It’s only spring but it feels like summer with exceptional warm temperatures we are experiencing. As I’m busy with spring cleaning, I thought I’d revisit my word, simplify, for 2019. This is to share how I fare up, so far.
What I’ve been up to
Simplifying is not always easy, at least when it concerns my creative writing. It’s been a busy start of the year:
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Finished the novel revision, and now I brace myself for publishing.
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Started outlining a second book of fiction. It started as a collection of short stories but some stories refuse to be cut short. Time will tell…
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I’m presently (and for the first time) participating in National Poetry Writing Challenge for the month of April, on Instagram.
What I’ve been reading
At the beginning of the year, I joined Goodreads. I even took up their reading challenge, and something I definitely regret now. I hate feeling rushed when I’m reading. But here are some insightful books I’ve read thus far:
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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, the book taught me something about slavery more than a text book can possibly do because the story is about people than historical events.
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How To Steal A country by Robin Renwick, a must-read for an in depth look at the state of affairs in post-apartheid South Africa.
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Savages by Christina Bergling, a frightening yet hopeful story of survival and what makes us human.
What I’ve been listening to
I love listening to TED Talks on different subjects. The following are what I’ve enjoyed recently:
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How Twitter needs to change. I’m not on Twitter but the conversation is applicable to other forms of social media.
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Why we need to practice emotional first aid. A really convincing talk about why we should take care of our emotions, and mind.
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Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Speaking the truth is always difficult but we need to speak up, nonetheless.
What I’ve been thinking of
I enjoy participating in NaNoPoWri challenge. But it has never been more evident than it is now that I enjoy slow writing and slow reading.
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When the challenge is over, I’ll stick to long reads. That is, actually reading blogs I follow more than interactions on social media.
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Sometimes, I read a poem or poetry book that really moves or excites me and often wish I could sit down with the poet and have a conversation about their work. I’m thinking of ways to achieve this. Will keep you posted.
If you have managed to read to the end of this post, yay to long reads! Now, I’d love to hear how your year has been so far?
