What is Darth Vader’s favorite month?
December. He’s felt your presents.
Hello Friend,
It’s the end of the year, did you know that? How did it happen? How does it happen every year, and how does it surprise me every time?
My birthday was fantastic! My birthday week was filled with friends and family and shopping and eating. All culminating on Sunday, my birthday, during which I got my favorite flowers (pink carnations) from my husband, along with a special chocolate mousse cake. What made it special? The fact that I didn’t have to slice it! Yep, it’s been a wild dream of mine to just take a fork to a cake. A really big cake. It was heavenly. Here’s the proof:
Facts of Life
As of writing this, I still don’t have my car back lololol.
Along with my birthday celebrations, Thanksgiving was a calm, peaceful event. Lots of yummy food, lots of time with family. We put Christmas up, finally! For some reason, I have been craving the decor and lights and spirit so much earlier than I ever have before. Maybe because after a hard year, I’m ready for the lightness of the Christmas season, the feel-good cheesy movies, the comforting warmth of hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows, the nostalgic music and uplifting tone of love in the air.
And of course, the excitement of present. Not to bury the lead here, but something truly exciting happened just before my birthday (like the Friday before!) and carried on after Thanksgiving. I was given an early birthday/Christmas gift in my author career journey; one I’ve never been given before! I’m being super vague here because I have to be, but I cannot wait to show you what was inside!
Progress Report
Oh, friends, something happened to me this month. I hit a wall.
This happens when writing a book, or two. I thought I had just hit a wall in #book11 but it turns out at that I also hit a wall in the erotic romance. I was well into outlining the next section before drafting it when my gut told me something was wrong. I paused and took a few todays to think instead of outline. I moved things around in my head, I poked here and prodded there, and realized that the emotional beats in this section were wrong. So, I went back to the halfway point, where I’d finished drafting, and made an emotional beat progression chart. Aha! I thought, there’s the problem. And then I re-outlined and thought everything was perfect.
Until it came time to draft the next chapter.
Everything about my outlined scenes felt wrong. I deleted what I had and tried again, the same scene but with a few things moved around. Still, it felt wrong. I leaned back and ran through some other ways into the scene and each one of them felt wrong, too. So, I closed my laptop and walked away. And I haven’t been back since. That was two weeks ago.
Past Alysha would be terrified. Past Alysha would have put butt-in-chair every day and forced out the chapter. Past Alysha would have been wrong.
If #PosionQueen taught me anything, it’s the value of listening to your writerly gut. Oh, and rest.
I needed both. I still need both. Something is amiss in this next chapter, and I’m not sure if it’s because I veered off in the last chapter or if I’m now hitting a completely different wrong beat. Thankfully, I’ve got time to figure this out, the right way.
Like I said, I learned the hard way with my last book that it’s not always the right move to push forward and get words written. Thinking is just as important as drafting. And if I allow myself to think through this and only draft when I’m certain the pieces fight right, then I’ll save myself the agony and time needed to rip the book apart and revise it later.
Already, I have a new idea of what the chapters might be missing! I’m going to sit on that for a few days and then try to write again.
As for #book11, I’m pushing that to the back burner for now, as I said in the subscribers-only newsletter earlier this month. If you’d like to check it out, and continue watching me write a book, step-by-step, do the clicky:
Recommendations
Just in time for Christmas shopping!
As I said last month, I’ve been searching for a new way to track the books I read (especially the ones I love) and a way to share them with friends! So, I’ve set up a Bookshop account, Alysha Welliver's Bookshop, where I list my favorite books (broken down by genre, age category, and books by friends) which you can peruse at any time. I’ll also go into more detail about a book each time I include this section. Also, if you didn’t know, Bookshop.org works to connect readers with independent booksellers all over the world. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores.
For today, I want to highlight one of my favorite books in each age category/genre! (Just so you know, this was waaay more agonizing to narrow down than I expected it to be!)
Fantasy: (Since I talked about my all-time favorite book, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, last month, I’ll put my second favorite here today) The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart. All three books are out, so you can binge the trilogy!
Young Adult: My Lady Jane by Jodie Meadows, Cynthia Hand, and Brodi Ashton (also my all-time favorite audiobook)
Middle Grade: Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (this whole series is fun!)
Picture Book: No Bunnies Here! by Tammi Sauer
Self Help: The Origins of You by Vienna Pharaon
Annnd because I can’t help myself, my favorite read of 2023: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Annnd favorite client read that drops in 2024: Icebound by Meredith Trapp
Your Turn!
What are some of your favorite reads of 2023? I’m building my TBR for 2024! (Or let’s be honest, I’m building a lifetime TBR)
Thanks for hanging out with me, friend!
Alysha
Wanna chat about books and writing and adventures in life? Let’s be friends on Instagram!
Happy birthday!!! And I can’t wait to hear about your neeeews!!! 💖💖