HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Last month, I was a little worried about my goals because I had some other big plans. So, how did it go?

June accountability

• Start editing the newest novella. Hoping to make it through the first quarter or third.—DONE. I got through the first quarter of the paper edit and entered about 2/3s of that onto the manuscript, and sent it off to my critique partners. Unfortunately, my paper edit included one note “add an entire new chapter here.” Which I have yet to do. Bet my crit partners loved that part.
• Read through Tomorrow We Spy again and apply latest round of critique notes; send to beta readers—I had to push the readthrough back to the end of the month, after the beta round, but I did incorporate my critique partners’ notes and sent it off to beta readers! So DONE!
• READ. A lot. DONE! My husband and I left our kids with my mom and took our tenth anniversary trip, cruising to Juneau and Skagway, Alaska, then driving (and riding a train) through the Yukon, then visiting Fairbanks, Alaska, and Denali National Park before ending in Anchorage. It was fantastic! But more later—when I have pictures. For now, I’ll just say, because of all the driving and flying, I read eight books. Woot!
• Think about website and marketing stuff even more. There was definite thinking.
• Get beta reader feedback and incorporate, getting the novel ready to go to my editor—beta reader feedback is trickling in, and I’ve finished the readthrough. Notes are incorporated and I’m about to click send!!

Woot!

July goals

I spent almost half of last month preparing, traveling and recovering. This month, I’ll get to spend a couple weeks with my family visiting. I’m super excited—but I’ve still got to fit the work in!

• Get a cover. The fun part!
• Edit the next half of the rebelliovella and send to critique partners.
• Get back edits, incorporate, and proof.
• Format and typeset.
• Read two books on marketing.
• Keep thinking about website stuff. Seriously. Maybe even think about doing something, eh?

What’s up for you this month?

Photo by Celestine Chua

Last month, I was really daunted by my goals, things I’d been chipping away at way too slowly for months. So, how did it go?

May accountability

• FINISH THE NOVELLA—DONE. Sort of. You see, one of the reasons this novella was so tough was that . . . it wasn’t a novella at all. I deluded myself even after I passed the projected 30,000 word count halfway through, even when I hit 50,000 words, even when I finished at 62,000 words. I could cut it back, I told myself. Other than all these scenes I need to add . . . So now I have a new problem: when am I going to find time to edit a full novel??
• DO THE EDITS—done. They’re not all entered, but the last few are sitting there in my file waiting for me.
• Do rewrites on Saints & Spies—with the novella turning into a novel, I decided to move this a little later.
• Participate in a sale event (more on that coming up later in the month!)—check! Not as successful as my last big sale, but still a big bump!
• Think about marketing & website stuff.—did some of this. More to come.

Whew! That looks like a ton of progress!

June goals

I know, the month’s half over. But here’s what I wanted to get done starting at the beginning of the month.

• Start editing the newest novella. Hoping to make it through the first quarter or third.
• Read through Tomorrow We Spy again and apply latest round of critique notes; send to beta readers.
• READ. A lot. I need to recharge!
• Think about website and marketing stuff even more.
• Get beta reader feedback and incorporate, getting the novel ready to go to my editor

I think I can?

What’s up for you this month?

Photo by Celestine Chua