Hi readers,

I hope you all had a wonderful January. I’ve decided to put together a writing wrap-up post every month to track my progress on each of my writing projects. 

This month, my main goal was to work on my writing for half an hour a day. I use the phrase “working on” quite loosely. My son is teething like crazy at the moment, so a lot of my writing time was spent giving much-needed (and much-enjoyed) snuggles in bed. As long as I spent at least half an hour thinking about one of my works-in-progress, I considered that day a success. I actually found this to be a super productive habit. It meant that, when I did get the time to write, I knew exactly where the story was going to go, and tended to write more words in a session.

Here are my totals for the month!

Freddie and the Magnolias – Picture Book

550 words – Draft complete

A little boy, a missing imagination, and an unexpected friend. 

I wrote the first draft and did a couple of rounds of edits this month. I’m lucky to have my sister, who is an artist, illustrating the story for me.

Big Rain – Picture Book

400 words – Draft complete

A group of kids, a tropical summer rain storm, and a secret island.

I’ve had so much fun with picture books this month! I wrote the first draft of this story, but haven’t started the editing process.

Untitled Middle Grade Novel

4200 words – Chapters 1 & 2

A meteor, a forever friendship, and a new beginning.

This is the main project I’ve been working on in the evenings after my baby goes to bed. I didn’t start the draft until about half way through the month, so I’m excited to see how much progress I can make in February! The first two chapters came really easily, and the plot has been revealing itself to me as I sit and spend time in my main character’s world. 

Untitled short story

600 words

A librarian, a desire, and a deception.

This is the first short story I’ve started in a long time. It feels good to get back into this form. I’ve always liked how experimental short fiction can be.

Stone Fruit – Poem

A mother, a baby, and longing.

I wrote this poem in my head while standing in the kitchen and sharing a peach with my baby. You can read it here.

And that’s a wrap! I’m happy with the progress I made this month. I’ve started some projects that I’m really excited about, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they continue to take shape throughout the year. 

Thank you for coming along! I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on this month.

Featured image art by Pfefferminza_Viktualia