Reaching the Midpoint (November Writing Challenge)

Another productive week done! We've reached the middle of the November Writing Challenge, and I reached the midpoint of my modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I've written over 38K words, which means that the final manuscript will most likely be closer to 70K. I was aiming for 50K-60K, but I'm not complaining if I write more this month. 

If you're interested in seeing what I did last week, check out the writing vlog below. I'm working my way through the fun scenes in the middle of the novel, where my modern versions of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy face similar problems as their counterparts in Austen's original two hundred years earlier.

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Book title: Shadow and Bone (*Amazon affiliate link)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Published: June 5, 2012
358 pages
My rating: 4.5/5

“Standing on the edge of a crowded road, I looked down onto the rolling fields and abandoned farms of the Tula Valley and got my first glimpse of the Shadow Fold. My regiment was two weeks’ march from the military encampment at Poliznaya and the autumn sun was warm overheads, but I shivered in my coat as I eyed the haze that lay like a dirty smudge on the horizon.”

In the war-torn nation of Ravka, seventeen-year-old Alina Starkov’s regiment is assigned to cross over the Shadow Fold – a barren wasteland of unnatural darkness and monsters. When her best friend Mal gets hurt in a monster attack, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves their lives and leads Alina to join the forces of the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite, and their notorious leader, the Darkling.

Writing the First Third of My New Novel (November Writing Challenge)

I'm making great headway with my Pride and Prejudice Retelling! I wrote the first third of the novel in ten days, so I'm right on track in my November writing challenge. During the first full week of the challenge, I had several over 3K days. I'm slightly scared of the word count -- if I keep going like this, the final manuscript might be over 70K words!

I also got my new reading journals in the mail. I've published three new reading journals (*Amazon affiliate links). Reading Journal for Romance Readers, like the title suggests, is designed specifically for romance readers. Book Review Log is for those readers who don't want to be bogged down the goal setting and are looking for a reading journal with nothing but review spreads. And my absolute favorite and reading journal for 2025: Jane Austen Reading Journal. 2025 marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, and what better way to celebrate than with a reading journal with inspiring bookish quotes from Jane's novels. You can find my other reading journals here.

Check the writing vlog below if you want to know what else I did last week.

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*As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

October Wrap-Up and November Goals

October reads

October Wrap-Up

• Finished: 7
• Started but not finished: 2
• Total pages read: 2,191
• Average rating: 3.71

Another month with a lot of books. The only contemporary fiction, though, was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (4/5 stars), which (despite the high rating) was a bit of a disappointment. I love The Hunger Games, but the prequel did not achieve the same level of excitement as the original trilogy. Click the link to read a longer review of book and what I did and didn’t like about it.

Starting a New Novel | Preptober Week 5 & November Writing Challenge 1

Woohoo! It's November, which means it's time to start writing my new novel, a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I have tons of ideas and I'm excited (and a little nervous) to write this book.

Watch the vlog below and you'll see me finish the outline, write down some more ideas for the story, combine my outline and notes, and finally start writing. I got over 5000 words done in the first three days of November, which means I'm right on track for my 50K goal for the month.

Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Book title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (*Amazon affiliate link)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult dystopian fiction
Published: May 19, 2020
517 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Coriolanus released a fistful of cabbage into the pot of boiling water and swore that one day it would never pass his lips again. He needed to eat a large bowl of the anemic stuff, and drink every drop of broth, to prevent his stomach from growling during the reaping ceremony.”

It is the year of the tenth Hunger Games, and eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is given a unique opportunity to win a scholarship to university – a much-needed money, as the once-great house of Snow has fallen into ruin. The problem: he must mentor a tribute from the lowest district, district 12, and a girl no less. But once he meets his tribute Lucy Gray Baird, a singer and a performer, he is certain he can win the audience to her (and his) side.

Preptober Week 4: Outlining Scenes to My Pride and Prejudice Retelling

Preptober is nearing the end! Last week, I continued to outline individual scenes to my Pride and Prejudice retelling. After the initial outline, I did some more brainstorming and research and came back to the outline with even more ideas. I'm excited to start writing this book on November 1st!

Check out more in the writing vlog below:

Besides preptobering, I've been hard at work making new reading journals. If you're in the market for a reading journal or a bookish gift idea, check them out (*Amazon affiliate links): Jane Austen Reading Journal: https://amzn.to/40kxz5G Reading Journal for Romance Readers: https://amzn.to/4e4v4aP Book Review Log: https://amzn.to/3NJlzmP You can find the rest of my reading journals here: https://www.susannakanto.com/reading-journals/

*As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.