SOPHIE LI

Author-illustrator

May Goals and TBR!

Copy of Copy of Copy of MINI-REVIEW-7

Hello everyone!

Wow, it’s May! I am so glad to see the weather warming up and to have more sunny days here in Vancouver. I’m definitely looking forward to doing more things outdoors, such as running and hiking! Is it warm over where you guys at?

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This month I am continuing with re-reading Harry Potter (yay!) I am also super excited to read Leah on the Offbeat now that it is released (fingers crossed for the library wait list!) I started the Diary of Anne Frank audiobook last month and hoping to finish it soon!

Blog_goals

Now is the time to talk goals (yay!) I find that I don’t always achieve my monthly goals, and that for me it is usually a matter of not having enough time rather than not being conscientious enough. (Self, you’re forgiven.) This month I want to set some realistic goals.

Reading

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Bullet Read 4 books!

Bullet Continue re-reading the Harry Potter series!

Based on the past few months, 4 books may be a more realistic target for me. Also, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is definitely on the long side!

Writing

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Bullet Wrap up my WIP!

My goal in April is to finish my WIP, which I actually kind of did. However I realized the beginning was terrible so now I am rewriting the first 15K words :’) Hoping this would be done done in the next 1-2 weeks!

Bullet Start drafting a new novel using the Snowflake Method!

Initially I had planned on revising an old manuscript, however I changed my mind and instead decided to write something new. Truth be told, I haven’t started a new novel from scratch since a year and a half ago (even my current WIP is a rewrite) and I miss the feeling of a blank page.

The Snowflake Method is a technique for plotting a novel (thanks to my Camp Nano cabin for teaching me this!) The gist is that you start off with a simple idea and gradually expand on it. Check out this page for a step-by-step guide!

Blogging

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Bullet Celebrate the 1-year blog-versary of Sophie’s Corner on May 24!

Wow, honestly I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging for almost a year! It’s been an incredible journey so far. I am hoping to do something special, but the thing is I am absolutely clueless at blog-versaries since… well, it’s my first one :’) Maybe a Q&A post? How would you guys celebrate your blog-versary? 

Life

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Bullet Do some DIY!

Now that I will soon be between WIPs, I thought it’d be a good time to dabble in my other hobby, which is sewing. There was a sale at my local fabric store so I have all the supplies ready!

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Bullet Plan my wedding!?

Oh the thought of planning my wedding overwhelms me! Which is why I’ve been procrastinating! (The engagement happened in June 2017 haha…) However my friends and family have been asking, so I figure I should get started. Any wedding planning tips?! What is your dream wedding like?

Blog_letschat

Is it getting warm where you guys are? What books do you look forward to reading this month? Do you have a go-to method for plotting your novel? How would you / did you celebrate your blog-versary?

Sophie Li

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45 responses to “May Goals and TBR!”

  1. tasya @ the literary huntress Avatar
    tasya @ the literary huntress

    Ooh I didn’t know you’re engaged, congratulations! ❤ I always wanted a simple wedding, but I never knew the details as I never think about it that much ahaha. I also didn't realize how long Goblet of Fire is, it totally took me by surprise!

    Have a wonderful May, Sophie!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hi Tasya! Thank you 🙂 I would like a simple wedding as well.
      I think the Goblet of Fire isn’t too long compared to some of the later books (such as book 5!) But I remember when I was reading HP the first time around as a kid, and thinking “whoooaaaaa what a long book” when I started book 4 haha 🙂 Wishing you a wonderful May as well ❤

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  2. artyplantsman Avatar
    artyplantsman

    Hi Sophie. Wedding tip: Wear and do what makes YOU happy. My wife was bullied into folowing her mum and sister’s ‘guidance’ and I am still hearing about it 31 years later….😉❤

    It is very cold here but expected to exceed 20c at the weekend😄

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hi Darren 🙂
      Thanks for the tip! I will remember your advice and do what makes me happy. I would like a small wedding since I don’t like to be in the centre of attention and I don’t want to stress too much about the wedding planning process, however I am worried that friends who I am not close to and haven’t seen in a year will be unhappy about not being invited lol :’)
      20C! That sounds like it will be an amazing weekend 🙂

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      1. artyplantsman Avatar
        artyplantsman

        I totally get that Sophie. It is next to impossible to organise something like this without worrying someone will feel excluded. We recently attended a wedding where we were the only non-family invited and I heard that the brides sister was a bit sniffy about it because it was supposed to be family only. The bride pointed out that my wife has been her best friend since they were children and as far as she was concerned we ARE family! You cannot expect to please everyone so do not worry about it. It is your day Sophie😄❤

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        I think you’re right Darren. No matter what, it is impossible to please everyone. I’ll keep that in mind! Thank you for your advice 🙂

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  3. Marie Avatar
    Marie

    Hi, Sophie! ❤ It's also getting a bit warmer here and I'm thrilled, I'm not a winter person at all haha 🙂
    I can't wait to hear what you think of Leah, so far everyone seems to love it so, so much, I hope that you will, too 🙂
    You're really on a roll with all of this writing – best of luck for writing something new this month, I hope it will go well 🙂
    And one year already, WOW that's crazy! If you ask me… Q&A are always a lot of fun to read and to answer, so I'd vote for that option 😛
    I hope you'll have a wonderful month! ❤

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello Marie ❤ Haha yes winter is not my jam either 🙂 Glad that it's warming up for you as well.
      I am so excited to read Leah on the Offbeat! So far I've been hearing only good things!
      Yes I can't believe it's already been one year! Wow time flies, doesn't it 🙂 I think I will take your word for it and do a Q&A. It sounds like a lot of fun 🙂
      Wishing you a wonderful May ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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  4. Tiana (The Book Raven) Avatar
    Tiana (The Book Raven)

    Good luck with your tbr and also have a happy engagement and wedding!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Thank you for the good wishes Tiana 🙂 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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  5. Beth (Reading Every Night) Avatar
    Beth (Reading Every Night)

    Oh I can’t wait to hear what you think of Leah on the Offbeat Sophie, I really hope you love it, and you seem to be flying through your Harry Potter re-read, especially if you hope to get through the next three books this month! 😀
    Good luck for all your goals for next month, especially with your WIP because I always feel like the last stretch is the hardest when it comes to wrapping up a draft (it always has been for me). I completely get the excitement of having a brand new WIP to start, and I’m going to check out the snowflake method because it sounds a lot like how I write anyways. 😀
    Congrats on (nearly) reaching your one year blogiversary, and good luck with the wedding planning (unfortunately I don’t have any tips I can offer you).
    Great post. 🙂 ❤

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      I have a feeling that I will enjoy Leah on the Beat since so far I’ve been loving Becky Albertalli’s books! Haha not too sure if I will finish 3 HP books this month – we’ll see. I am looking forward to the Goblet of Fire since that was my favourite the first time around 🙂
      I’ve started trying out the Snowflake Method and it’s amazing so far. I like how organized it is, compared to the mess of research/outlines that I usually start out with haha 🙂 I’ll keep you updated about how it goes!
      Thank you for the good wishes 🙂 Wishing you a wonderful May ❤

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      1. Beth (Reading Every Night) Avatar
        Beth (Reading Every Night)

        In that case I’m sure third time will be the charm and you’ll love Leah as well. 🙂 I’m sure you’ll manage to get around to Goblet of Fire at least then, considering it’s your favourite.
        Yes definitely let me know, maybe I can try it out properly for my next WIP or something.
        Thanks Sophie. 🙂 ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        I started Leah today (the audiobook) and really like it so far. It definitely seems as effortless to read as her other books 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Beth (Reading Every Night) Avatar
        Beth (Reading Every Night)

        Oh that’s great. I’m sure you’ll continue to love it as well. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Margaret @ Weird Zeal Avatar
    Margaret @ Weird Zeal

    I hope you enjoy Leah on the Offbeat!! And rereading HP! And wow, good luck with the wedding planning! That sounds intimidating but super amazing!!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hi Margaret 🙂 I’m definitely looking forward to reading Leah on the Offbeat. Thank you for the good wishes ❤

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  7. Stefanie Avatar
    Stefanie

    Ho’omaka’i on your upcoming nuptials. I tell most brides-to-be to have a point person who will oversee things so you and the groom don’t have to worry about a thing. It’s a big day and lot of things are going on. You should be able to enjoy being the center of attention.
    Yay for rereading the Harry Potter series. My teenager is rereading them after being so disappointed by The Cursed Child, one that I didn’t read myself b/c I didn’t want to spoil the magic. My youngest is reading nonfiction books now and has read The Diary of Anne Frank. I’m constantly amazed at what my kid is reading b/c she used to drag her heels while looking for books at the library.

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hi Stefanie 🙂 Sounds like a good idea to assign someone else to oversee things on the day of – I will keep that in mind!
      I enjoyed the Cursed Child when I read it, however at that time I barely remembered anything from the original series. The Diary of Anne Frank is such an amazing book 🙂 That’s awesome to hear that your kids are fond of reading.

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  8. starburntreads Avatar
    starburntreads

    Well done on your novel! I really hpe you enjoy Leah on the Offbeat, it was amazing 😀

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Thank you 🙂 Glad to hear that you enjoyed Leah on the Offbeat! I’m looking forward to that one!

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  9. Mattie @ Living Mattie Avatar
    Mattie @ Living Mattie

    Wedding planning tips – get other people to do as much as possible. As long as you don’t need to be in 100% control, it will really help you to let other people organise bits of the wedding. Also, go to vendors with an idea of you what you want – I spent 10 minutes with the florist because I already knew what I wanted. I said white flowers, no leaves, grey silk wrapped, and that was it. Good luck with the wedding planning, and congrats on your anniversary of your blog!!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello Mattie! That sounds like a good idea to get others to help out. Makes sense to know what we want. Seems like you had a good experience planning your wedding 🙂 Thanks for these tips!

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  10. Ria Avatar
    Ria

    Planning the wedding is exciting as well as overwhelming. But with the help of family, it can be done better than we expect. Hope it goes well for you.
    I too had plans to read HP series this year, this post reminded me of that. I will read the first book this month. Happy May!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello Ria! Thank you for your kind words. Yes I will remember to recruit family for help 🙂
      That’s awesome that you will be reading HP as well. Hope that you will enjoy this series as much as I do 🙂 Have a wonderful May!

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  11. Kelly | Another Book in the Wall Avatar
    Kelly | Another Book in the Wall

    Ooh, good luck with planning your wedding! That sounds so exciting, Sophie! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Thank you Kelly 🙂 ❤

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  12. ivysbooks Avatar
    ivysbooks

    I keep seeing Leah on the Offbeat around the book community. It looks good.
    Also I’ve hear of The Snowflake Method but never tried it. I’ll check out that link and give it a go.
    Congrats on the engagement and I hope the wedding will be great 👍
    Happy reading and writing 😁

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Helly Ivy 🙂
      I started Leah on the Offbeat today – it is definitely a book that is easy to get into and effortless to read, like any of Becky Albertalli’s books!
      My experience with The Snowflake Method is positive so far. Let me know how it goes if you decide to give it a try 🙂
      Thank you ❤ Have a happy May!

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. ivysbooks Avatar
        ivysbooks

        Nice! I’ll add it to my TBR. I’ve never read anything by her so Leah will be the first.
        I will check it out and try it (might have to be for NaNo in November) then let you know what I think.
        Happy May to you too 😁

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Leah is technically the second book in the series (first is Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda) however I think it will still make sense if you read it first. Hope that you will enjoy this book if you get a chance to read it 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      3. ivysbooks Avatar
        ivysbooks

        Ah yes. I thought this was the case. Thanks for letting me now. I havent read Simon yet but it’s on my TBR too 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Simon is a super fun and adorable book. I think you can’t go wrong with either one 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  13. MichaelK Avatar
    MichaelK

    Great goals, may everything is accomplished as scheduled!
    And yes it is warm, in fact unusually warm, here!
    I haven’t written an actual novel but plots are the bread and butter of RPGs so plotwise I think I have followed the snowflake method (before it was even named I suspect) and I often start with a scene that springs to mind and then go from there.
    My dream wedding would be a simple and very private thing in a beautiful place. Of course, family got involved and we ended up with a traditional wedding which could be called more a miracle in logistics than anything else. So if you are going for that sort of folly I can offer tons of advice!

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello Michael!
      That’s awesome that you’ve used the snowflake method as well. Very cool that it can be used to plot RPGs too 🙂
      My dream wedding is actually a simple one as well with just close friends and family (around 30 people) since I don’t want to be too stressed during the planning process. However I don’t want to upset my less-close friends… Also, my family wants to invite THEIR friends as well :’) How was your wedding like? What would you do differently if you could do it again?

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      1. MichaelK Avatar
        MichaelK

        My wedding was in a typical greek fashion of epic proportions. Try 600 people just for the after wedding reception (a full course seated dinner with live orchestra) and around 1000 guests for the ceremony. What I would do different would be to stick with the initial plan and let our parents know a couple of hours before the event.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        WOW that is really epic! A live orchestra – that sounds amazing even though it wasn’t what you initially planned.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. MichaelK Avatar
        MichaelK

        It was quite nice and well executed, everyone had a good time but not what I would choose. Wedding is a huge cultural thing here and it is only the financial crisis that has put some checks in this. It will be a long discussion to explain why weddings are big but I prefer it the way you do, simple and intimate.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        That’s interesting that culture plays a big role. I’m curious – why are Greek weddings often so big?

        Liked by 1 person

      5. MichaelK Avatar
        MichaelK

        The short answer is quite simple, it’s mainly due to extended families. Of course this begs an analysis of its own but that could be so extensive that would be hijacking your post!

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Lol I see 🙂 I think traditional Chinese weddings can be pretty elaborate too, since there is usually a lot of extended family members involved (I think in China up to 5 times removed counts as family haha). It’s simpler for me since I only have my immediate family in Canada 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      7. MichaelK Avatar
        MichaelK

        I see! Well, you are lucky! It’s quite similar in Greece and we have a special word to describe the extended family.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Norrie Avatar
    Norrie

    Q&A session would be cool! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      That’s good to know Norrie 🙂 I think I will do a Q&A since it seems like so much fun!

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  15. May Wrap-Up! – Sophie's Corner Avatar
    May Wrap-Up! – Sophie's Corner

    […] am happy that I actually accomplished all the goals that I had set out to do at the beginning of May (yay!) I even followed my TBR (for […]

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