Fighting Burnout, Finding Joy

Hmm. I had a lot of heavy-duty marking to do for my real job this week, so I don't have a HUGE update about the book status. Sorry. 😅

Writing Update

Uhh, okay. I wasn't really updating Pacemaker this week, so I don't even think I have an accurate word count to share, but according to Scrivener, if I'm right about where I left off, I've applied my (self) proofreading edits up to 49, 491 — so, about halfway! I have more highlights in the Kindle app, but we'll get there.

Distraction?

I'd like to promise that I'm going to catch up and apply the aforementioned changes, but, uh, I may have VERY impulsively decided to sew an entire Regency-style dress for a screening of Pride and Prejudice at the end of the month, and that's actually what I plan on doing today. So . . . yeah. (I've literally never made a dress before, and I've definitely never made sleeves before, so WISH ME LUCK.)

But Kate, shouldn't you be prioritizing the book?

No, I should be prioritizing my happiness. :)

(This is a very #sorrynotsorry situation. I'm SO excited about making a Jane Austen / Regency era dress, you guys. It's like a bucket list thing. Please send me good vibes so I don't mess it up!!)

The TikTok experiment continues

Okay, so I have continued to post on TT. It's certainly been interesting! I've kept my videos VERY low-effort using a style that apparently works well on Reels, and it seems like it's not bad for TT either. Like, again, not incredible. But views did go up this week? That probably has more to do with consistency and engagement efforts on my part. There were more likes and saves this week, and now TWO people have added TMOT to their Goodreads TBRs. TWO, y'all! Yayyy!!

Oh, yeah. You can add The Mark of Thieves to your Goodreads TBR now. :)

Reading

After a long day of cutting and pinning pattern pieces, I needed a brain break, so I tried to get some reading done. :) (Also, looking at BookTok every day is definitely rekindling the desire to read more?! Hurray for a positive in something I generally consider negative — spending too much time on TT, I mean.)

• The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alex E. Harrow — will continue but clearly wasn't in the right headspace at the moment. It was really good, though.

• Love and Other Champagne Problems by Sarah Sutton — I watch pretty much all of Sarah's writing vlogs and even though contemporary romance is not usually my thing, I really wanted to support her NA titles. I really like it so far. Sumner is freaking ADORABLE. It's making me want to write softer, more romantic stuff. Yayyyy!

• All of Our Lives be Elli Eberle — I've been reading Elli's work for years and this is her new release. And it's FREE! (Trigger warnings apply.) I'm not super far in but the opening was QUITE gripping, let me tell you.

Snippet

Folks, I honestly have so little to share this week. My brain was ENTIRELY consumed during the workweek by marking my students' short fiction assignment, and now I'm making this dress, and also proofreading is. Like. Pretty boring. 😅

Omg, apparently I did work a little on TPSOS way back on Tuesday! Let's see what I can find in there lol.

Let's have some ANGST, shall we?

This is my chance, the one I was saving for, the one I was waiting for. The chance to walk away and leave forever. I could just never come back—let enough time pass so when I look in the mirror at my scars or at the crooked arrow, the memories will be little more than bad dreams, dulled and distant. Just pictures carved into something long dead.

Have a great week, everyone!