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**Notes From an Amateur Writer #51**

This Blog series is an exercise in creative writing. Sometimes expressed in short story form, sometimes as a journal, or just my thoughts written down. It is a nursery of sorts for the stories that are on their way, or yet to be written.

This is post 22 in @dragosroua's January [30 day writing challenge](https://steemit.com/steemit/@dragosroua/let-s-start-2018-with-a-bang-join-me-in-a-30-days-writing-challenge-during-january).

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**Some of the Books That I am Reading**

I finished last year strongly in terms of my reading commitment. I had set a challenge of 25 books for the year, and having not really started the challenge until about May, I completed the 25th book in the final week of the year. I upped the challenge to 50 for this year. Almost one book a week, which will be difficult judging by one of the current novels I am reading. However fortunately this one is the exception when it comes to length, as it is almost three novels in one, I believe. So all up so far this year I have completed three books, and am currently reading through several more.


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**Completed Books 2018**

- The Girl Who Played With Fire – Steig Larrson
- The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest – Steig Larrson
- The Courage to be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

**Currently Reading**

- 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami (as suggested by @dailyrunner )
- All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
- A Collapse of Horses – Brian Evenson (also suggested by someone at Steemit, but I've lost the name)
- The Novel Writing Blueprint – Jill Harris
- The First 20 Hours – How to Learn Anything Fast – Josh Kaufman
- The Switch – Elmore Leonard
- The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared – Jonas Jonasson
- Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

**Coming Up**

- The Writer's Guide to Beginnings – Paula Munier
- Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace (as suggested by @rarebooksleuth )
- How to Write a Damn Good Thriller – James N. Frey
- Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
- Reading a Writer's Mind – Exploring Short Fiction – Linda Acaster
- Creating Imaginary Worlds – The 12 Rules – Charles Christian


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There is a lot of reading on that list, with both novels and writing-skills related books in there also. I tend to go through spurts, so perhaps I will struggle at times, but mostly I think I should get through the above, plus perhaps a few new ones that I add along the way in the next few months. The one I am currently reading – 1Q84 – is the challenge, as it is a large novel. But thoroughly intriguing. I love the idea, and the further I get into the story the more I struggle to put it down. Proof to me that I am onto a winner with this one. Very happy to have received this recommendation. You can expect a book review post from me on this one (and possible all the above – at least the novels) at some point after I complete it.

The challenge for me is allocating time to write more stories. I have plenty of ideas, but so far I have been spending my writing time mostly on the posts I create here. I love to do that, so it isn't a burden, but at each step in this journey I am learning the importance of planning my time a little bit better than I used to. I don't always like to be rigidly structured, but some form of time management wouldn't hurt, especially if it means I get more time to be creative.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you liked it then please like, comment, and [follow](https://steemit.com/@naquoya).

# [@naquoya](https://steemit.com/@naquoya)

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**Links to earlier works**

**- Fiction**

[My Fiction Writing Collection](https://steemit.com/fiction/@naquoya/my-fiction-writing-collection-steemit-exclusives)
[Writing Myself Out of Existence](https://steemit.com/fiction/@naquoya/fiction-writing-myself-out-of-existence)
[When the Levee Breaks](https://steemit.com/fiction/@naquoya/short-fiction-when-the-levee-breaks)

**- Blog Posts**

Notes #1 - #39 - [Notes From An Amateur Writer Collection](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-39-steemit-exclusives)
Notes #40 - [Read, Write, and Face the Future](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-40-read-write-and-face-the-future)
Notes #41 - [What Are Some Of Your Favourite Books?](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-41-what-are-some-of-your-favourite-books)
Notes #42 - [Website Review: Fiction University](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-42-website-review-fiction-university)
Notes #43 - [Seeking a Community Of Writers](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-43-seeking-a-community-of-writers)
Notes #44 - [What Are Some of Your Favourite Characters?](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-44-what-are-some-of-your-favourite-characters)
Notes #45 - [When Madness Came Knocking](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-45-when-madness-came-knocking)
Notes #46 - [Why Do I Write?](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/notes-from-an-amateur-writer-46-why-do-i-write)

**-Ramble On** (Humour based travel blog)

[Introducing My New Travel Blog](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/ramble-on-1-introducing-my-new-travel-blog)
[Making a Deal With the Devil](https://steemit.com/writing/@naquoya/ramble-on-2-making-a-deal-with-the-devil)

**-Poetry**

[My Poetry Collection](https://steemit.com/poetry/@naquoya/early-poetry-efforts-steemit-exclusives)



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