Steps Forward, Backward, and the Pauses In Between
Spring semester has begun!
I have only 7 chapters left to edit for the 5th draft of my debut novel!
We’re almost in February!
I’m on track for my Goodreads reading goal for the year!
And I’m actually consistently cooking from home!
It’s been a while since I’ve written. I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been a bit of a busy first month of 2023, which is why I’ve been somewhat absent from this blog. I’m sure I’ll dive into the details at some point, but suffice to say, I am really bad at allowing myself room to breathe and space to rest. If I’m not overwhelmingly busy, then I feel like I’m not doing enough. (To be clear, this is not a healthy way to live and I am currently taking steps to reduce the amount I keep taking on.) Luckily, I won’t be in school over the summer, so that will give me at least a couple of months to relax.
I’m still on track to complete the 5th draft of my novel by the end of this month. Then, I’ll be sending it off to my beta readers for the last round of feedback. February will be when I start drafting the sequel, and then hopefully by March, I can start the 6th (and hopefully final!) draft of this manuscript. I keep struggling to understand what it means to decide a novel is “ready to be published,” and so far I have no answers. I’m going to have to just make the choice to publish it, despite how terrified I am to do so. But, it is also only my first novel. I’m sure the process will make more sense the more I do it.
School is going well. This is only the second week of the semester, so very little has happened yet. I’m in a Victorian Literature course and a Cyberpunk Literature course. I’m loving both so far, despite the enormous differences between them. Plus, in the Cyberpunk class we’re watching Blade Runner and Blade Runner: 2049, which is going to be fun. 2049 is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi films.
In bigger news, I might soon be looking for a career change. Teaching has been calling to me since I graduated with my MFA, and while I don’t intend on being an adjunct, I am considering getting my teaching license and becoming a full time high-school English teacher. Might take a bit for me to get there, but it’s been on my mind. As much as I love the work I currently do, I need something that will fulfill me long term. Summers off won’t be so bad, either.
It’s interesting how we move through our lives, the ways in which we continue to grow, the ways we fall stagnant, and the ways we have to deconstruct and unlearn and unravel to get ourselves moving again. I’m still moving, still learning, still growing, and at times, I go stagnant because I need to take that time and reflect. The need to always be moving is one I need to deconstruct. It’s a coping mechanism, a trauma response, and one that I don’t want to keep carrying.
Anyway, that’s my quick update! Please keep coming back here and be on the lookout for when pre-orders open for my novel! Also, if you haven’t purchased my debut book of poetry, click the Books For Sale tab up at the top!
