Well, hello there! This post is late, but not so late that it’s embarrassing, right? That’s what I’m telling myself this morning. I’ve had a lovely walk with the dog, got coffee out as a treat, and done some of my “chores” for the week ahead. Seems like a perfectly good time to get back to blogging, don’t you think?
August Goals
- Complete 1st revision of the novel
- Submit “King Tide”
- Get the Podcast back on schedule
How'd I Do?
- Complete 1st revision of the novel
- Lol. No.
- Submit “King Tide”
- Yes! It has since been retitled “Like Fractured Seashells”. More on this in a second.
- Get the Podcast back on schedule
- Yes? And not quite. There was definite progress toward this, but I didn’t quite reach the finish line.
Total Word Count: 4,924
I feel good about last month. I know enough about myself that any change to a routine is pretty debilitating for my goals. I take a long time to resettle and get back to something like productivity. Until then, it comes in fits and starts, and I think I did a decent job of utilizing those moments of energy. When I had bandwidth, I used it, and when I didn’t, I tried not to beat myself up over it.
Emphasis on “tried”. I’m really not good at not being productive, y’all.
The novel is slowly making progress. Currently, it sits at almost 83k words, and I’ve got it outlined through to the end. I’m guessing there’s probably about 7-10k left to go. Which sounds like a lot, but honestly is going to go by quick. I’m really excited to start revising this book, which… is not something I have EVER said before. But, I have never had such a clear vision for the revision process before. I know exactly what needs changed first, and exactly HOW I want to change it. So much so, that actually finishing the rough draft feels like an obstacle! So, I’ve just got to sit down and get it done. 
To that end, the rest of September I have a pretty regimented writing schedule mapped out. A three-hour block on Sunday Mornings, another three-hour block on Mondays, and then an hour every Wednesday. If I can make myself stick to this, the book should be done in two weeks. And then I can dive right into revisions. Normally, I’d take at least a month between drafting and revising, but I took such a long break in the middle that I think I can dive right in and get to work.
I’m really eager to get this book into a draft that beta readers can take a look at. That’s always the real test of my instincts – is the book really as good as I think? Beta readers will let me know.
Beyond the novel, I finished and revised “Like Fractured Seashells”. I feel like I could write an entire essay about this story. Its genesis in fear, how deep I delved into some serious psychology, and really interrogated my connections with the women in my life. How all of that fed into a piece that then morphed into something entirely its own – separate from myself and my family, and yet utterly dependent on us. I’ve written quite a few stories at this point in my career, but only a few of them have felt this… tethered to who I am as a person.
Those stories are my absolute favorite. Hopefully, some day soon, I can share “Seashells” with you.
Hours Check
- Novel: 6 Hours
- Reading: 26 Hours
- Willamette Writers Meetings: 9 Hours
- Website Management: 7.5 Hours
- Submissions: 1.5 Hour
- Queries: 1.5 Hours
- Outdoor Time: 5 Hours
- “King Tide”: 2.5 Hours
- Podcast: 8.5 Hours
- Horror Writers Association Meeting: 1 Hour
Total Hours: 67 Hours
Man, I know people hate commuting, but the amount of audiobook listening has been a genuine delight. I’m listening to like four books a month, on TOP of my normal reading! It also helps that my drive is like, 99% country roads and not interstate traffic.
I’ll also note that some of this is not accurate. I definitely was outside more than 5 hours all of last month. I tended the garden daily. At least 15-30 minutes a day. But, I didn’t track it, so it doesn’t make the Check.
September Goals
- Finish Novel
- Complete at least the first revision
- Keep up w/submissions and queries
I set these goals at the start of the month (I’ve been setting goals in my planner all this time, just neglecting to actually post them…). I think squeezing in a round of revision – especially the first revision, which is historically the longest and hardest round – is a bonkers goal. But, I set it. September first Brittany was entirely too optimistic.
September eleventh Brittany is feeling good about finishing the novel this month, and even getting the initial complete read done before October. I’ve got a pretty strong set of revision goals already mapped out, and a plan of attack for the first round of revisions. If I have bandwidth for it, I’ll post the details/plans/goals before I dig into revision.
Keeping up with submissions and queries sounds easy, and it can be. But publishing is tenuous in the summer months, even late summer. A lot of magazines are closed, gearing up for big releases in the fall, and skimming through a list of closed markets for a story I’m ready to submit NOW is very demoralizing. Honestly, feeling like there’s nowhere to submit is worse than rejection to me. A rejection is a single closed door, closed markets are dozens of them.
Amplify that by, I don’t know, a thousand(?) for queries. I’ve gotten a bit lackadaisical with subs and queries this summer, and need to do a better job of keeping up on it.
And that’s what I’m up to this month. Mostly writing, and writing admin. I’d also like to get my office *actually* cleaned up and functional again. There’s been some small progress, but not nearly enough to feel good about.
Yet another thing to add to my To-Do List.
I’ll be back soon with a Weekly Goals post, I pinky promise. Until then, Bloggos!
BZ
