It’s officially MAY. Temperatures in my neck of the woods are regularly going over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and headed for that dreaded 100. Things in my day job are headed toward a big upheaval that may cause me to spend more time there, which is always scary. But, that’s not the point of this blog post, not really. This is about checking on my April progress and seeing what I managed to accomplish. 

Let’s get to it. 

First up, Individual Projects

You’re likely aware that I had to shelve my part of the Short Story Collection for a big. The professional editor is going to have her way with it in May. I’ve promised not to touch it again until she’s done with it. So that one remains exactly as it was in previous months. 

In April, I focused on the YA Contemporary. This one was already fully drafted, had first round edits done, and had PAGES of notes that needed to be input. I decided to jump into a second round of edits, specifically to focus on making some of those changes and figuring out where the new chapters need to go. 

In April, I finished that second round of edits. I also did the formatting, which needed to be done. There are still 2 scenes that need to be plugged in. Thanks to the recent edit, I now know where those new scenes will go. I just need to flush them out and get them in the right spot. I also decided there is another scene that needs to be written. I have a page of notes for it, but I actually have to write it. That’s where I’m stuck right now, actually, because I have to find the right voice before I can do any of that. 

At least one beta reader is on board and ready for this one the moment it is ready for their eyes. I’m hoping to get that done SOON. 

The rest of the projects have had no changes so far in 2024.

I will say, however, that a shiny new idea showed up toward the end of April. I jotted down some pretty detailed notes about the plot idea but I haven’t let myself do anything else with it yet. If this turns out to be something, it will get its own project page. 

Next up, Monthly Progress

My monthly progress pages are designed to help give me focus in a given month. In April I decided to go back to the “write something every day” goal. Even though I was editing, there was a logic behind this choice. Mostly, I wanted to remember that my goal was to add those new scenes into the YA Contemporary. That meant I was going to need to write SOMETHING every day. 

I definitely didn’t make that goal. I missed 10 days, I think, of writing.

Here’s how April started.

Here’s how it looks today.

Not enough blog post writing (sorry), 10 days where I missed writing ANYTHING, but 37 chapters edited. Hey, I’ll take it. 

Wow, look at the number of book reviews I wrote. That leads me right into my final section … 

Reading

I finished 16 total books (about 168 pages per day) in April. That included the three I promised to read/review for the month (listed at the top), a whole bunch of audiobooks that finally became available from the library, two rereads, and the physical book and ebook that had been on my TBRs the longest. 

Are you a cover person? Good, you’ll love this next pic. 

This month was full of a lot of reads that are REALLY worth your time. I highly suggest checking out Silk Road Centurion if you’re a fan of historical fiction. Anxious People is great for fans of contemporary with a little mystery, Matthew Perry’s book is great for anyone trying to understand addicts or addictive behavior, and Killing the Witches is worth a read for any fans of American Revolution era history. 

Well, that was my April. 

• 16 books read and reviewed
• Just over 7000 words written
• 37 “chapters” edited

Not too shabby. Here’s to a productive May for me and for you!