This week my bookspotting involved a bunch of works-in-progress rather than proper books. It's National Novel Writing Month, and I'm giving it a try this year. My HK travel memoir is in the feedback and revision stage, so I decided to start a brand new project. It's another travel memoir that I've been thinking about writing for a long time. I'm sort of cheating since it isn't a novel, but it helps to have a daily word count target and other people to write alongside. To that end, I've been attending write-ins and meeting up with other Hong Kong writers in coffee shops this week. I've spotted aspiring authors working on mainstream fiction, YA, fantasy, dystopian, sequels to already completed works, and there's even a memoirist who is cheating like me.
Aside from the laptop-toting novelists, I spotted four people reading Chinese books this week and two people who were clearly reading in English, though I couldn't see the titles. I also saw two students carrying textbooks and two students walking and reading graphic novels at the same time.
What are people reading or writing in your town this week? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo?
PS. If you are a Hong Kong writer looking for writing buddies, email me at snyoung88@gmail.com
Hi Shannon! I'm not officially participating in NaNo, since I'm already 30,000 words into my WIP, but I'm working at a pace to write 50,000 words this month regardless--and hopefully finish the rough draft of my novel.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, I don't have much time to read right now!
Happy writing!
Good luck with NaNoWriMo! It sounds like you're making great progress. When I participated last year, I was on vacation for the first five days and that really set me back. I got to about 30K words, though.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Shanghai '37 by Vicki Baum. It's actually the second time I've read it, but it's been quite a while since I first picked it up. I think my parents bought this copy at the Peace Hotel in Shanghai when it was still a dump in the 90s. The book is excellent and timeless.
You've definitely got me beat on word count, I'm way behind. I ended up scrapping my original idea and going with one that's been bouncing around my head for ten years. Now I'm doing better.
ReplyDeleteAnd last week I spotted a woman carrying an ornate hardcover copy of what looked like Grimm's fairy tales. She stood out so much from everyone carrying electronic devices, it made my day.
Thanks for your comments everyone!
ReplyDeleteLindsay, I think it's a great idea to use Nano to finish your first draft. It helps to have lots of people frantically writing at the same time as you.
Susan, I think 30k is a great accomplishment in one month! I've never read Shanghai '37. I'll have to check it out when I have time to read again :).
Stephanie, I think it's great that you're getting to work on an idea that you've been thinking about for a while. I hope it's still going well!