Monthly Highlights - February 2017

   So February decided that it was going to be just as hectic as January - if not more so.  But I got a ton done in the world of writing, so I guess I'll consider it a good month?

   Also, Nebraska can't decide whether it wants to be Spring or Winter. Thus the flower-y post header.    

   - We celebrated my sister (Ariel) and mom's birthday earlier in February, and we're celebrating my brother's today! Needless to say, much cake has been eaten this month.

   - My sister (different sister - Skylar, the musical one, this time xD) composed an instrumental song this month that I am basically in awe of. I so wish that I could show it to you guys, but there's no way we could make a quality recording of it. Maybe someday ;).

   - I bought a copy of Martin Hospitality (by Abigayle Claire) and OH MY does it look gorgeous on my shelf. I think it's the only book with a watercolor cover that I own but now I need more*. They're so gorgeous.

   - Somehow we had a 70 degree day, and two days later we had a big snowstorm. Someone tell me what's wrong with Nebraska's weather, because I certainly don't know. I need either winter or spring, not both at once. My pollen allergies are killing me.

* who am I kidding, I always need more books.

   - I finished writing the fifth draft of Killing Snow. It was INSANE and almost slayed me, but at least I learned a lot xD. I'm already itching to start on the sixth draft (sixth draft AND first draft, actually - don't ask me to explain, it's confusing), but I'm saving it for April. Though, I did write some snippets that might appear in draft six. I couldn't help myself.

   - I wrote 10,012 of words this month *dies of the shock*. I didn't actually expect to write as much as I said I wanted to write in February BUT I DID. I'm going to try and beat last month's goal by 5k each month - which means I need to write at least 15k in March, 20k in April*, and so on. This year is going to be a doozy.

   - I wrote and posted my short story, The Testing. I had been on-and-off brainstorming for a short story all of February, and finally had a plot bunny come hopping up to me**. "Hi, Ms. Author - I just saw a little boy standing in the middle of a courtyard and being chosen by something-or-other to be a wizard's apprentice. Wanna write about him?" "No. I'm busy."
   But the plot bunny was insistent, and thus you guys got The Testing. Go figure.

   - I did some more work on a story I've temporarily titled "The Firefly Child" (the title doesn't make any sense anymore, so I'll probably be changing that soon xD). It's one of the weirdest stories I've ever written, and I'm writing it in a way that I haven't written a story for a long time. I can't decide if I love it or hate it, but when I'm bored I tend to tack some more words onto it, so I guess I'm getting somewhere? And The Dreamer's Game (last year's NaNo novel) also got a few more paragraphs, so that was fun.

   *gives you two more (unedited) snippets of this month's work*

yes, there's a typo. I'm too tired of writing to fix it - see if you can find it xD

   The poor things. They need work. But that will have to wait until I'm done with Killing Snow xD.   

*HAHAHAHA no - it's Camp month. I'm writing 75k. 
**Just one of my millions of little plot bunny pets. DO TAKE THEM OFF MY HANDS. They're eating me out of house and home. My stories are suffering.    

+ Heist Society by Ally Carter

   Ten books - definitely less than last month's seventeen, but I'm certainly not disappointed, seeing as this month was kind of crazy. And I didn't read any below-three-star books, which was a plus ;).

   - Illusionarium by Heather Dixon. Something insane happened this month, you guys*. I re-read a book and still gave it five stars. In the last six-ish months, I think this is the only book that I gave five stars and then gave it five stars again (I could be wrong, though. Goldfish brain, and all that). It's one of the most creative books I've ever read and it has footnotes**. Witty little footnotes, because the book is written in first person. I love the thing to death. It does have a few creepy bits, so it's not everyone's book - but for me it's a five star book, two times over.

   - Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen. I read the first chapter or two of this book a couple of years ago and loathed it. But my mom told me that I just had to read it - so I tried again and made it all the way through. And I. Loved. It. Now I own the book, and this is the second time I've read it. It's a re-read that I certainly give four and a half stars.

   And of course, you can read my review of Martin Hospitality right here - and you'll get to see my review of The Princess And I in March.   

*okay, so a lot of insane stuff happened this month but HAHAHA we're not talking about me making the decision to write 75k for April's Camp NaNo. 'Course not.   
** footnotes, I tell you! *is a very happy goldfish*  

 

   - Katie posted a GORGEOUS posted entitled To The Ones Who Dream that all of you need to read this instant (also she posted an epic piece of flash fiction, so read that, too)

   - Audrey talked about finding your story's theme, which was really fun to read about.

   - Hannah wrote an amazing post about living in the moment, and also celebrated her one-year blogoversary!

   - Jonathan wrote a super-awesome post about inspiring people with stories that aren't perfect.

   - Burning Youth worked their magic ONCE AGAIN. (and then they did it some more)

   - Meredith from On Stories And Words announced that she's going to be having a Beauty And The Beast week in March - and we're invited to participate ;).

   - Michaila posted about 'you know you're a writer if ...', which was really fun to read. 

   - Abi posted 50 facts about her just-published novel, Martin Hospitality (and celebrated her one-year blogoversary, too!).

   - Christine posted a gorgeous short story that I just want to hug and read forever and ever.

   - The fourth post in my How To Liven Up Your Character series (which may or may not be about secondary characters ...), and possibly the fifth one, too.

   - A review of The Princess And I by Rebekah Eddy, which is releasing on March 3rd.

   - Possibly a whole post of me rambling about Killing Snow and giving you guys snippets of it (seeing as the one-year mark of me writing Killing Snow is coming up awfully fast)

i guess you can consider this a sneak peek of sorts

   2017 has been crazy so far, but it looks like it's going to be a good year. And if my calculations are correct, I'll end the year with over 200k words written. I guess we'll see if THAT happens, huh? xD

~ Savannah Grace

   Are you planning on joining in April's Camp NaNoWriMo? What's the best book you read this month? Tell me all about your February!