May 2023 Reflection

Whew, another month has gone by and it’s time to take a look at what I actually accomplished in May. Before I dive into all things writing and reading I want to say that my oldest child GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL in May and my youngest PROMOTED TO HIGH SCHOOL. So … it has been a busy month. Also, I’m smack in the middle of Phoenix Fan Fusion even as I’m attempting to get this reflection done and preparing to head out of town for a wedding. I think after all this, I’m going to need a really long nap!

Anyway, let’s check in.

If you’ve been following along with the blog then you already know that for 2023 I’ve left myself a big BLANK page of year long goals. The idea was to add to it as things took my focus and watch the page fill. I’m LOVING this strategy. What was a blank page on January 1 is now looking beautifully full and is making me feel quite accomplished. 

That’s not to say that I didn’t have deadlines or goals for the months. I absolutely did! Those appear at the top of the pages for each individual month as a sort of checklist. In May I had 3 things that needed my focus.

So what did I accomplish?

Again, it was a busy month in the real world. That meant my fictional worlds didn’t get as much of my focus as I would’ve liked. I did manage to squeeze in two idea journal sessions, which is good.

I also successfully released Tin’s Tale and Other Stories of Fraun.

Then, I celebrated a cover reveal for How to Schedule a Death. 

134 words per day (most of which were book reviews) is better than nothing.

On the reading front, May turned out pretty good. 

I read 11 more books in May, bringing my 2023 total to 62. May accounted for 4,009 pages (breaking down to about 120 pages per day). The oldest book I read this month was published in 2018 and the newest was an advanced reader copy of a title releasing in 2023. 

• 1 Childrens
• 1 Middle Grade
• 4 Young Adult
• 5 Adult

• 5 Fantasy
• 1 Mystery/Thriller
• 1 Horror
• 3 Contemporary
• 1 Science Fiction

• 4 Independently Published (that’s 36%)

• 4 ebooks
• 5 audiobooks
• 2 paperback
• 0 hardcovers 

No books received a 1 or 2-star ratings. 6 3-star (niche but good). 4 4-star (recommended if you read that genre). 1 5-star genre-crossing amazing reads. 

So, in conclusion:

• Published Tin’s Tale
• Revealed the cover (and title) of what was once the Hitman project
• Celebrated a couple of family milestones
• Read another 11 books

It’s been a busy month and another one is on the way … but with this blank page strategy I’m not giving up and I still feel productive. 

See you soon!