Happy Halloween! I love this time of year for its gorgeous leaves changing color, crisp autumn walks, and the excuse to get cozy and read a lot, interspersed with horror movie watching, of course. 😱 We just rewatched the classic Spielberg movie Poltergeist and I totally forgot how dramatic it all is! Oh, and baking pies and soups. That's probably the best thing.

It's also when my editing business consistently ramps way up. I'm anticipating November will be my busiest month of the year so far, partly because of October projects getting bumped but still. November will be all about me hunkering down in my attic for 30 days, editing like a fiend. I love it though. 🙃

Resource Roundup for Authors

• Looking for a Nano alternative for November? Check out the Writer's Helm November challenge. You can choose your pace and whether you focus on writing or being more creative. It's flexible and they've got a free Discord channel that's super welcoming and fun. The challenge is free but it's easy to upgrade if you want access to more Helm events.
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• ​Here's a writing tracker app I saw floating around on Instagram. It helps you record progress in words, chapters, or time and see it in graph form.
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• Getting ready for a book launch or wanting to kickstart your book marketing? Here's a free tool I've used to make those cool 3D cover graphics.
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• Do you use the Read Aloud feature in Word? I just learned that the keyboard shortcut for that is Ctrl + Alt + Space. And the robot will start reading! Genius. I use it constantly...

What I'm Reading & Watching

• I'm not so much in a reading rut as I'm in an all-too-predictable state of feeling overwhelmed by my ten started books. And my obsession with James Patterson's Alex Cross series has come to an abrupt end. Too many thrillers, I guess? I'm in between things and hoping to close some of the many loops. Or just start ten more and DNF everything. I haven't decided. You're allowed to do that, you know!
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• I started rewatching the sci-fi show Fringe. I forgot how good it is (especially with the alternate timelines...). Plus, it's got Joshua Jackson in it, who will forever be typecast as Pacey from Dawson's Creek for me. 😄
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• If you're into bullet journaling, here's a really insightful series about Conscious Computing (aka how to use our tech in meaningful ways). Best food-for-thought line: "The more automated your life is the less meaningful it becomes." I'm incorporating more writing by hand to accompany my app ecosystem, which seems to be working for me.

What I'm Making

• I'm working on a series of blackout poems/collages for a virtual art show in Second Life with House of Zolo. More details on that soon.

As for editing availability, my next opening for longer projects is February 2025, for both fiction and nonfiction! For novellas and short stories there's more leeway. Apply here to get a free sample edit and see if we're a good fit.

See you in November!

- Erika

Erika Steeves ​
Fiction & Nonfiction Editor
​www.erikasteeves.com​

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