Seeing the Forest for the Trees
It's already September; where did the summer go?!
So, August…yeah, I wandered into the forest, got lost, and am now trying to find my way back.
A few excuses - I started a new job, got distracted by two books not on my TBR, and got bogged down in editing hell. All to say, I haven't exactly progressed as much as I'd hoped towards my Q3 goals this month.
Staying focused and on task is one of my biggest challenges, so these Art4 Accountability posts will hopefully help me to get back on track when I wander into the woods.
In August, my attention was a bit all over the place - work, editing, music, family responsibilities and new books. On the positive side, there were a number of (unplanned) things I learned over the past month, which I'm planning on posting about over the next few weeks. On the other hand, I realise I probably won't complete everything I’d hoped to by the end of Q3.
I’m aiming to prioritise writing over the next month, then the TBR, so I think the illustration goal will get pushed into Q4. Perhaps that makes more sense and I should really give it the time and energy it deserves rather than trying to squeeze it into 15 minute sessions at the end of a long day.
I think positive momentum is key to growing, so, I’m focusing on what I learned and accomplished this month. These include:
Drafting and editing the last section of EoE book 2. Now the exciting final big edit starts with my co-author Sara, where we can draw all the threads together. We aim to have the book done and edited by November for a Kickstarter launch in December.
Drafting about 35k of YA Horror. It's not quite where I'd hoped I'd be by the end of the summer, but it's a start. I aim to write and edit another 35k this month (ambitious, I know). I think this will mean I'm going to have to push the illustration goals to next quarter, but, hey, sometimes things just take longer than expected.
Reading two books I enjoyed, (even if they were not on my TBR). Lightbringer, a doorstop of a book (and the latest in the Red Rising Series), and Yellowface, which I'm reading with my lovely group of writerly book club friends.
Learning new skills in: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, formatting, Prologic, Video editing, as well as stumbling on a number of useful tools for creatives.
Still hoping to make a dent in my Q3 goals this month, so in September, I'm hoping to:
Read She is a Haunting
Read When Women Were Dragons
Finish the YA horror MS (draft another 35k + edits on full 70k).
Write up what I learned in August (above) as blog posts
Maintain a better work-life balance and find more time for writing
Walk daily
Sleep more
Reduce caffeine and sugar
There we go, that's it!
August was a productive month in its way, just not in any way I'd planned.
A few great stories and series I've enjoyed over the past month:
Lightbringer - Pierce Brown
Yellowface - R.F. Kuang
Foundation (Apple TV) (still watching)
Invasion (Apple TV) (still watching)
Good Omens 2 (Amazon Prime) (still watching)
Witcher Season 3 (Netflix) - I was pleasantly surprised!
For those of you, like me, who hope to get back to a regular writing routine in September, I recommend the following music to get you in the mood to write epic battle scenes, tragic love stories, or eerie gothic mysteries. Enjoy!