I seem to have skipped the last check-in, due to some confusion about the day it was meant to go online.

Never mind.

Here’s my Sunday Update for A Round of Words in 80 Days and National Novel Writing Month. It’s brought to you on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and that means today is a very special day here in Germany.

My NaNoWriMo project is coming along nicely. On Day 9, I currently have 15,968 words written down for it. However, on Wednesday, I had a plot bunny run riot in my mind and I came up with a little scene that’s perfect for Book 4. The problem is that I’m currently writing Book 2…

I’ve been writing every day, and my collection of short stories is steadily growing.

My studies are going better now. The facilitator of my first course (Persuasion) was not responding to emails. Considering that my emails contained questions regarding an assignment in Module 1, I couldn’t do much until I got an answer. Well – I still don’t have an answer, so I let the university know and they have now enrolled me in a different course (Cross-Cultural Communication). I can finish Persuasion at a later date when a facilitator is available. So that’s a success.

I’ve also set up a deal with a friend. Every Monday, we will meet for coffee and I will show her the assignments I completed, as well as what I’ve written for ROW80 and NaNoWriMo. If I can’t produce anything, or not enough (in her opinion), I have to go buy a glass. She will be keeping the glass(es) until I finish my degree, and hand them over once I’m done. This is to motivate me to get stuff done, as I’d end up losing money for my own laziness. We’ve got our first meeting tomorrow, but this is just to fine-tune the terms as well as give her an overview of my modules and when to expect what.

A few minutes ago I received an email, telling me I’ve been accepted to contribute reviews to a Fandom TV show/Film review site. They are building up a data base of various TV shows (so far Doctor Who, Sherlock, Once upon a time, Castle etc.), even those that are no longer airing. They just want something written about every episode, by someone who has knowledge of the show and can give in-depth analysis. While I am a Sherlockian and Whovian first and foremost, I do know my way around quite a few shows, films and fandoms.

The ones I suggested are: BBC Sherlock, Doctor Who (“New” Who), The Almighty Johnsons, The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit (Tolkien in general), Bones, The Big Bang Theory, Buffy, Angel, X-Files, Harry Potter, Fargo (TV), CSI:NY, CSI, CSI Miami, NCIS. 

I think this reflects me quite well: My love for detective stories and criminology (Sherlock, NCIS, Bones, CSIs, X-Files, Fargo), comedy (Big Bang Theory) and fantasy/supernatural/paranormal stories (Tolkien, Harry Potter, Buffy, Angel, X-Files, Doctor Who, Almighty Johnsons).

Now, I don’t obsess about all these shows/films, but I enjoy them enough to know who is who and hold my own in a conversation about them, which is more than enough knowledge to review them.

Thanks to that and me growing up in the ’90s and early 2000s, you are now looking at the principal reviewer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and X-Files!

This past week has been very stressful. It was my gran’s 89th birthday on Monday, and I went to her house straight after work. Work is busy until tomorrow, as I work in accounting and we have to have everything booked by tomorrow. The first 10 days of every month are really hectic. Mum fell ill on Thursday, so I had to look after my gran again. Friday I was Maid of Honour at a friend’s wedding as well as wedding planner, photographer and driver, so that’s kept me busy. Yesterday I had to take my car for an inspection and it’s still in the garage now. I also managed to sit down and study a bit. Today, my fridge broke and my kitchen flooded.

I can’t wait for this week to be over and a fresh start tomorrow. Until then I still have to finish my Writing Fiction lessons, copy my MA study material so I can print it out, make a new study plan and write my Sunday ROW80 story. I’ve got less than 2 hours until midnight. I’d better get cracking.

Click here to see whether the other ROW80 participants had a better week.