- finish Book 2.
- At least START editing the audiobook.
- Catch up on my annual reading goal.
The Write Mage
The blog of YA/NA Speculative Fiction Author Debra Renée Byrd (me!)
Monthly Review + Writing Update + Quarterly Goals
See You at Bento Con!
Hey hey!
If you live in Delaware or happen to be in Delaware or the Philly area, come down to Newark for Bento Con tomorrow! It's an intimate comic/anime convention that began last year, and I'll be there for the second year in a row! It will be at the Aetna Banquet Hall on Ogletown Road from 10am to 3pm, and not only is admission only $5, but kids are free!! So come on out!
Quarterly Goals
First things first, I did not finish the book before the quarter ended. I'm not even sure I was doing much writing those first couple of months, and if I did, I just had more writing to do than I realized. I am fortunately coming up on the end of the second part of the book with just one or two chapters before it closes out. I even streamed myself writing last Friday, Saturday, and Monday. I think I hit about 2500 words that weekend. If I keep it up, I'm almost sure I will complete the book by this next quarter.
I also did not touch the audiobook yet. My laptop was also away some of last quarter getting repaired. I think I mentioned the major crash it had. That was stressful. I'll have a lot of downtime in July, so that might be the time for me to get it done.
I also expect to get more reading done! I made the mistake of starting another short story anthology, but this one has a novella in it, and I'm struggling. I'll get through it little by little for sure. I plan to finish a book I started on my birthday cruise last year. I took it from the library, so of course I had to put it back before we made it back home.
Today is also the 2nd anniversary of the second edition of Fractured Princess! I made a photo-tok of the past two years, and I'm proud of myself for actually getting out there and selling what feels like the same book over and over. This has been a super long journey, but I see the end of this series coming, and I'm excited to get it completed and put my attention into new stories! And if I'm lucky, I'll successfully get my book into Ingramspark. I keep having book cover trouble, so I'll be happy to be able to say it's processed when I get that straightened out.
So, my goals for this quarter are the same as last quarter (edit the audiobook and finish Book 2), but I'm fine with that!
Wednesday Words? No, Just Weekly Words!
So, I wanted to do a cute graphic where I use the old Wednesday Words image but cross it out and then have the Weekly Words image, but Blogger isn't that advanced, and I'm too lazy to create another cheap image. Ah well.
But also, I looked at my March post, and I said that hopefully it wouldn't be another 2 months before I posted again...It's been exactly 2 months since I last posted. I'm so sorry. If nothing else, I have to post at the end of the month, because there's finally another 5th Friday, and I have to see if I completed my goals.
One major goal is that I want to have the first draft of "Divided" Princess completed by the end of the month, which will also be the 2nd anniversary of Fractured Princess, 2nd Indie Edition. When I do finish, I'll also announce the official book title, which I've mentioned previously; don't ask me when, because it's been so long. Hopefully, I can also get some time to finally sit down and listen to the audiobook clips to edit. It's been way too long since I finished. I've got to get it done.
On the reader side of things, I've been lamenting that I'm not reading as many books as I used to, and then I remembered that I am actively reading EIGHT web comics, one of which I'm catching up on, so I'm actually reading every day. But I did start reading a compilation of Black science fiction short stories from W.E.B. Du Bois to modern-day authors, and my, are they haunting. I swear one was the inspiration for the game Inside. I'm taking my time on those...as I continue to buy e-books on Bookbub like the book addict I am.
Anyway, that's all for now. I just wanted to do a quick update, and it's a full blog. haha Oh, lastly, I logged back into my Goodreads to do a few updates, and if you're still following me/seeing this post there, thank you so much!
See you on the 30th!
Weekly Words: My Laptop Has Returned!
I'm sure you're wondering, "Where did it go?" About a month ago, my laptop had an update. After it was done, I was on it for a little bit, walked away as one does, and it went to sleep and would not wake back up. I could only access the BIOS! It was quite stressful. Fortunately, I had a few days left of my free support, so I shipped it to HP, and they reimaged the whole thing. Extra fortunately, all my stories, WIPs, and audio files from recording are in the cloud, so I only have to worry about re-downloading my Discord and gaming apps. If that wasn't a sign to finish this audiobook, I don't know what would be!
I've been doing a lot of writing, to the point that I'm almost finished the second part of the book. This really excites me, because I've had the first chapter of the third part written for MONTHS now. Once I get there, I hope I can get the last part completed fast. Figuring this book out was a chore, especially after I never expected to write a sequel! I'm getting antsy to work on my other projects.
I finished Mo Dao Zu Shi the novel. I hope to start the manhua this year, but I'm going to read some other books first. I might even do a classic Weekly Words next week. I started a new book, but I'm currently in the introduction, so I really have to force myself to read it right now. I also have to start editing a dissertation for someone and have a book club book for my church music ministry, so it might take longer to read a book for fun.
Anyhow, that's what I have going on right now. It shouldn't take me another two months before I post again, but at this point, you all know me. Unless you're a new reader from Bluesky or Tumblr. Then, hello! I'm inconsistent. Sorry in advance.
Quarterly Goals
I FINISHED RECORDING THE AUDIOBOOK! I cried a little when I did. I didn't think I would get it done. So now that I've had some time away from it, I'm going to start editing and most definitely re-record Cyan's chapters, if not Andyrsn's. I think I was okay with his, but I might've leaned more Kiwi than I wanted. I have to listen back. As for Cyan's, I was trying to voice his low, and it even felt like I was vocally fried, so I'm sure it sounds that way.
Last week, I realized I'm on the tail end of the second part of this book! I think it's going to be a bit shorter than Fractured Princess, but that's not a bad thing. I can only torture Jonnie so much, after all haha. When I finish the book completely, I'll reveal the new title. I don't remember if I did a mockup cover post for FP, so I'll have to check. If I did, it's easy to create (thanks, Paint 3D). I've landed on the third book title, too. Going to keep it simple, but that's for another post down the line.
I didn't hit my reading goal, but I've started strong this month. StoryGraph has a 1-Page a Day challenge for January, and I've been reading way more than that. I'm going to try to keep it up after this month. It'll be my one of two resolutions I don't normally do. The other is just eating healthier, but a church fast has started me doing that anyway.
Back in September, I started training to be a Zumba Instructor again. Being a ZIN was something I've missed doing, and they have a giveaway just about every quarter to do a training, and I won (I think it was) 80% off, so I couldn't pass that up.
BlueSky finally opened up (ha) for everyone, so I was able to create an account finally! Which was apparently great timing, because with Tiktok being banned for fake reasons, Bezos supporting felons for president, and Zuckerberg believing Fact-checking is skewed (that's what happens when one party lies THAT much), I've deleted my Goodreads and Meta accounts. I have no choice but to hold on to Amazon at the moment, but seeing how they're monopolizing so many markets is troubling. So, I've updated my Linktree to reflect all of the changes. I don't even know how many people still use Blogger; I've seen Substacks and other pay blogs popping up, but I appreciate the availability of a site that is free to readers still, so here is where I'll stay. I also heard Twitch finally created a tag for books, so there's a chance I'll do more with my Twitch account. We shall see!
Goals for this next quarter: Finish editing the audiobook. Finish Book 2. That's good enough for me!
Monthly Review
![]() |
© Creative Commons Zero (CC0) |
October Writing Update
Happy Friday!
Weekly Words: Bento Con Tomorrow!!
Happy October! Next week, it will be 2030. Seriously, where did September go!?
The past few weeks, I've been gearing up for Bento Con, and now it's here! I've purchased rack cards of my character sketches to sell this time, and I'll have a shop sheet that has links to my hardcover and Kindle versions of the book. I also plan on drawing mockups of the next cover and having a donation sheet. I know what both the next covers will look like, but I'll see if I want to do it for both tomorrow. I literally only have tomorrow left. Ah!
That's really all I have to say haha. I did finish the one book, and all I'll say is a phoned in conclusion to what started as a great series is highly disappointing. I'm back reading Mo Dao Zu Shi, and I'm loving every page. I'm trying to hold back on rewatching The Untamed until I finish, but we'll see if I can make it.
I did have more to say apparently.
Word on the street is Twitch finally created a tag for writers and readers, so, I might do a few things on there. We'll see!
Quarterly Goals
Well, I'm guess I'm glad I looked at the calendar. It's a 5th Friday! So, let me look back at whatever my goals were in May and see what I accomplished *nervous whimper*
August Writing Update
I was supposed to post this late yesterday, but as K-Ci & Jojo say, "Time is slipping away froooom meee." Eh, nothing wrong with a Saturday post once in a while.
Black Author Spotlight: Tee Noell Rose
You are seeing correctly! It's my first Black Author Spotlight in almost 2 whole years! The goal of this segment is to highlight Black authors who are often marginalized and ignored in the publishing industry. Black writers usually turn to self-publishing--an already densely populated industry--to have their stories seen, and it is said that we have to work twice as hard to get half of what our white counterparts have. Hopefully, shining a little light on these authors will help to signal boost the work they are putting out there.
Today, I am highlighting poet Tee Noell Rose. Tee is a self-taught artist and writer from Texas! She specializes in soft pastel drawings and acrylic paintings, and when I say specialize, check out her gorgeous works of art and read about her many awesome accolades because of it! Tee uses "natural imagery to explore themes of identity, mental health, coming of age, and dreams." I especially love the darker colors they use in their art, and the flowers are breathtaking.
In addition to art, Tee writes poetry and short stories. Their latest work, Animal, a collection of poems and photographs centered around the theme of animals, is available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback formats. Tee also has two previous books, Body and Night. Buy them at their Kindle Store!
If you missed it above, visit Tee's website at https://www.teenoellrose.com/.
You can also visit their blog at Noell Rose – Medium to see their other written works.
Follow Tee on Instagram at noellrose37.
________________________________________________________________________________
If you are a Black author who would like to be in the spotlight, email me the following information at debreneebyrd@gmail.com
Name or Pen Name
Genre
Website/Blog
Social Media handles
Book (if any) and where to buy
Permission to use photos
Weekly Words: Am Reading Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Mo Dao Zu Shi (Book 2)
Happy June!
Last week, I said that I was reading the second book of Mo Dao Zu Shi, so I thought I would share some of it, because I read the first book back in September!
HAUNTED BY SIN
Following the trail of a dismembered corpse, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrive at the gates of Yi City: an old, abandoned town shrouded in mist and restless spirits. A fiendish foe awaits them in the shadows, heralding a tale of heartbreak and tragedy. When the mysterious corpse’s identity is finally revealed, the hunt for its killer plunges Wei Wuxian back into the depths of the cultivation world's politics, where he must keep his enemies close and Lan Wangji even closer.
The first book ended with Wuxian and Wangji entering a ghost town, which is one of my favorite storylines in the show. They're chasing this mystery, and they have no idea why. Having watched the show twice, I know why, but seeing how the scenes play out in the books is so exciting. The art associated with the scenes are also just breathtaking!
*chefs kiss* The story behind this picture is so heartbreaking. Someone said it's Shakespearean, and oh man, was it. I don't remember all of the details, but I do know he took out his own eyes and later down the road was tricked into killing his best friend, whose tongue had been cut out, so he couldn't warn him. So tragic. I'm still near the beginning of this book, so I can't wait to see where it ends.
Reading anything fun this month?