This month was hectic and all over the place but I still managed to write and read and get up to lots more! I thought I'd write a little reading and writing wrap up and also share what else I've been up to this month!
Writing
Word count: 14,697
Chapters completed: 4
Teaser:
“I’m going to fix this,” I whispered to her, salty tears on my lips. “Whatever it takes. Even if I have to lie and manipulate and kill, I will find a way to get things back to normal. I promise.”
The world was an ugly place, full of selfish and reckless people. I had to be just as bad. The only way to survive in the darkness was to become the darkness.
My word count goal is 20k words per month and I totally didn't reach that this month but I'm trying to remind myself that it's okay and I don't need to put so much pressure on myself. September was an insanely hectic month for me with work stress and I also went on holiday so that was an entire week where I didn't write a single word so... I need to not be so hard on myself.
I'm also struggling a little to get into the writing groove and I honestly think it's because I'm putting so much pressure on myself. I'm someone that always feels like I need to be productive in order to be successful and have any value. Whether it's work, writing, blogging, anything... I need to be doing something otherwise I feel really guilty. I'm burning myself out.
It's also been years since I wrote a first draft of a book and I think I underestimated how hard it would be. I really want to finish this book more quickly than I did my previous book, and with less drafts, but I think that's affecting how I'm approaching my writing. I'm comparing my first draft to my finished former manuscript and... of course the quality isn't going to line up! I'm so obsessed with making my first draft the best it can be that I'm forgetting the only thing a first draft needs to do is exist.
So, moving forward, I'm going to try and not be so hard on myself (easier said than done...) and I'm going to accept that my first draft might be shit. But at least it will exist and I can move on to my favourite part of the process - editing!!
Books
Books read: 10
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren (Re-read)
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
My Favourite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
The Risk by S.T. Abby (Mindf*ck series #1)
Sidetracked by S.T. Abby (Mindf*ck series #2)
Scarlet Angel by S.T. Abby (Mindf*ck series #3)
All the Lies by S.T. Abby (Mindf*ck series #4)
Paint It All Red by S.T. Abby (Mindf*ck series #5)
Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren
Favourite book: Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren
I adored Dating You, Hating You - I don't know what Christina Lauren adds to their books but I am always hooked from the very start. This book is a meet-cute turned rivals-to-lovers. It has sabotage and angst and everything else a romance most definitely needs. It was so much fun and definitely shot to the heights of my Christina Lauren book rankings (although nothing will ever beat The Unhoneymooners, for me).
Recommendations
Book: Mindf*ck series by S.T. Abby
I wasn't expecting to love the Mindf*ck series as much as I did. I've seen a lot about it online and I'd chalked it up to being a guilty pleasure romance book but it was so much better! A serial killer coming face-to-face and falling for the FBI agent on her case? That's pretty cool.
It's a very explicit and often gruesome book so I would definitely check the trigger warnings before jumping into it but it was addictive and I got through the whole series in a matter of days.
TV/Movie: Sex Education
I am so sad this show is over. Season 4 was released on Netflix this month and it reminded me of how great and powerful this show is. It's diverse and brilliantly delves into the lives of so many characters.
Aimee Gibbs will forever and always be my favourite comfort character. Her journey is so powerful and, despite her trauma and the things she has been through, she is always so compassionate and positive and inspiring.
Music: Guts by Olivia Rodrigo
It was only ever going to be Olivia Rodrigo. I absolutely love Sour and I think Guts is a beautiful follower. I like it more and more every time I listen to it. At the moment, I think my favourite songs are The Grudge and Teenage Dream - they're probably the ones I relate to the most as a twenty-something teenager.
I also loved Leigh-Anne's new single, My Love. I am a huge lover of Little Mix and it's great to watch their solo careers start. My Love is such a catchy song and always makes me want to dance.
Miscellaneous
September was an insanely busy month at work but I got a nice break during the month and went to Italy! It was my first time going and it was gorgeous!
I gorged on pizza and pasta and ice cream. I sunbathed and toured and shopped. It was so lovely to have a little bit of a break to separate myself from everything else. (But it was super super hot!!)
I also got my first tattoo this month! I was super super nervous but it didn't hurt that badly and I'm so happy with how it turned out! I'm a minimalist for most things in life and the same in true for tattoos. I absolutely adore fine line and delicate designs so I'm obsessed with mine.
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