Karyne Norton's Blog, page 3
November 5, 2021
NaNoWriMo is here
I spent a lot of last month writing a fantasy novel. Technically I’m rewriting the first fantasy novel I ever wrote, back when we lived in Rwanda. It was awful, so very little of it is carrying over to this version. It might as well be a completely different book. But because there were characters I couldn’t quite let go of and a world that was too vivid to ignore, I think it would be some sort of copyright infringement for me to not call it a rewrite. Now that we’re a few days into NaNoWriMo, I’ve switched gears to a young adult speculative rom-com. Yes, they exist. Think Kara McDowell’s One Way or Another or Justin A. Reynold’s Opposite of Always. Only, not as funny, because I’m still trying to develop that funny writer’s bone. 
If you’re also doing NaNoWriMo, send me a friend request so we can commiserate over our lack of progress – I mean cheer each other on! And then, of course, there was Halloween. Not my favorite holiday, but I can see how people in cooler weather might like an evening walk in extra layers with chocolate as a reward. This year we had a ghost, Ariel, a stick man, and a kid who grew out of wearing costumes and into the role of handing out candy. Only I screwed ALL that up by getting covid and forcing my family to pretend to trick-or-treat by going door-to-door in our hallway with (surprise, surprise) Mom, Dad, and Silas behind every door. 
Instant Karma
by Marissa Meyer: This was a light-hearted and quick read. I wish the speculative elements mattered more to the story, but it was still a fun read, especially when I figured out the main characters have personalities eerily similar to mine and my husband’s.
Eat Your Heart Out
by Kelly deVos: This might be my favorite read for the month! I listened to it on audiobook and the various voices made it really fun. I’m not usually into zombies, but I couldn’t pass up the premise of zombies at fat camp.
Freedom Trials
by Meredith Tate: I read this in a single sitting (well, I did have to move from the bath to the bed when I got too cold and pruny). I still love dystopian and it was fun to find a new one. I also highly recommend her newer contemporary book Shipped, which I read a couple months ago. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr: This was a great read that highlighted the value and depth of friendship. I always like Sara Zarr’s take on relationships and her characters always feel so real. Your Life Has been Delayed by Michelle I. Mason: I’m always on the lookout for books like this – something strange and unexplainable happening with normal people left to deal with it (a plane lands 25 years late!). It’s contemporary with a speculative twist, which I think used to be considered soft sci-fi. I don’t care what we’re calling it these days – I’ll always want to read it.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things
: This is a fun short that I only read because I loved the movie (free on Amazon Prime!). Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth: I should have read this ages ago. It’s the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy! I hope you had a lovely October, whether that was autumn or the tail end of summer. And send me a note if you’re reading or writing anything fun! Until next time, 
If you’re also doing NaNoWriMo, send me a friend request so we can commiserate over our lack of progress – I mean cheer each other on! And then, of course, there was Halloween. Not my favorite holiday, but I can see how people in cooler weather might like an evening walk in extra layers with chocolate as a reward. This year we had a ghost, Ariel, a stick man, and a kid who grew out of wearing costumes and into the role of handing out candy. Only I screwed ALL that up by getting covid and forcing my family to pretend to trick-or-treat by going door-to-door in our hallway with (surprise, surprise) Mom, Dad, and Silas behind every door. I figure they don’t totally hate me if they’re sharing their candy with me. Not that I can taste it much yet…
Books I read in October:
Instant Karma
by Marissa Meyer: This was a light-hearted and quick read. I wish the speculative elements mattered more to the story, but it was still a fun read, especially when I figured out the main characters have personalities eerily similar to mine and my husband’s.
Eat Your Heart Out
by Kelly deVos: This might be my favorite read for the month! I listened to it on audiobook and the various voices made it really fun. I’m not usually into zombies, but I couldn’t pass up the premise of zombies at fat camp.
Freedom Trials
by Meredith Tate: I read this in a single sitting (well, I did have to move from the bath to the bed when I got too cold and pruny). I still love dystopian and it was fun to find a new one. I also highly recommend her newer contemporary book Shipped, which I read a couple months ago. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr: This was a great read that highlighted the value and depth of friendship. I always like Sara Zarr’s take on relationships and her characters always feel so real. Your Life Has been Delayed by Michelle I. Mason: I’m always on the lookout for books like this – something strange and unexplainable happening with normal people left to deal with it (a plane lands 25 years late!). It’s contemporary with a speculative twist, which I think used to be considered soft sci-fi. I don’t care what we’re calling it these days – I’ll always want to read it.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things
: This is a fun short that I only read because I loved the movie (free on Amazon Prime!). Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth: I should have read this ages ago. It’s the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy! I hope you had a lovely October, whether that was autumn or the tail end of summer. And send me a note if you’re reading or writing anything fun! Until next time, Want to get this in your email instead? Sign up for my newsletter here.
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October 15, 2021
Back to Blogging!
It’s been a long time since I was a blogger. I started out blogging as a photographer, which was nice because I always had fun pictures to post. Three or four years later it morphed into a missions blog, where I documented our lives in Rwanda. I guess if we’re getting technical, that’s my first book, because when we got home I had it printed as a hardcover.
Yes, that’s 689 pages of a blog.
It’s possible I’ll share some of it here down the road because a) it’s interesting and b) I’ll run out of interesting things to say about my current life. For about six months I also had a secret blog where I wrote about books and writing and things that really interested no one but me. Hopefully I got that all out of my system so this time around I’ll only post things you want to read. Considering this message is still going and I’ve said nothing interesting…probably not. Six years later I’ve been convinced to start blogging again. At least to some degree. Something about increasing visibility and finding future readers and blah, blah, blah. Oh, and apparently I need to include lots of pictures labeled with my name, because when you google images with my name, a very steroid-ridden man in tiny clothing with a name similar to mine is flexing in ninety-five percent of the pictures. You went and looked, didn’t you?* Now that the images are burned in your brain, here’s a nicer picture of my favorite place to read.
Don’t worry. I don’t have any plans to post selfies. But it was the inspiration for me opening a new Instagram account after a two-year hiatus from social media. So go follow me there if you want to see what I’m reading and writing and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to forget about the especially gross vein-popping pictures you just subjected yourself to. Yes, you did it to yourself. Don’t blame me.
Until next time,
*Apparently I’ve done something right with my SEO because now the half-naked man doesn’t show up. Sorry (not sorry) to disappoint if you went and looked.
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