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I’m Back {A Bunch of Updates}

by Kellyn Roth |
December 3, 2018

Well. I’m back! And now it’s time for me to tell you about all the stuff I’ve been doing in the last month, etc. So if you’re not a fan of rambly updates, be gone.

(I’m just kidding; stick around, anyway. I’ll try to make this not-rambly. Though it’s painful, you know. Like ripping apart my soul …)

So, here’s the thing. I … actually was productive? Oh, don’t act so surprised. I can be productive when I want to be productive! (which is rarely, but you know, that’s besides the point!)

Now, let’s start with the most important … well, I don’t know that it’s the most important, but it’s certainly very important to me, which should be enough for you. 😉

WRITING

In November, I wrote 118,322 words.

Yep. 118,322 words.

14,928 of those were written on one day – the 30th. That’s the most I’ve EVER written in a day … so yes, I’m fairly pleased with that!

So pwetty! ?

Now, what was this beast of a word count?

  • All of Souls Astray
  • All of The Lady of the Vineyard
  • All of Kind
  • Some random outlining
  • About 2,000 words of From Now ‘Til Forever

So yep, it’s been a full month! Weirdly enough, though, I didn’t get all I wanted to accomplish done.

I actually wanted to finish Souls Astray, The Lady of the Vineyard, Flowers in Her Heart, and From Now ‘Til Forever. But … that didn’t end up panning out.

I did get a lot more words than I wanted (18K, to be exact).

LONG

That’s because Souls Astray ended up being twice as long as I intended to be at about 60,000 (rather than my intended 30,000) while The Lady of the Vineyard exceeded by my goal by 10,000, reaching a grand total of 40K.

Eesh. And I thought writing short was my problem …

But at the same time, I’m super glad that I was able to write that much during the month, regardless of the fact that I didn’t quite make the goals I intended to make.

SO MUCH WRITING

I wrote more this month than I ever have before, I wrote more in a day than I ever have before … in fact, I wrote more in a day than I did in the whole month of October, and I wrote more in a month than I have in every month before this combined since July Camp NaNoWriMo.

So yeah. Big deal. Glad to be out of any writing slumps I may have encountered at any time previously. ?

Now, the million dollar question … do I want to keep writing? Or rather, will I force myself to?

Well, right now, I’m taking a teensy break before I finish off From Now ‘Til Forever (estimated a week or so to do it, but who knows) then do my rewrite of Flowers in Her Heart.

And then I get to rewrite Souls Astray based on alpha-reader feedback, and try to find alpha-readers for TLOTV … yep.

It’s going to be a process.

But I’ll save ALLLLLL the details about this crazy writing life for later.

For now, let’s just say … I’m going absolutely mad. ?

LIFE

Life hasn’t been … easy. It hasn’t even been a lot of fun. But at least there have been some highlights!

Thanksgiving went surprisingly well. I was very apprehensive since this will be our first holiday season without Grandpa, but everything went down okay, and for the most part, we’re surviving.

After Thanksgiving came Christmas – despite my efforts to start a few months earlier. ?? I was so glad to see all our decorations up! Now we have a tree (trees, actually) and lights and all kinds of pretty decorations … as my Instagram followers know well. ?

I’ve been doing a lot of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram updates, by the way, so if you want to know about my life … you can’t go wrong there.

I MUST POST THE PICTURES

But there are so many pwetty pictures to post that I can’t help myself! Christmas just makes everything so nice to look at. I love driving home and seeing all the lights every night. It absolutely makes my day in every way!

So yes, I’m very excited for Christmas. I get a long break because my work is an after-school program, so I basically get off December 19th through January 3rd … ish. I’m sure I’ll have some extra work to do, but yep. I also get a break from my writing lessons through that period, which is nice.

CHRISTMAS BREEAKKK

It’ll be the first time in eons when I’ll be free for such a long period of time, and I’m really looking forward to seeing my friends and family and such during that period. (If you see me, yell at me to visit Grandma, by the way.)

I’ve been struggling a lot with functioning on autopilot, feeling exhausted, sickness (pretty much eternal digestive issues and a six-month cold, lol), but that’s my own fault so I’ve no reason to complain about it. ??

Shush me if I start complaining about the stomachaches caused by me refusing to stop eating things that make me sick and the sicknesses caused by me refusing to eat well or sleep.

And … I think that’s about it! Because I think positivity is ALWAYS the way to go (I hate whiners), I’m going to list ten things I’m thankful for right now as I write this:

Thanksgivings

  1. Great ideas for blog posts which I suddenly have in abundance, hoorah!
  2. NaNoWriMo being over and me having written so much.
  3. My niece, Mercy … she’s my sunshine. ❤??
  4. Christmas trees and Christmas lights!
  5. My dog, Aubrey (and I’m secretly grateful that she may be having “accident puppies” even though that’s kinda wrong).
  6. Christmas shopping being over. ? I hate shopping.
  7. My AWANAs class, who are all such sweeties (most of the time).
  8. My job, which is good and steady and fun and pays well (minimum wage … minimum wage is sooo much, though, y’all!).
  9. Dairy Queen! (when will I ever not be thankful for thee …)
  10. GOD, who gives me all the ideas and all the things and all the people. (Did you think a good Christian girl could leave out God?) (No, we are physically incapable of such a thing.) (I tried to type “coffee” in the #10 slot, but my fingers literally would type it.)

You list ten things in the comments if you can!

(Also, yes, yes, I am kidding about the Christian-girl-God-thing.) (Sort of.)

BLOGGING

Blogging has been very difficult for me in this past month, so I just … haven’t (as explaining in my last post). However, now I’m back and ready to start blogging again!

I’ve actually been blessed with a huge influx of article ideas, things I want to talk about, etc. A lot of them are more Christian-y and pretty controversial (you’ve been warned).

I also have a LOT (and I mean a LOT) of reviews to catch up on, so there’ll be some Christmas posts, some Christian posts, and more reviews than you can count.

Excited? No? Well, don’t worry; I’ll probably be rambling about writing (both how-to and my own) soon … and I’ll also be rambling about my businesses.

So stayed tuned!

REVERIES CO.

Reveries Co. is going to have a big ol’ launch in January, so I’m excited about that!

I have a lot of work to do to organize it (in fact, I still haven’t done all the planning I need to do), but I’m hoping it’ll include some things like a giveaway, a blog tour, etc.

MY NEW WEBSITE

I don’t believe I ever shared this with you, so now is the time!

Estetico Designs created this gorgeous website for me. I absolutely love it! I also made some tweaks and added things like a store, which means you can once again buy signed paperback copies!

At Her Fingertips and Beyond Her Calling are the only ones currently available, but soon I’ll add all sorts of fun packages, swag, and more! I already said this once before in this post, but, well, STAY TUNED.

ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO SAY?

Yes, I suppose I could say, “THANK YOU FOR STILL STICKING AROUND; YOU’RE AMAZING.”

I forgot to put my readers in my “thanksgivings,” but you’re a big part of what keeps me going each day.

So here’s to the readers! *tips glass of Dr. Pepper*

TTFN!

Goodreads · Facebook · Twitter

~Kellyn Roth~

p.s.

What were you up to during my hiatus? Did you do any writing!? What’s your favorite flavor of icecream? Have you ever tried a peppermint blizzard? DO YOU LOVE CHRISTMAS AS MUCH AS I DO!?

What do you think of my thoughts?

25 Responses

  1. I’m still amazing at your huge word count in November. Good job, girl!!! *throws around balloons and such*

    You need to start taking care of yourself, though!! I know you’re probably going to ignore me, but stop this madness and go get sleep and eat food that’ll take care of your body (no, this doesn’t include milk duds or coffee or ~probably~ DQ) 😛

    I wasn’t sure what else I was going to say xD Oh, the Christmas lights are so pretttty! I wish people put them up a little earlier at the start of when it starts to get dark at like … 4, but I guess then they’d have to start the Christmas celebration stuff probably before Thanksgiving xD

    I’d say ten things I’m thankful for but this comment would get far too long 😉

    1. *bats balloons your way ’cause I know you should be getting all the balloons this week* 😛 Or at least Friday … though not technically until next weeks SO APPLES AND ORANGES*

      NO. NO SLEEP. MUST DQ. MUST MILK. MUST SUGAR. MUST MILK DUDS. I HAVE GONE TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW! *collapses*

      Also, I do intend to be healthy if I ever get married so I can nurse me wee bairns {do I get in trouble for mentioning breast feeding in the comments!? I don’t know, my blog, my rules}, but … uNTIL THEn.

      I KNOW! I would leave them all up all year round but *coughs* That’s too Dufur for me … I do have some standards … (I’m totally kidding, Dufur friends, if you see this … kinda …)

  2. Welcome back Kell *thumbs up* Glad to see you back — that wordcount tho . . . I just. . . I can’t even. . . HOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW? *dies while trying to imagine doing something like that*

    Seriously though, that wordcount is amaAZING, just wow – well done!

  3. You’re back!
    And how on this good earth did you write almost 15k in one day??? (THAT’S LIKE HALF MY WC) Glad you’re surviving, know it’s been tough. And trees! Mom’s getting my brothers and I to set it up because she refuses to have a dull house in the middle of December. XD
    And blog posts! Controversial blog posts! Count me in, I’d love to read them! 😀
    I think I’ll end this ramble of a comment and say it’s good to have you back, Kellyn!

    1. I DON’T KNOW! I kinda didn’t eat or breathe or sleep!? I’m not even sure. A lot of it had to do with doing tons of word sprints …

      Haha! Awesome! Christmas trees make everything greate.

      GOOD TO SEE YOU!

  4. Well, I was tired when I got up this morning, but now I’m exhausted just thinking about all you did last month. XD I’m sensing someone over there needs some sleep.

    Glad you’re back, though! 😀

    CutePolarBear

  5. Wow!! Awesome post!!! Your word count is mouth dropping! I mean, 118k in a month?!?! Then you did like 15k in a day?!! That’s so awesome!!

    Christmas! *screams* IT’S AMAZING!!!! I like it just as much as you!! (Of not more.) Christmas lights, trees, the aromas, snow, decorations, MUSIC, and colors! I love it so much!

    I’m thankful for my church, books, friends, you for really trying to help other authors, piano, blogs, pasta, the ability to write, Erin Bates, book giveaways.

    Wow! That new website is amazing!!

    I was writing during your hiatus. Going for the same goal as you. But you beat me with higher word count! (I always try to get farther than other authors but oh well. XD!)

    Favorite flavor of ice cream? What?! Is there a favorite? Hmm. Maybe mint chocolate.

    I have not tried a peppermint blizzard but it sounds HEAVENLY!! (Sadly, there’s not a DQ close to my house.)

    1. Thank you so much! It’s the most I ever wrote in a month, so I’m super happy with it! 😀 And you did ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, too!

      I knowww, Christmas is amazing! I can’t wait for it! Though a lot of the good Christmas things are here already.

      Great things to be thankful for!

      And yes, I adore the work Estetico Designs did on the website! 🙂

      I don’t really have a favorite, either. Mint chocolate IS excellent!

      DQ is good, though not really healthy. 😛 Peppermint blizzards are great!

  6. Hey, friend! So glad you’re back! 😀 And I’m still so impressed by that NaNo word count, oh my goodness! My favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip, I have not tried the peppermint blizzard (we don’t have a Dairy Queen near us D: ) and I think I love Christmas as much as you, but that’s hard to beat, haha!

  7. I’m glad you’re back! I’m honestly so behind on life right now (new baby sibling making me so tired) that I didn’t realize you went on a hiatus until like two weeks ago, but I’m super duper glad we have Kell updates again! It must be a coincidence about the weird stomach thing ’cause I’ve been feeling that way for a few months now too… who got me sick? 😛

  8. Top Ten Thankfuls (as of today)
    Faith, family, friends, books, writing, joy, laughter, jobs, pizza, reading challenges.

    Fabulous job on the word count, Kell! You’re epic and awesome.

    My favorite ice cream used to be pralines & cream. Now that’s tied with cookie two-step.

    And, yes, I love Christmas. Queue the Christmas music!

    1. Pizza! 😛 That’s gotta make any list! 🙂 A fantastic list of things to be thankful for, definitely!

      Thank you!

      Oh, I don’t know that I’ve actually had either of those flavors!

      I’m definitely enjoying the Christmas music! 😀

  9. Well, my daddy had treated me with pizza that day. 🙂 Otherwise, I might have said eggnog (homemade, without alcohol), which I finished up this week.

    Cookie two-step was a fairly recent discovery for me. Kellyn, it so quickly tied my long-time favorite of pralines & cream that I sat there stunned with my spoon halfway to my mouth! Definitely check it out if you find some. They’re both by Blue Bell.

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