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March 2018 Dares

by Kellyn Roth |
March 3, 2018

march 2018 dares

Well … that month flew by! And I say that practically every month, but this time it was true because there are only twenty-eight days in February (takes me by surprise every time) soย the month did fly by.
Literally. It was flying past my window the other night, and I was like, “Feb … where ya goin’, man?” And Feb said, “I’m leaving this place! I’m sick of the in-between-ish weather and the corny Valentine’s lines.” #TrueStory
February was actually a fairly productive month for me … but you might not know it by looking at my dares sinceย there’s a lot of red. (But hey, Valentine’s = red so I had to stick with the theme.) Hopefully March will be just as productive – and a bit more organized. ๐Ÿ˜‰

February 2018 Dares

February2018 Dares

Reading

  • Finishย five review copies. Failed.
  • Donโ€™t request any more review copies. Check!
    • YAY! I DID IT!
    • (and this is after I said I was likely gonna fail, so I’m so proud of myself!)
  • Actually read in the evenings. Check!
    • At least … I think so?
    • I remember reading in the evenings …
    • So it must have been enough to count it as “check.” ๐Ÿ˜‰

Reading Stats for February

Read: 14 books
Classics:ย 4 (What Katy Did, Emily of Deep Valley (reread), The Jungle, and All Quiet on the Western Front)
Historical Fiction: 6 (Heiress, Baroness, The Sea Before Us, A Passionate Hope, The Fragrance of Geraniums, and All Our Empty Places)
Fantasy-ish: 1 (White Wolf and the Ash Princess)
Nonfiction:ย 2 (Come to Our Salmon Feast and Linda’s Indian Home)
Favorite Book of the Month: The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin! Such a sweet, heartbreaking, amazing book!
Least Favorite Book of the Month: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. *dies because it was so annoying* (Note: it’s 1.5 stars not 2 stars like I said on the graphic before.)
Most Anticipated: The Sea Before Us
Least Anticipated: All Quiet on the Western Front (and I ended up enjoying it!)
booksfebruary
divider winter

Writing

  • Finish Draft 3 ofย At Her Fingertips. Check!
    • YAY!!!!!!!!!!
    • Also, my beta-readers are so lovely. <3
    • I just can’t express how much help they’ve been, especially in the mad rush of the last couple days.
  • Figure out a solid plot forย Water on the Rocks. Failed.
    • I … actually didn’t work on this at all???
    • But I’m going to! This next month!
  • Write 5K more ofย Alice Unanswered. Check!
    • Right now, I have just short of 26K, so yes, I did get 5K!
    • Though just barely.
    • (BUT THIS SHALL CHANGE NEXT MONTH.)
  • Go throughย Beyond Her Callingย and markย needed changes. Kinda.
    • Uh …?
    • It was a short and busy month, mmkay?

Here’s what I did in February, writing-wise:

At Her Fingertips

I completed the entire third draft! It ended up being harder than I thought, but with my amazing beta-readers (whom I cannot thank or praise enough), it was a lot easier. I have now sent an email off to my editor and am ready to move on to the next step!

Beyond Her Calling

Basically nothing. I read a few bits and thought about what I wanted to do, but didn’t put any solid work into it.

Water on the Rocks

Mostly research? I started an outline but never finished it. I’ve read quite a bit about American Indians now, specifically the Wyam people. I need to start doing some serious research on WW2 and the ’40s, though.
(p.s. if you have any recommendations for WW2 nonfiction/fiction – but mostly nonfiction, because I really need to crack down – set in the Pacific during WW2 … or basically just anything about WW2/the ’40s. I’ll take it all in!)

Alice Unanswered

Like I said, about 5K. Not a lot of progress.

Ladytudes

This is a short story prequel to The Lady of the Vineyard. In February, I finished writing it and did the first round of edits. Considering that it’s only about 5,000 words, that’s not a big deal, but it was still a nice accomplishment.
divider winter

Blogging

  • Schedule. Schedule. Schedule. Kinda.
    • I left the schedule behind multiple times throughout the month.
    • But at least I haven’t quit yet?
  • Get 560 followers. Failed.
    • 551 so far.
    • But hey, that’s still an improvement!
  • Do a January wrap-up post onย Reveries Reviews. Failed.
    • Eh …
    • I kinda dropped RR a lot throughout the month?
    • I posted all of five times. *dies*

Stats

Views: 740
Visitors: 316
Likes: 96
Comments: 76
Followers: 551
Top Two Posts: Sweet Book Sale – Free and Discounted Books! and Are Novels Important?
Bottom Two Posts: AAWC: Challenge #5 and Some Random Reveries
My Personal Favorite: Alice Unanswered? What’s that all about?
Post Count: 6
The stats are down this month, but that’s because I only posted six times and somewhat irregularly. I suppose you could say that Feb was somewhat of a blogging failure, but I won’t say that. (Except I just did.) I’ll say … there is room for improvement. ๐Ÿ˜›
Guess what? I figured out how to do some fun HTML on my website! Towards the bottom of the main page, there should be a widget that reads “Rave Reviews” followed by little dropdown buttons for each of my published novels! #SoProud
divider winter

Life

  • Donโ€™t get any more injuries. Check!
    • I mean, I ran into lots of things.
    • I always do.
    • But I was never badly injured. So yeah.
  • Stop being so fatalistic. Check?
    • I am not 100% sure how I expected to accomplish this, but uh?
    • At least I haven’t had any big panic attacks or anything???
    • I don’t know.
  • Read the Bible! Failed.
    • Reading the Bible is hard.
    • It requires opening the book.
    • And reading.
    • (Something I do every day, but with books that aren’t actually the Most Important Book Ever.)

Well, throughout February, I felt pretty useless. But that’s understandable considering the factย that FEBRUARY SUCKS.
Okay, so, I really want to give February the benefit of the doubt. I love February! It’s so sweet and cute and its theme color is red with a dash of pink which are my favorites.
Honestly, February is just a month I really admire. But beauty is only skin deep. And Feb’s beauty doesn’t extend beyond it’s cool exterior.
February is boring. It is always boring. I don’t know why, but it is. And somehow every other month is slightly more exciting than February.
I can’t explain it, but it’s true.
(Hoorah for March, though!)

divider winter

March 2018 Dares

march 2018 dares

Reading

  • Read five review copies.
    • I know, this is the same goal as last month, but …
    • This is something I need to do. Like, majorly.
    • I think I have like twenty. Or fourteen. Either way.
  • Read two nonfiction books on WW2.
    • I almost wrote “nonfiction stories.”
    • Because I expect everything to have a story.
    • WHY AM I SO USELESSLY BAD AT RESEARCHING WHEN I WRITE A GENRE THAT REQUIRES TONS OF RESEARCH??? *dies*
  • Finish your book research on the Wyam.
    • Book research meaning everything I can read.
    • I’m gonna talk to some local folks and such, too. And probably my grandma. She knows things.
    • (Also, I am so glad I worked a museum over last summer. Now I won’t feel so bad about storming them with questions!)

divider winter

Writing

  • Write a little of Alice Unanswered every day.
    • My idea is this: quantity is not important. But neither is quality.
    • What is important is consistency. At least, that’s what is important at this point in my writing career.
    • So … I set up a chart, and I’m trying to write at least a few words every day all month.
  • Outline Water on the Rocks.
    • By the way, I am seriously considering an alternate title?
    • Like, three alternate titles.
    • But I’ll talk about that later.
  • Rewrite the ending of Beyond Her Calling.
    • SERIOUSLY GIRL. TWO SCENES.
    • DO IT.

divider winter

Blogging

  • Blog regularly and with at least some quality.
    • Can’t expect too much quality. ๐Ÿ˜‰
    • (Seriously, though, I’m gonna try to be an amazing blogger!)
    • #goals
  • Look into switching to WordPress.org.
    • That’s right! I’m consider self-hosting!
    • I mean, I’m willing to make a financial investment into blogging now, and this seems like a good time?
    • Also, I have money burning a hole in my pocket and nothing outrageous to spend it on.
  • Figure out a theme that you can keep all year round.
    • This switching up is exhausting.
    • It just can’t continue, y’know?

divider winter

Life

  • READ. THE. BIBLE.
    • This time I’m actually gonna do it.
    • (Even though, for some reason, I just haven’t been enjoying it recently?)
    • (It’s the weirdest thing ever!)
    • (I blame my parents.)
  • Spend time with some friends.
    • I have not being done this recently.
    • And, honestly, I would rather be writing.
    • But I like my friends, sooo???
    • I need to make myself do things I know I’ll enjoy sometimes.
  • Go to sleep at night sometime.
    • I might even end up liking it. ๐Ÿ˜›

divider winter

Stuff That’s Happening in March

  • Spring breaaaaaak!!!

    • We’re going to California to see my sister.
    • And my sisters’ cat. Because, to be honest, I will spend more time with him than with my sister.
    • (If he allows me. He is a king-of-the-world type.)
  • My little brother’s birthday.

    • HE IS TURNING FREAKIN’ FOURTEEN.
    • I’M GONNA DIE.
    • HELLLLP HE IS WAY TALLER THAN ME NOW.
  • Cover Reveal for At Her Fingertips!cover reveal

    • Officially, it’s March 10th, but …
    • If you want to see it on March 9th, join my Facebook launch party!
    • (It’s gonna be tons of fun! Q&A, sneak peaks, the ability to get me to ramble to the point of spoilers or almost-spoilers – because I know I will – probably some giveaway-ish stuff if I can put that together)
  • I can’t think of anything else.

    • But I’m sure there’s something.
    • Besides, y’know, school and work and school and work.
    • I wish one of my sisters would have another baby. Or maybe I could have a new sister who wanted lots and lots of babies. Then something would be happening. *nods*
    • Or maybe a friend could own a horse. Either way.

divider winter

Well, those are my dares for March 2018! Since it is almost midnight on Friday night, I think I’m going to get this post scheduled and go to bed. Au revoir!
An Update: I scheduled this post for 4 PM instead of AM, so yep. That’s why it’s so late … At least it’s not 4 PM. Caught it at 2:45. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Until Wednesday,

~Kellyn Roth~

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p.s.

What did you do in February? Did you accomplish your goals? What blog posts did you post – and what was your favorite? Did you favorite post coincide with what was most popular (mine was #3)? What are your goals/plans for March?

Basically … how’s life?

What do you think of my thoughts?

19 Responses

  1. Ooh! I can give you a reccomendation for a good WW2 book(okay, it’s a fiction, but it’s A-MAZ-ING)!
    Star Under the City by Maggie Joy (It’s absolutely amazing. Totally awesome. My whole family fell in love with this book. We all really loved it).
    And I totally agree. February is terrible. But I don’t like March either. We all totally forgot March existed and thought is went straight to April……… *smacks head on desk many times* ๐Ÿ˜›

  2. Oh I have some WWll recommendations!
    All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is really good! And The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is amazing! (I’ve only seen the movie so I feel like I’m not the best advocate, but it’s still an AMAZING story!)
    And this one isn’t about WWll, but I have been throwing it at everybody because it’s my favorite book that I read last year and SOOOOO GOOD!!!! It’s called Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix and it’s set around the time of the suffragist movement but it’s about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and it made me SOB it was amazing!!!!!!! It’s technically middle grade, but I’m glad I read it when I was older because I don’t think I would’ve appreciated it as much if I read it when I was younger. I think EVERYONE should read it! It’s my precious little rare gem! ๐Ÿ˜€

    1. Thank you! I’ve heard of a couple of those, but I’ve not read them yet. I’ll definitely have to get a copy soon! Although perhaps not in preparation for research for this book … I don’t know. I’ll have to do some organizing. ๐Ÿ˜‰
      That sounds good! Ugh, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was sooo sad! A lot of bad accidents like that happen in that era. *sighs*

      1. I do have a warning about The Book Thief, Kellyn.
        I borrowed it from a friend and it was whited out a ton. So, if you do it read it, I’d be careful. ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. GIRL I FEEL YA – my bro’s 14 and WAYYY taller than I am. xD
    ROCK ON, KELL! Your goals are awesome! And self hosting sounds fun.
    Gosh… same… writing can seem like such a daunting tasks for the ‘small stuff’ (one scene, editing…) and I have a new bad habit of letting it pile up on me and ignore it? Which is TERRIBLE… because writing is a gift from God and I shouldn’t let Satan use it to worry me. xD
    God bless, girl!

    1. *tsks* How dare they?
      Thank you, Ang! <3 Yes, it's kinda complicated and expensive, but I'm looking into it.
      Yes, exactly! It's scary. But I shall procrastinate no more! (oh, who am I kidding? But I'm trying … ๐Ÿ˜› )
      You, too! <3

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