Missed me?

Seems it's been a while since my last post, but I have not abandoned my blog. Oh, no, not at all. I was just busy.

Wanna see what I've been doing recently?

Started with this:

Ended up with these:

Yep, that's from my garden. I think after this I can easily call myself a great apple picker :)

 

But this is not the only thing I've been up to. Most of the time I have been studying English: reading and writing. I've read so many books recently I've lost the count. I call it studying: I'm not just reading (I can't remember the last time I was reading just for pleasure), I read and highlight and write down new words and interesting phrases into my notepads. By the time I finish Witch Hollow's last book I will receive a Bachelor's degree in English. Don't believe me? Look at what I've been exploring:

 Elements of Style and Chicago Manual of Style.

What great books! ELOS might seem to be thin and an easy read, but no, it's not that easy. It's tough and worth every cent. If you don't have them yet, I advise you to pick them up as soon as possible.

Oh, look what else I've got!

Witch Hollow books in paperbacks. I'm very critical of what I've written and don't think very highly of my first attempts at writing in a foreign language, and still, I love my books. How can I not love them? They are my children, I have given birth and nurtured each of them. I will always love them even though I'm planning to write much better and create much more interesting stories.

Last night I had a dream about my characters. Mainly Cassandra and Dickens. When I realized that the story is coming to an end, and that I will never write about them again, I felt a bit hollow. Alas, all the stories have to end. But this was a great experience. As someone who writes in a foreign language, I have become more confident. I write longer without stopping over every word and considering every phrase. If I have more time on my hands I might start another blog, where I'll be giving advice to new authors who, like me, have to learn to write in a second, or even a third language. I've read many books on writing, but they don't always apply to us. We are different, we have to work differently, our struggles are bigger and harder. But not impassable. While I don't think I've reached a level where I can teach others, I think I could give advice or two to those who are planning to write in English but think they won't make it.
Yes, it's hard, but is there anything easy in this world?