing this while hiding in the basement at work. I've been doing secretary work since I quit my data entry job way back when, and I kind of regret it daily. But I didn't prepare well enough and certainly didn't know well enough to find a job I like. I thought I'd get published right out of college. Pfff.

So, while you're writing and waiting, and if you can't afford to not work, definitely find a day job that makes you happy in the meantime. It's no fun dreading going in to work each day.

This month's question has a less dismal answer from me: Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing?

I have! My current WIP in particular has gone places I never expected, and I love it. I hope others will, too, one day.

See you around the blogosphere!