Day 16: Next Steps

It's day 16 and I'm thinking about what to do next. I have the blog fully integrated into my routine, I'm reading regularly again, and I've gotten at least something typed every day since I started. Going good if you ask me! I am going to have to rework my word goals though. As I mentioned on Friday, I didn't even come close to my goal last week. There's nothing to do but move it down a peg and try again this week. I'm not exactly happy about it, but I don't see the point in having a goal that I consistently miss. It'll just make me feel bad. Other than that, I'm happy with progress so far, but my days are not yet packed full of literature. There's a problem with that, and I intend to solve it.

To solve the problem, I created a Reddit account. If you're thinking: 'that's about the dumbest way to read/write more that I've ever heard of,' then you'd be wrong! Social media can be extremely distracting, but it can also be a great resource if properly pruned. I've got the account feeding me nothing but writing prompts, book recommendations, literary discussions, and much more. I'm planning on using this account primarily to network with other aspiring writers. I'm going to find a writing group and get involved in any capacity I can. It'll be great for feedback on my own writing and I hope to read some stuff I would never get to otherwise. The thing about published novels is all of them are about as perfect as the author is capable of making them. Reading works in progress will be like listening to a jam session after a life of nothing but studio recordings. It should be as fun as it is informative and I'm looking forward to it. That'll be the focus of my housekeeping this week, so if you have any recommendations for writing groups you subscribe to, go ahead and put them in the comments because I'd love to hear them!

I also have a new book haul, full of classics this time. I've got 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'Frankenstein', 'Brave New World', 'Dracula', and 'The Collected Short Stories of Mark Twain.' Expect reviews of the above in the next few weeks, though I'm not sure I'm qualified to review Mary Shelley, Mark Twain, or any of these famous authors. I feel the need to review the books I read so I don't forget them, and so I can better know my own perspective. Like the blog, the book reviews will allow me to look back and make fun of myself for having poorly thought out opinions on things I can't hope to ever fully understand. It'll be fun!

I promised something a little more interesting for this blog post, so if you want, you can check out the Reddit account I mentioned where I've made a couple posts for your perusal.

https://www.reddit.com/user/BHawleyWrites

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley