Justin Ford

I wrote 1,655 words this week for an average of 236 per day.

I recently finished revising a draft, so I had to figure out what I’m working on next while I wait for notes from friends.

I also just returned to work, so it’s been a struggle to find writing time.

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I wrote 4,000 words this week for an average of 571 per day. I finally finished revising the rough draft of my children’s fantasy novel into a real 1st draft! Glad to be this far, but there’s still a long way to go. Looking forward to getting notes from friends

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#SixOfCrows is a big improvement over the Shadow & Bone trilogy. The rush of info at the start is overwhelming, but after that it’s smooth, entertaining sailing right til the end. The heist is exciting, the characters are engaging and the lore is as intriguing as ever — 6/6 Crows

I wrote 3,975 words this week for an average of 568 per day.

On both Wednesday & Thursday, I wrote 0 new words, but I revised words I’d already written.

Conversely, I wrote 1,500 new words on Friday. At this rate, I think I can still finish this draft by EOM!

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#TheCurseOfTheGloamglozer is the best Edge Chronicles book yet. Focusing on one locale lets the setting shine. The more mature protagonists also bring emotional depth. Though, with all the bad fathers in this series, I’m starting to think the authors have daddy issues — 5/5 Stars

I wrote 2,025 words this week for an average of 289 per day.

This was the least productive week I’ve had in a while. I got sick halfway, which hurt my momentum. I also got stuck condensing a long chapter, which took a while.

Here’s hoping next week is better!

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I wrote 7,000 words this week for an average of 1,000 per day!

I’m working in 1,500-word increments, revising a chapter, then condensing it down to that word-count limit. The book is for children so the shorter the better.

Now, I’m roughly 2/3 of the way done

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#YellowJackets Season 2 embraces its campiness, sometimes for better (comedically) but more often for worse (dramatically). The new & side characters often feel like caricatures while a death in the finale spells trouble for the charm of the adult timeline in the future 3/5 Stars

#Clytemnestra is bogged down by wasted story potential. It sets up a compelling revenge plot that its strong-willed protagonist inexplicably doesn’t pursue til the end of the book. This novel has a rich setting and complex themes but its payoff feels too little too late 2/5 Stars

#Circe is another masterpiece by Miller. Beautiful prose, compelling characters & mature themes supported by evocative myth brought convincingly to life. Between this & Achilles, Miller is becoming one of my favorite authors. If only her books came out more frequently — 5/5 Stars

I wrote 6,000 words this week for an average of 857 per day. Most productive days were Wed & Fri with 1,500 words each. Least productive was Thu with 0.

I’m halfway through rewriting the rough draft of my children’s fantasy novel into an official first draft!

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#ImpossibleCreatures feels like the novelization of a fantasy game with its fetch quests, random encounters, and big bad. To its credit, it also tackles mature themes and has likable characters, though they’re often more interesting for what they are than who they are — 4/5 Stars

#AGameOfThrones deserves the praise it gets for its expansive worldbuilding, untraditional plot & complex characters. It’s odd who does and doesn’t get a POV though and some of the medieval details can be a bit much. Still, an effective intro despite some minor quirks — 5/5 Stars

I wrote 5,115 words this week. Average of 731 per day. Highest: 1,500 on Sat & Wed. Lowest: 0 on Tue & Thu.

I rewrote chapters 4-6 of my children’s fantasy book, with my protagonist meeting her own reflection and a shapeshifting antagonist in a crystal cavern.

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#SmallSpaces is my favorite kids book I’ve read in a while. The setting is spooky and atmospheric. The characters are strong and likable. The story is complex while still easily understood. It’s also refreshing to see children’s horror not shy away from darker elements. 5/5 Stars

#CriticalRole C4 being DND instead of Daggerheart is disappointing. Although, between the new DM & PCs (which are much more exciting) playing it safe in one way makes sense. Odd that the players will remain in distinct groups, though, since it’s supposed to be West Marches style!

#MidnightOverSanctaphrax features The Edge Chronicles’ strongest world-building yet, and its plot is full of fun adventure. However, the story is tropier than in past books, and Twig almost feels like a new character. Cowlquape seems like his replacement as protagonist. 4/5 Stars

This week I wrote 4,500 words for an average of 643 words per day. Highest: 1,500 words on Thursday. Lowest: 0 on Monday (revised instead) and Friday (read instead).

I rewrote 3 chapters of my children’s fantasy chapter-book, moving from a rough to first draft

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#AliceIsntDead very much feels like a podcast adapted into novel form. 2-dimensional characters meander through a loosely constructed plot with some underdeveloped lore and a theme unsupported by the story. It’s a shame, because it’s a waste of an evocative atmosphere — 2/5 Stars

This week I wrote 10,650 words for an average of 1,521 words per day. Highest: 2,332 words on Wednesday. Lowest: 1,000 words each on Thursday & Friday.

I finished a rough draft of my sci-fi horror middle grade fiction novel. Now I’m deciding what to write next

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#AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms is well realized medieval fiction with strong settings, characters, and themes. However, the stories leave little impact due to their mundane natures. Maybe the series is building to something, but this entry hasn’t reached great heights yet — 3/5 Stars

#TheMysteryKnight certainly has a lot going on in it. Dunk and Egg also continue to be likable protagonists. Overall, though, this entry in the series doesn’t leave much impression. It is thoroughly-crafted medieval fiction, but in more ways than one, it’s not fantastic 2/5 Stars

#TheSwornSword is richly detailed like its predecessor. This provides layers of moral and thematic complexity as well as engaging characters while also making it hard to keep track of everything in just a novella. Sadly, there’s also even less fantasy this time around — 3/5 Stars

#TheHedgeKnight is a nice (surprisingly fantasy-lite) slice of medieval life with likable protagonists and some neat connections to A Song of Ice and Fire. There are also solid themes among the many details, though it’s ultimately not a very emotionally impactful tale — 3/5 Stars

This week I wrote 11,333 words for an average of 1,619 words per day. Highest: 2,028 words on Thursday. Lowest: 808 words on Monday.

I worked on my middle grade sci-fi horror novel about five brothers trapped in another dimension, trying to find their way out.

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#Piranesi is short and sweet with an intriguing premise. The protagonist is similarly charming, though other characters are relatively simple. The plot, although satisfying, is largely driven by gradual tell-don’t-show exposition. Memorable yet not quite a masterpiece — 4/5 Stars

#AgainstAllGods throws you into the deep end with countless characters, a sprawling plot, and an elaborate setting. These impressive elements gradually come together, though not in a particularly emotional way. This epic’s main appeal is its distinctive world-building — 4/5 Stars

#HouseOfSuns features intriguing ideas that make the start and end engaging, but the middle drags. The characters also don’t act like the long-lived figures they are. Plus, for all its focus on clones & machine intelligence, the book says little of substance about those 3/5 Stars

#Babylonia is richly realized historical fiction that shines most in its setting and poetic prose. The palace intrigue also provides plenty of character study, which is undeniably interesting, though most figures aren’t traditionally likable. Still, that fits the tone — 5/5 Stars

#Stormchaser is a swashbuckling adventure with a richly realized setting. The details of the world-building can be overly complex (or perhaps under-explained) and the story is more interested in intrigue than emotional catharsis but it’s worth it just for the creativity 4/5 Stars