Hi Writing Group! My September Progress

I think of you as a member of my big, bold, extended writing group, and when I planned my 2025 goals, I promised to share my monthly progress with you. This month, I'm posting a little early to accommodate a terrific guest post that is scheduled for the end of the September--which works out because I couldn't wait to share my progress with you.

Milestone Completed

Cue the confetti! I've completed the edit of the second draft of my historical gothic mystery. 🎉 The manuscript needs more work, of course, but I'm happy I've come this far and the project continues to tug at my heart.

More Research

This book is set in 1851, so I continue to research the details. (I recently posted about research and clothes.) In this spirit, I took myself to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to study some paintings that matched the setting and characters. However, I stumbled on this one painting, which conveyed to me the feeling of the gothic vibe and really charged my gothic-writing batteries:

Magdalene With Two Flames by Georges de La Tour

Moving On

Here's what next month looks like:

• Beta readers. Starting small, I'm sharing selected chapters with members of my writing group. In the future I may widen the call for beta readers to share more of the manuscript. If you'd like to be a part of the beta reader team, sign up and let me know.

• Short story. Next month I'll share a story appropriate to the spooky season with those folks who have signed up for updates.

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How was your September? Did you make progress with your writing or reading? Let me know in the comments.