New Year, New books, hooray!

So, I didn't blog at all in January. Fail on my part. And I haven't been reading as much. Double fail. I've managed to carve out time for writing, but since I'm of the opinion that I need to read more than I write, the balance is kind of askew.

There are many things I'm excited for this year in the world of literature. Personally, I am thoroughly enjoying revising my work-in-progress, 'The Dome'. I read an excellent article on the kinds of things that redrafts need to involve - when I first read it I could feel my heart sinking to the floor, but the more I reflected afterwards the more I felt ready to take on the challenge. I've changed tenses and I've been brutal with examining and experimenting with every sentence and phrase, spotting how the nuances have affected the tone.

Once that is completed, I'm planning on getting back to my new novel that I started writing in the Autumn of 2014. It's much darker than anything I've ever imagined, and the narration is inspired by Joanne Harris' "Blackberry Wine." It's definitely an experiment, and it'll be fun to take my time exploring that.

There are lots of books I'm looking forward to reading this year (though, sadly, The Winds of Winter is not going to be one :( George R. R. Martin, you're breaking out hearts!) including The Fire Sermon. I've read the teaser, I've read more than a few reviews, and it's going to be really interesting to read a book where disabilities and treatment of people with them is strongly examined. Francesca Haig is, no doubt, going to be heaped with plaudits.

I've just started reading The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, and I've never examined a book so closely to try and figure out how exactly the author has made it so damned good (except, perhaps, The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. My friend Jennie has to vet the Stephen King books I'm allowed to read, though...)

I also resolve to be on Wattpad a lot more, just because it seems like an amazing community of writers and I want to be a part of that. I also need to start experimenting again with free writing... it can be so easy to get bogged down in a first, second, third draft, and sometimes miss why I love writing - there's nothing like the feeling of creating your own worlds.

That's it for now, I guess... I've got some new reviews that need writing, after all!