Hello again!

My, my, how time flies!

Another year gone, another set of new year's resolutions to commit to and then flake on! If you are like me, you have flaked on them already. But that's okay—new habits and big commitments take long and consistent effort to form. Not everyone can just flick a switch and start a diet or a veggie garden or a rock band.

Yes, it's the second week of January and I'm already back to my old ways.

Thankfully, my 'old ways' weren't that bad. I eat vegetables every now and then. I get a little exercise from time to time. I even remember to wash behind my ears on the odd occasion!

Over the holidays, I've been reading Russian literature (and Terry Pratchett, to balance things out.) I haven't been writing, exactly, but I did re-read my first draft of Elixir of Power Book 2. Re-reading your own work is usually an unflattering, cringey experience. It's like looking through at photos of yourself in your awkward teenage years.

'Ew, did I really wear my hair like that? And what was I thinking using four metaphors in one paragraph??'

I steeled myself and re-read it all, just to jog my memory about what exactly I needed to write next. Much to my surprise ... I quite liked it! This is good, but artistically, quite dangerous. I'm glad I liked my own writing, but there's the potential for arrogance to creep in. I spotted a few big problems that would need fixing, but I also saw a lot of things I think I did right! Is it wrong to admit that? Is it the equivalent of enjoying the smell of your own flatulence? If I cook a nice batch of spaghetti bolognaise, am I a monster if I enjoy eating it?

What do you think? Let me know!

The only way to truly find out how well the book turned out is to put it in front of other people and hear what they think. In order to do that, I'll have to finish the damn thing! I'm feeling energized and ready to forge ahead. The finish line is within reach!

At present, I'm still roughly 2/3 of the way through. My hope for 2024 is that I will get a large volume of high-quality writing done. Though, I will gladly settle for a medium volume of decent-quality writing. Hell, I'll even accept a handful of bad limericks.

In the meantime, below are a few books from authors like me that you might enjoy. Happy reading!

Book Recommendations

Thanks for reading

Until next time!