Month: June 2018

The picture is fairly self-explanatory, but the gist is that I’m going to Denver on July 18th.  I want to have the latest round of Dragonfly edits done by then (with time to go back and read through the MS in its entirety so I can make sure that there are some plot points that are gelling / arc-ing well).  And since you have to plan your work and work your plan, I tore out a couple pages from one of my calendars and split up the 14 remaining chapters over the next three weeks.

Is this possible?  Absolutely.  One challenge is that my dear friend and co-worker is going on vacation during this timeframe and that I’ll be taking on some of her workload while she’s gone.  The other challenge is life itself … me sketching out a plan seems to cue my children that it’s time to start vomiting and acquire sleep-shattering ear infections, but … plan your work, work your plan.  Books don’t edit themselves and I can’t dream of publication unless I’m willing to put in the work.

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Incidentally, I’m going to be attending the Romance Writers of America annual conference from July 18th to the 21st.  If you’re in Denver and attending the conference, I’d love to meet up with you!  I’ll be the bespectacled mystery writer belting out “Rocky Mountain High” in the hotel bar.

It’s not like I’ve been on vacation, per se – although I recently enjoyed a road trip with my beloveds in Wisconsin, as well as an impromptu wedding in Iowa (I don’t know if the wedding was impromptu, but my role as the officiant was a last minute add.)  But June’s been a silent month for me on the Interwebs.  But since the last time we talked, my eldest finished his first year of school and summer has started in full force with the smells of sunblock and bug spray, ice cream to eat, and the elements that make a Midwestern summer one of the best times of year.  (And that’s even with humidity and mosquitoes.)  As my kids get older, I find myself thinking about my own summers as a kid and although I’ll never recreate those lazy days on the farm that I had, it’s fun to make different memories with my children.  This summer has been a good one.  (<– Which, given the state of the world right now, it hurts a bit to type those words.  #familiesbelongtogether )

Work is now picking up again.  I didn’t take advantage of the break as much as I should have, although my personal score for Dr. Mario improved immensely.

The writing is going well.  I’ve established a July deadline for edits with Dragonfly.

Don’t forget to put on sunscreen. Stay hydrated.  Check for ticks.

Much love,

Shel