Why I Love Writing Second Drafts

NaNoWriMo is the time of the year when we word vomit our first drafts but I relish the coming time when I can smooth out that rough draft and shape it into something more cohesive. NaNoWriMo helps me speed through the initial messy beginning, but here’s why I love the second draft.

A Book Review of King's War by Jill Williamson

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The remnant of the Five Realms has finally found a home in ErRets. However, peace is much harder to secure, and forces from within and without threaten Trevn's new rule. The Hadar family and their allies prepare to make one final stand in the name of Arman: There shall be war in ErRets and in the Veilto vanquish evil or be ruled by darkness.

Series: The Kinsman Chronicles (Book 3)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Bethany House Pub (June 19, 2018)
Page Count: 659 pages

I can't believe this series has finally come to an end! I've been an advanced reader for it since the beginning and it's been a long journey, but so cool to see the ancestors of the characters in the Blood of Kings series!

Writing Lessons from Movies: Princess Mononoke

I recently finally watched Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind (I have no idea how this movie evaded me all this time), which made me want to rewatch Studio Ghibli’s other nature-centered film Princess Mononoke. Man, it is such a good movie. This was my third time viewing it and I feel like it’s taken all three watches for me to truly appreciate it. 

Princess Mononoke is about Prince Ashitaka who is poisoned by a demon boar and banished from his land to travel to the west to discover the demon’s origin and possibly a cure to his ailment. He encounters a land torn asunder by conflicting ideals of man and beast and must see it through eyes not clouded by hate to bring peace to the two sides before they destroy each other. 

Warning: Spoilers. I’m trying to keep them as minimal as possible. The larger ones are in points 2, 4, and 5. 

A Book Review of Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

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The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Series: Throne of Glass (Book 5)

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; Reprint edition (September 5, 2017)

Page Count: 720 pages

I'm really torn about this book because I like the plot, but there's just so much sexual content that a big chunk of it was really off-putting to me. Can we just have a good story without pages long sex scenes?

Monthly Summary: October 2018

October is normally one of my favorite months out of the year, but this year it was a bit chaotic. Laptop trouble really setback my NaNoWriMo plans, so I'm hoping to make a few temporary changes for the blog to allow me to participate successfully.