I, like so many others it seems, it a really bad book slump this month! I blame Rainbow Rowell for this, as Fangirl was just too damn good. I did start a few, and I picked up a bit as the month came closer to an end and A Gathering of Shadows came out.

(If you are afraid of the hype, don’t be. IT IS SOOOOO GOOD, and I’m only 130ish pages in.)

I also started a few other books: Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan, a retelling of A Tale of Two Cities and Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. And I have started another book, which I’ll discuss when I get to my March Plans….

February Wrap Up

Books Read

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Monthly Goals

• Write 9,000 words [Wrote around 5,300, and edited close to 7,900]
• Get up nerve to post fan fiction first chapter [I have posted 3! And have a 4th one started!]
• At least 2 hikes [Only did one, but I also got sick sick super sick this past two weekends.]
• Post more writing or writing ramblings [I posted one. But March will be better!]
• Work on confidence [I forgot about this one. Okay, okay, March.]

Places to Visit

• Hartford, CT [I still hate driving. But I did it in style, while listening to Gilmore Guys Podcast.]
• Epic Reads Presents: A Date with Royalty  [Evie Frye also followed me around a bit this month.]
• Another Broadway show [Les Misérables, with Alfie Boe in one of his last performances. I sobbed the entire show.]
• Fort Lee Historic Park  [Well I went to the start of it. It was cold and icy and snowy.]
• Alice Tea Cup [Not originally on the list, but a cool NYC place to check out. I tried a few other restaurants too. I should start keeping a list…]

While I didn’t read much this month (my subway rides were full of Candy Crush levels — I’m going to have to delete those off my phone. Way too distracting in life, work and….reading and writing.

Ideals of March

The structure of last month was a bit too much for me I think. I make a list of what I want to read, and then it all sounds meh as the month goes on (or I end up with more new ARCs.)

But what I am planning on doing is using the writing books I own to start structuring my writing process. I feel a bit weird saying that, but my brain tends to be sporadic and unfocused. This will hopefully help! Sooooo:

WRITING CONTRACT

Agreement made this 29th day of February in the year 2016 whereby I, Meghan Griffin, do hereby committee myself to writing a minimum of two to three hours a day, every day, for ninety consecutive days, no excuses. The work will begin on the date I set forth in writing below.

I pledge to work diligently and habitually, even when I’m tired, hungry, cold, grouchy, or lonely, or have to get up early or stay up late, and/or even when I’d rather be doing something else. I am entering this agreement with myself because I recognize that the only way to write a novel is to dedicate myself to the project and to put in the necessary (solitary) time. I may or may not enjoy the process, but I also know there’s a little bit of agony in writing. The pain I inflict upon myself shall be my own.

I will begin my novel on March 1, 2016 and expect my first draft to be finished on July 1, 2016*, approximately ninety one hundred and twenty days later. No penalty shall be found for failing to meet this mandated deadline, but the reward for meeting it shall be the satisfaction of having written my own novel. I call blame no one but myself for the delays along the way.

This pledge is made with my full consent and awareness, and under no obligation to anyone but myself.

MGriffin

*From the reviews I’ve read, the writer’s plan does not actually work in ninety days if you have a job or want to get in depth enough. And writing does not pay my bills currently.

So look forward to me actually posting more writing ramblings. Or pictures of me pulling out my hair (and not just the grey/white ones…)