Hello Summer! June is here!

Holy kerfluffles, Batman. It’s June already! Seriously, where did half the year go? I don’t know about you guys but it sure felt like a blink to me. So June is here, and to me, that means the end of school and the start of summer. And who doesn’t love summer? I certainly do, but it’s not like it doesn’t have its less nice moments … like hundred degree heat or mosquitos after dark or publishers going on hiatus. Yeah, that last one gets you right in the stomach, especially if you’re currently on submission, as I am.

Not that waiting can get that much harder. Oh wait, it CAN. And for those of you who dabble in the publishing industry, you know that waiting is the worst. Nothing weighs you down like wondering what a prospective editor thinks of your work, and chewing your nails–and sanity–to shreds (even though realistically given their hectic schedules, they may not even be reading your book yet).

Summer’s great, there’s no doubt. The grass is green, the air is balmy, and people just seem to have a skip in their step. But for writers, it’s one of the slowest times in the publishing world. It seems like everyone goes away and the pace slows down … way down. And even though that sucks a little, there is a silver lining. It means more time to write! But it also means many more distractions like sunny days, the beach and barbecues, and everything else wonderfully summer-like that goes in the middle. And of course, there’s still the waiting … that just lurks on the sidelines of your consciousness like a black cloud threatening your perfect summer day. Well, don’t let it, I say!

Go write, and banish the woes of waiting. Or at least make it less pressing. If you’re writing, you won’t be worrying about why haven’t you heard back already?! Or inventing reasons why an editor hates your writing. Or thinking you’re the biggest failure on the planet. You’re not. It’s all timing. Actually, a lot of life is timing. Good time. Bad time. The right time. And that time will come, I promise you.

But for now, you need to write and you do need to give yourself a deadline, an achievable one. Otherwise, you’ll end up having three lines by the end of the summer and a bemused look on your face saying “where did the whole summer go?” I’ve decided I’m going to finish my Work In Progress by the middle of August, which means roughly two months of solid writing. I’m about halfway through it so it does give me some time to do some editing on the far end. But that’s my writing goal for this summer. And I’ve pulled in two writer friends along with me with their own projects so that we can support and encourage each other along the way. Cause it’s pretty easy to get sidetracked by the lure of a deck chair and a good book or a pool party or a fun summer picnic.

Ahhh, Summer. I really do love you. And I must enjoy you, so aside from the writing objective, I’m also planning to enjoy the days as much as possible and to spend a lot quality time with my family. After all, those things are important too! It’s all about finding the balance, isn’t it?

Happy Summer and happy writing!!

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