Hello, all my lovely readers and friends 🙂
This month has been one hell of a rollercoaster ride. I wrote like a maniac for some days, but some days I had to struggle to get even a single word out. I managed to read a few books while doing JuNoWriMo and in my off days I watched a lot of movies and a few series.
My month in:
WRITING–
- I’m very near to completing the first draft of Sinister Town. This book is proving harder than the first one mostly because the characters have grown really, really close to me. I don’t know how to put it into words, but it’s just that I can’t seem to move forward knowing how things are going to end for them. So, I’m struggling a little, but another 10 or 15 days and I’ll be done with the first draft.
Another reason for my slow progress might be the fact that I’m writing a better FD than last time, as in a lot of details are going into this one. I’m making it a bit bigger than the last time as I’ve learned a few things about first drafts from SK’s On Writing.
Plotline #2 for Sinister Town - Towards the end of the month (after a lot of brainstorming and hair-pulling) I’ve created a new schedule in which I am online only for an hour or hour and a half every alternate day, and that too only when it’s absolutely necessary. It has helped me by increasing my productivity and giving me enough time to not only read novels but also books on writing and grammar helping me sharpen my skills. 🙂 I’ll share more about it in my next post.
Chilling out and writing reviews for Adelaide Magazine Here’s my Fb post on 10 Minute Novelists about it:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/488365771285615/permalink/913330618789126/ - Also, I’ve completed my word count for JuNoWriMo 2016 (30,000 words.)
READING–
- Chakana by W.E. Lawrence – 4/5
- In The Blood by R.L. Martinez – 5/5
- Ghostbusters: Who Ya Gonna Call? by – 3/5
- The Birth Of An American Gigolo by Deek Rhew – 3/5
- Captcha Thief by Rosie Claverton –
- On Writing by Stephen King –
PODCASTS–
The Reading Bud – Fiction Book Reviews:
- Episode #01 – Book Review of Justice For Jessica
- Episode #02 – Book Review of The Cogsmith’s Daughter
- Episode #03 – Book Review of The Killing Forest
Fiction Writing With Author Heena:
- Episode #01 – Introduction
REGARDING DECEIVED–
- I received the first designs from the cover designer, but they needed revisions, so he’s presently working on them again.
- We’ve finalized the proofreader as well, so all I have to do now is wait for the edits.
MOVIES–
Latest Releases
- The Conjuring: The Enfield Poltergeist – 4/5 [It was AWESOME, except for the ending which was full of loose ends.]
- Warcraft – 2/5 [I had no clue WTF was happening the entire time. The odd casting made it all the more torturing 😦 ]
- Finding Dory – 4/5 – Beautiful is the word for this movie.
- Now You See Me 2 – 4/5 – Good but not as good as the first one.
- Independence Day 2 – 3.5/5 – Meh storyline and acting but superb graphics.
Old Ones:
- Zombieland
- John Wick
- Despicable Me 1
- Fast And The Furious 7
- Ka & Ki
- Khadus Sala
- Blast From The Past
- 20 Days Of Night
- It
- Croods-2
- Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies.
INSTAGRAM–
- The most liked pic on my Ig this month:
Random writing click
My study table
- The most liked pic on TRB’s Ig this month:
Thanks a lot for following me on Ig! If you haven’t followed me yet, then visit my profile (see below for link,) but please remember I follow-back only book related accounts and, authors and friends, of course. Just make sure that we’ve interacted here once before you follow me 🙂
Check out all my pics on my Instagram.
Miscellaneous:
- Watched the 4th season of Bates Motel and was really affected by the brilliant portrayal of Norma’s death. I feel so bloody bad for Norman that words simply can’t explain.
- Watched the season finale of Game Of Thrones, and yeah, even that had an effect on me. I was exhilarated because all things are looking bright for the Stark children.
- I started watching a new series, Grimm. It’s nice and totally my types so I’m sure I’ll look forward to Thursday nights now. (I really needed something fresh after GOT’s finale to look forward to and I think this is it.)
- I decided to keep off the internet for 90% of the day and that’s working out beautifully (that’s the reason why I’m posting this so late.)
- I started a new sketch, but I won’t share the pic just yet as right now it looks a little off, I’ll share it’s pic once I fill in afew details and textures.
This month has been a lot of fun, but there were a few days where I felt completely off. Reason? God only knows. I’m starting to get back mood-swings which is not good as I know it means that getting anxious about something. Maybe my book’s release? Yeah, I guess that’s one of the major factors, but other than that I have a lot going on in my life right now that I hate talking about, so I’ll just leave it at that. I just hope that i get back to my normal mood soon and get over this period ASAP.
What about you? How was your month? What all books did you read in April? Did you participate in Camp NaNo?
Please share about your month in the comments section below. I’m all EARS
If you want to know more about me then follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (links below) as I’m always posting on these three social networks. And yes, I love interacting there as well.
Here are my links:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
Have a great day guys!
Ciao
VERBATIK MEDIA by Heena R. Pardeshi 
14 responses to “Month End Updates: June’16”
Geeeez! How do you do that all, Heena! Is your day more than 24 hours!? HAHA
Kidding aside, you surely have a very productive month! 😀 And I am delighted to see that you are reading On Writing. 🙂 ❤ It is one of my fave reads. 🙂
Good luck to your boooooks! I wish I can buy them! ❤
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Haha… seems like it only when I write it down in a post. I always feel that I’m not managing my time nicely.
And On Writing is my first love, and so is Stephen King, when it comes to writing 😊
Hope you’re having a great day!
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Yay! Glad to hear that, Heena! I hope you are having more productive days too!
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What a month for you, Heena. It always seems like you pack so much in each month and June is no exception. Sorry to hear that book writing is going slower than usual, but sometimes there is only so much we can think about and put together. It is so disciplined of you to go online for a bit every alternate day – and that is sure to make you more focused in July 😀
Your study space is so neat! I like how you stack up all your notebooks (?) and it all looks uncluttered and clean. My desk is pretty similar, and I feel that the neater and clearer my desk, the more my creative writing juices flow.
This month has been a rollercoaster ride for me too. Been going to the doctor’s to get issues sorted and on top of that working hard at work. It has also been cold and raining a lot here in Australia, so I also shopped for warm winter clothes 😀
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How do you fit everything in Heena? That is quite a list!!
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Hehe. Thanks, Marge. I guess it’s a result of trying to learn time management 😊
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Once more you’ve been so productive it puts me to shame! 🙂 Glad to hear your new WIP is going well. I always enjoyed first drafts. Do you? And have your read the Game of Thrones books, or just watched the TV show?
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Thanks. But it’s nothing even close to what you do in a week. Trust me when I say that. I have a really imaptient streak, so yeah I start to do a lot of things, but I rarely finish them all. That’s what I’m trying to improve on.
And yeah. I think I love and hate them, both equally. Thankfully I’m closing to the end. 😊
And yes, I’ve read the books too. That’s why I get so affected by the serial. I have developed this bond with Ned Stark that’s why I really get upset for his family. He reminds me of my father (or belps me imagine a better version of him.) So the emotional connect.
I’m again down with fever. Summer gave way to rains here and it turned the temperatures frastically overnight. On meds now.
Hope you’re having a great week 😊
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*hugs* hope the meds work and gets rid of your fever.
I’m only on the second book but I rooting for the Starks to win the day. 🙂
I used to be the same with stories. I started loads of them, finished the first drafts and never went any further. So I’ve finally decided to pick one and work on it before moving on to another. 🙂
I was a bit upset when they killed Ned Stark off in the first book.
It’s always nice when you can get an emotional connection with a character. I get what you mean about imagining your father as a better version. I do that sometimes too.
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I’m all better now… phew. Feels good to be rid of sickness.
I guess that’s what I need to do… there are just so many ideas that are worth writing. *sigh*
Nice… I bet you’ll be weeping in the coming parts… especially the 3rd book (if you haven’t watched the series or the spoilers.) I almost had a heart attack. I so want to re-read the entire series again before Winds Of Winter releases, but I’m stalling it as it’ll again drain the hell out of me emotionally.
We’re like soul sisters then. 😊 We have a lot in common.
BTW, I just read The Girl With All The Gifts, and that book is simply brilliant! You’ve read it?
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Glad you’re feeling better. 🙂
But I can’t wait to read it all the same. I’m fascinated by how it’s done as well. How do you make a reader care that much about a character?
I just read a bit in the second that I’m hoping against hope isn’t true. To hear it gets worse is not good.
I haven’t watched the series, and I’m avoiding spoilers like the plague. 🙂
Soul sisters. A nice thought. 😀
I haven’t read A Girl With All The Gifts. What’s it about?
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Haha… yeah. GOT spoilers are everywhere on the net.
A Girl With All The Gifts is a dystopian novel. It’s post-apocalyptic, but unlike any other book. It has such brilliant characterization that it makes you feel torn from the inside. It’s about a 10-year-old girl who’s actually one of the many 2nd generation of zombies aka hungries, but has feelings, and is trying to understand who she really is. A beautiful, beautiful book 🙂
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That sounds like a beautiful story. Not sure about the zombies part, but I’ll put it on my TBR. I’m always on the lookout for books that can tear me in two on the inside. Why I like to feel that way, I have no idea. 🙂
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I can understand. Sometimes I feel the same… 🙂
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