Here’s What’s Up this Week

Hey everyone! Real quick I want to apologize for the weird links in some of my latest posts. They should be gifs from giphy.com as you’ve seen in other posts. However they did not embed for some reason that is yet known to me. So as much as it pains me this post won’t have silly gifs, hopefully the next.

Okay I just wanted to drop in real quick and tell you some things that are up and invite you on a bit of a read-a-thon with me this weekend. In addition, join me for a writing challenge of my own creation, in other words I’m challenging myself to do a bunch of reading and writing this weekend. 😀 Listening to audio books counts. 😉

It might sound silly but the reading push is because I would really like to at least get closer to completing the 20 Books of Summer 20 challenge. So if I go ahead and finish at least the books I’m currently reading/listening to that should catapult me ahead by 7 books. (I’ll be honest, that’s a real stretch for me but I’m going to keep that bar way up there and reach my highest!)

Yesterday I started listening to Wild Seed (Patternmaster #1) by Octavia E. Butler. This book wasn’t on my radar (hadn’t yet heard of it) until it popped up as part of the selection for Audible’s recent 2 for 1 credit sale. So far I’m pretty darn glad I got it, it’s really interesting, pretty wild for sure.

With regard to audio books I need to finish In Search of Black History with Bonnie Greer by Bonnie Greer. Fascinating book of history that I will listen to again. I have one chapter left that I’ve been saving for when I’m a bit more focused.

The other five books are mostly books I’ve apparently “been reading” for some time. Voyage of the Basilisk (Memoirs of Lady Trent, #3) by Marie Brennan, Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom, Kind of Coping by Maureen Marzi Wilson, Akata Warrior (Akata Witch, #2) by Nnedi Okorafor, and The Bone Jar (Detective Lew Kirby, #1) by S.W. Kane. These are in order of when I started them with the last being a really recent start.

What do I predict I’ll for sure for sure finish? Well both audio books, Kind of Coping, Voyage of the Basilisk (because it’s the oldest I’m going to prioritize it), and Akata Warrior because I picked this up again just the other day. That leaves Thick and The Bone Jar. Fingers crossed!

Want to join me? Do you have a goal for your reading, say before September starts or the summer ends? My goals is to get these read before September 1st. Yours doesn’t have to be the same, it could just be that you want to get ahead with some of your reading. Perfect! Let’s do this! Post your goal and plans in the comments and if you have a blog post your link there too and I’ll check in and see how you’re doing.

Weekend Writing Challenge

What else do I have to get caught up on (*cough* this blog)? My writing! As mentioned before I’ve been in something of a writing funk which is always disheartening. But the other day I think I broke through at least a bit. I got more than 3,500 words down for my novel and discovered some ways in which I’ve been approaching the story all wrong and a different way to start the book. It’s really great. Even as I still have questions, it feels right.

Quick Tip! If you’re struggling to get any forward movement in a scene or your book in general as yourself why what you’re trying to write even has to be. Why does X have to do that thing that way? You might find that the reason you’re struggling is because you’re going in the wrong direction.

There’s not going to be any way to prove I’ve completed my challenge other than taking my word for it. Which honestly that’s what you’re already doing right? How do you know I’ve read any of these books? You don’t. But I have no reason to lie here. You can trust I’ll tell you if I fail this completely or just a little. 😉 And I’ll go ahead and anticipate the same from you.

What’s my challenge then? My challenge to myself is 20,000 words by Sunday night. (WOW! Yup.) If I can type 1k in 20 minutes just letting it flow than I can write 20k in…Friday, Saturday, Sunday, three days. 😀

Your challenge doesn’t have to be anywhere near the same. Tailor your challenge to your own abilities and needs. Once you figure out what that is go ahead and share in the comments. Join me for one or both, it’s up to you.

Personal Challenges for the Weekend:

• 7 books – 2 audio books, 5 physical books
• 20,000 words for my novel

Other Updates:

And of course I will share some other items with you.

Um for starters, chipmunks are robbing me of my cherry tomatoes so I’m dealing with that. Not cool.

But cherry tomatoes are ripening and delicious although I picked quite a few early thinking they were supposed to be yellowish/orange, this Bumble Bee variety. Nope, they continue to ripen indoors for me to red striped with gold. I’ve been picking them yellowish/orange (still gold) because I don’t want the chipmunks to get them.

This weekend I’ll be removing my bush bean plants because they’re done. My snow peas have started a new round of production (slowed down it seemed, stopped even) after some cooler weather though this last week was hot.

I’m impatiently waiting to pick my on successful (?) Sugar Baby Watermelon fruit. Whether or not it’s a successful harvest is yet to be determined.

I (two weeks later than planned) sowed more seeds for my Fall Garden!!! Woo hoo! I definitely over-planted but I’m cool with that.

Check out my new category/page In the Life of My Garden for even more updates on what I’ve planted, what I’ve harvested and what the heck else is happening. Such as how I just added 500-650 European Nightcrawlers to my European Nightcrawler bin. I promise you I’m going to post a picture of the worm ball that was this new bundle. Oh you know I had to take my glove off for that! Any worm nerds out there? Raise your hands please, I know you’re smiling. 😀

Okay that’s all I’ve got for you now. I hope you’ll join me for a very ambitious weekend!!!