This week, I’m still going to try and aim for 2-3 sprints a day, but I’m also going to try and start revising specific blocks of the manuscript per week. I’ve rewritten through chapter 3 at least twice. I revised the first two chapters with peer critiques.

I’m hoping that having a concrete target for the work will be more motivating that the number of sprints. I struggled last week because I wanted to add content, but I wasn’t sure where to add the words. This time I’m going to use the sprints for revisions and let the word count be secondary.

By the end of the week, I want to revise/rewrite through chapt 5, so that it’s ready for my writing group when they’re ready for it. That puts me at the end of what I’ve previously reviewed. Everything after chapter 5 is still set up as Vella episodes… which I did edit a little before posting, but nothing compared to what I’m now learning the more successful writers on the platform did.

I’m currently caught up on what’s been posted to my critique group. (Loving it all so far- I can’t wait for updates!) I tend to binge them as soon as they get posted, and then review the notes they left for me as I work through revising my chapter.

I finished Practical Magic, so naturally, I’m now reading three new books.

Mid-reading Reviews:

Turtles All the Way Down is as great as everyone says it is, although the audiobook narrator took some getting used to. She has kind of a halting cadence that some reviewers are describing as robotic. I wouldn’t go that far, but it did make me wonder if it was a character choice. (These types of pitch and rhythm ticks are usually more indicative of Asperger’s than OCD/anxiety, which I think is Aza’s diagnosis.)

Gallant reads quickly, and has short chapters, which makes it perfect before bed. It’s a little creepy and mysterious, so cuddling under the blanket is recommended.

I’m finding the voice in Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft to be welcoming, relatable, and unpretentious. It’s practical, not spiritual. I’m looking forward to learning more about the history and practice, as well as getting some insight on how modern witches work around stereotypes and cultural appropriation.

Other News:

I dyed my hair again. I love how it’s crazy bright in the sun (“Wow!”), but just barely noticeable inside (“Is your hair blue?”). It’ll be gone in a few weeks, but it makes it feel like spring is still here even though the weather has been somewhat disagreeable of late. (You can’t tell from this pic, but it was pretty chilly and windy today.) The roses starting to bloom helped with that, too.