Writing Wrongs

30 Days of Bookish Gratitude starts now!

With Daylight Saving Time ending today (why is it so dark?), I decided to try something fun this month: posting something bookish or writing-related that I’m grateful for.

I’ve never been able to write a novel in a month; my brain doesn’t work that way. But I do like the idea of a November challenge. In fact, I may attempt two challenges: posting something bookish here each day and completing the revisions of The Marigold Miracle. (Ha, ha, at long last.)

Want to join me? Drop your challenge in the comments below, and we can cheer each other on.

Need some ideas? Here are a few I found:

Writing:

ProWritingAid Novel November
Reedsy Novel Sprint
Finish It November (great if you’re in the middle of something; includes everything from picture books to poetry to novels)
A big list of November writing challenges

Reading:

Art:

National Knit a Sweater Month (!)
Doodlewash November Challenge
A round-up of several drawing challenges

November’s Booking Through Thursday prompts

An open book with pages fanned out, resting on top of two stacked closed books, accompanied by the text 'Booking Through Thursday'.

For those who like to plan ahead, here are the November 2026 Booking Through Thursday prompts:

November 5: What’s your favorite (or preferred) point of view? First person? Third person, single narrator, multiple narrators? Does it depend on the genre and the book?
November 12: What’s the most challenging book you’ve read?
November 19: Who are the characters you remember from the books you’ve read?
November 26: A follow-up question to last week. If you don’t remember characters (or even if you do), what makes a book memorable for you?

Want to suggest a prompt? Leave a comment or use the contact form to send it my way.

Booking Through Thursday: that’s way too scary

Welcome to Booking Through Thursday, a weekly bookish meme about books and reading for everyone who loves both. Booking Through Thursday was first hosted by Deb. With permission, I’ve restarted it in 2026.

This week’s prompt:

Back in the day, my daughter rated scary books by the number of dogs needed on the bed while reading at night. Is it a two-dog read? A five-dog read? Since we only have two dogs, five-dog reads were saved for the light of day.

How about you? How scary is too scary? Does it depend on the number of dogs you have on hand?

How scary is too scary for you, on a scale from mildly spooky to the scariest in the horror genre?

How scary is too scary for you, on a scale from mildly spooky to the scariest in the horror genre?

How to play:

On your blog: Copy the question/image for your blog, answer it there, and post a quick comment here with a link or trackback to your post so we can read it.
On social media: Copy the image, answer the prompt, and post a quick comment here with a link.
Right here: Answer in the comments and start the discussion here. No need to have a blog to play.

Note: If it’s your first time here, your comment may end up in moderation. (My spam filter is aggressive.) I’ll be in after my writing sprints to set it free.

P.S. The prompt is always open, and you don’t have to play on Thursday. Comment whenever you like!

The music of hibernation

Is it me, or does it seem darker this year? I mean that literally, not metaphorically. Daylight Saving Time hasn’t even ended, but I don’t think the sun got the memo. I swear it wasn’t this dark last October.

Yes, I know. I live in Minnesota. That’s what happens in autumn. Of course, next Sunday, it will be full-on:

Most of the time, this is a fair trade for living in a place without poisonous snakes, scorpions, and large creepy-crawly bugs.

Still, it’s dark out there. I must fight the urge to head off to bed at 7:30 p.m. Y’all, I seriously keep toddler hours in the winter. Or maybe I’m part bear (it could be true) and, like other sensible creatures, prefer to hibernate.

During my brain break week, it occurred to me that I might be missing a mood brightener. For a variety of reasons, I closed my Spotify account earlier this year. I always feel like I should enjoy Spotify. But really? I find it hard to like. It’s busy and pushy and noisy.

But Apple’s been bugging me (I sense a trend here) to try Apple Music free for three months. So, I finally gave in. The interface isn’t nearly as busy (thank you), though I’m curious why there’s a separate app devoted solely to classical music.

In any case, I’d like to see if regular music can help brighten my winter. For today, though, I’m planning to indulge in some witchy vibes, shuffle some Stevie Nicks, and cook up something on the stove.

It’s not December, so ignore that post

So, I’m scheduling all the Booking Through Thursday posts for December and got a little ahead of myself. If you saw a post come through for December 3rd, no, we haven’t time-traveled. It’s still October, thankfully.

Serves me right for clicking through a little too quickly.

Booking Through Thursday: Anywhere but there

This week’s prompt:

What house would you pass by no matter how late (or early) it was? House of Usher? Manderley? Hill House? I’m sure there are others we should avoid. Let us know where not to go this week.

What fictional house would you absolutely not spend the night in?

What fictional house would you absolutely not spend the night in?

How to play:

On your blog: Copy the question/image for your blog, answer it there, and post a quick comment here with a link or trackback to your post so we can read it.
On social media: Copy the image, answer the prompt, and post a quick comment here with a link.
Right here: Answer in the comments and start the discussion here. No need to have a blog to play.

Note: If it’s your first time here, your comment may end up in moderation. (My spam filter is aggressive.) I’ll be in after my writing sprints to set it free.

P.S. The prompt is always open, and you don’t have to play on Thursday. Comment whenever you like!

Brain breaks and Sunday naps

What everyone should be doing on Sunday:

This is only their morning nap, too. They have some serious afternoon napping to look forward to.

This past week, I wrapped up adding all the longhand edits into the manuscript. Am I done editing? No. No, I am not.

The next round is more surgical. There are things I want to change, elements that need linking, and small things to add that will play out in book three.

But this coming week, I’m taking a bit of a break. I’ll be making notes in the morning, but we’re due for some lovely weather, so I’m going to give my brain a rest and get all the outdoor stuff done.

Otherwise, it will somehow become November, and I’ll be outside, pulling in the hoses and birdbaths during a wintry mix.

I’ll probably read a lot, too, and maybe binge-watch a few things. But mostly, I’m hoping to be kind to future-me and get all the autumn clean-up done.

Booking Through Thursday: Unexpectedly scary

This week’s prompt:

Did you ever start a book not expecting to be scared and then all at once you’re double-checking the locks and peering beneath the bed? Did you put on a brave face? Or did you opt out at that point?

Let us know what books we should (or perhaps shouldn’t) try.

What book scared you more than you expected it to?

What book scared you more than you expected it to?

How to play:

On your blog: Copy the question/image for your blog, answer it there, and post a quick comment here with a link or trackback to your post so we can read it.
On social media: Copy the image, answer the prompt, and post a quick comment here with a link.
Right here: Answer in the comments and start the discussion here. No need to have a blog to play.

Note: If it’s your first time here, your comment may end up in moderation. (My spam filter is aggressive.) I’ll be in after my writing sprints to set it free.

P.S. The prompt is always open, and you don’t have to play on Thursday. Comment whenever you like!

This blog post does not have a picture of a fox

But there was one in the backyard this week! It was down by the pond, and while I tried to get a photo, it wasn’t happening. All I got for my efforts was an orange blur.

Still, I haven’t seen a fox in the backyard for years (granted, I may simply be missing them), so it was nice that this one stopped for a visit.

Autumn and October have officially arrived:

In writing news, I’ve made it through the longhand edits! The last 200 pages or so are waiting patiently for me to start keying them into the manuscript.

After that, I’ll need to comb through the manuscript, adding here, deleting there. Looking for the crutch words and phrases I’ve used or overused. I know I’ve said aplomb far too many times (or, rather, Henry has). My characters do far too much eye-rolling (to be fair, it’s warranted).

I even started work on the cover. Here’s a peek:

A small cover portion of The Marigold Miracle

So, The Marigold Miracle is starting to feel like a real book.

I am, however, taking the rest of the day off. It’s lovely out, and while I may not venture far from home, I am going to enjoy this unseasonably warm weather.

Booking Through Thursday: Reading off the beaten path

This week’s prompt:

Do you have a favorite genre that’s off the beaten path?

Maybe it’s nonfiction about a particular time in history. Perhaps books for a craft or hobby. Maybe it’s hopepunk or bizarro fiction. Whatever you love, let us know (and maybe recommend a book or two).

What’s a favorite genre that others might not read?

What’s a favorite genre that others might not read?

How to play:

On your blog: Copy the question/image for your blog, answer it there, and post a quick comment here with a link or trackback to your post so we can read it.
On social media: Copy the image, answer the prompt, and post a quick comment here with a link.
Right here: Answer in the comments and start the discussion here. No need to have a blog to play.

Note: If it’s your first time here, your comment may end up in moderation. (My spam filter is aggressive.) I’ll be in after my writing sprints to set it free.

P.S. The prompt is always open, and you don’t have to play on Thursday. Comment whenever you like!

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