Wednesday, August 6, 2014

IWSG the Joys of August

I'm always more optimistic in August. Perhaps it's because this is my birth month and the month of my wedding anniversary. Maybe it has something to do with the kids heading back to school. You could say that for my family, August is the gate to the holiday trail. The rest of the year will be full of fun things to look forward to and prepare for.

Whatever it is, August feels like a sigh of relief to me. My family will slip back into a routine which soothes my need for order. I'll get to write again.

It's a time of setting new goals and digging deep to accomplish them.

August Goals:

  • Send out emails for the Bold New Worlds Speculative Fiction Short Story Contest--Publicity baby!!
  • Finish the beat sheets for books 3 and 4 in the Sendek Saga: Battle for Sendek and Here There Be Dragons
  • Finish the last 50 pages of revisions for Fade Into Me
  • Start deep revisions on book 2 in the Sendek Saga: Search For Knowledge
How do you feel about the approaching fall? Are you setting new goals?



Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. I'm currently #92.

47 comments:

  1. A lot of fantastic things happening in August for you. Good luck with your goals!

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  2. You have a fun August!
    Don't laugh, but I get excited when August rolls around because that means preseason football.

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    1. I'd never laugh! Hey, sometimes we have to celebrate whatever it is that makes us happy. Hail football!

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  3. Fall is difficult for me. It's my favorite season, but I work at a university and this is the busiest time of the year. All those freshman. So I come home exhausted and its hard to get much writing done when I'm too tired to think. This fall my goal is to hand write two or three days a week so I can escape the tyranny of the computer :)

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    1. I can see how that would be a crazy time! Hopefully you got the most out of your summer. Isn't it wonderful that all of us can write on whatever schedule works best for us? Good luck with all those freshmen!

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  4. I have to meet the ones I set for this year. The year is almost coming to a close.

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    1. So true! But there are five full months left to reach those goals. Good luck!

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  5. I like the Fall too. The kids go back to school, family visits are over, and I have time to write. I live in a warm climate, so I look forward to the days when I can spend more time outside.

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    1. Me too! I miss my NC trees though. It's not the same sitting on my back porch now. Good luck and enjoy!

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  6. Love that cake, Charity, as well as the idea of setting monthly goals. Enjoy the celebrations you have coming up.

    For us, the kids go back to school in September. More time for them to get into everything. :)

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    1. I hope you survive until the kids get back to school!

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  7. Wow, sounds like you have a busy August ahead, Charity. Love fall, but there are things I planned to have done by the end of the year I haven't even started on. I'd also intended to have my WIP in draft form by October, but I'm only half way there. No new goals for fall. I'll be thrilled if I achieve the ones already in place.

    VR Barkowski

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    1. Good luck continuing with the goals you've set. There is still time to reach them.

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  8. My goals: Sept. release of poetry book, Nov. finish of co-authored novella, Dec. release of fly fishing essay book...and of course, do some fly fishing as well. Somewhere, the writing fits in.

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    1. Wow! Super busy! Good thing you are planning some fishing in there. :)

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  9. Looking forward to August and the back-to-school routine. I'll be finishing up the editing on my novel and starting the final rewrites.
    GL with your goals!
    lucindawhitney.com

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  10. On my side of the globe, August means the end of winter and the coming of spring!
    Yes, I have new goals.

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    1. Bring on warmer weather and color! Good luck with your goals Michelle!

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  11. Interesting you are hopeful in August. I really like fall, I think September feels "hopeful" to me, maybe after all the years of starting school and having a blank slate for the year.

    I do have goals! But less hurried ones. I've been stressing myself out on a revision and need to be OK with the fact it's taking forever. I also want to get working on my other projects.

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    1. I know how you feel about revisions taking forever. As long as we keep doing something everyday we will get there eventually. Good luck!

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  12. Fall is my favorite time of year! I love the weather, the smell, and--like you--the order. :) Yours is going to be busy!

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    1. I like busy as long as I'm the only one in the house. LOL

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  13. August is definitely the time for setting goals and hitting refresh, for me too. Best of luck with yours!

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  14. HA! My Anniversary is Aug 11th, and yes when the kids go to school it helps to get that routine back.

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    1. We have a busy week that week--2 birthdays and an anniversary. It's the first "put on the pounds" week of the holiday season. :)

      Happy Anniversary to you!

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  15. Hmm, August isn’t always a key month for me, but I do get how it’s important to you because it’s personal and stuff and for the same reason April happens to be my month of beginnings and goals, I love April :)

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    1. Yay! I think as long as we have a time that renews us it's all good.

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  16. I'm a fan of the fall, too. At least, the part of the fall when the weather finally turns cool. I'll definitely be happy to see the backside of this summer.

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  17. I love your plan and really, really want a piece of cake. Best wishes in the coming year :-)

    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

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    1. I'm hoping my hubby will see this cake and take a hint! ;) Best of luck to you too.

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  18. I'm a teacher as well as a writer . . .so August is a little more bittersweet for me, coming off of my big writing season and squeezing it around the parameters of my day job again. Still hoping to someday be able to make it without that day job, though. We'll see what comes!

    Samantha from Balancing Act
    http://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/

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    1. I can understand that bittersweet feeling. Hopefully you made the best of summer. We all do the best we can with the time we have, and that's all we can ask for sometimes.

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  19. I can't believe this year is flying by. For a while, I was worried I'd have nothing accomplished, but I did manage my relaunch so I can't call this year a total waste.

    Good luck with your goals. I need to get my butt in gear on mine.

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    1. LOL, I'm glad you got the relaunch off the ground. There are still 5 months to get something else done. Go for it!

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  20. I'm even more excited for fall since we moved from Phoenix to Philly. We're gonna have pretty leaves and snow for Christmas!

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    1. Yay! That always makes it feel so much nicer. Enjoy!

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  21. Setting lots of new goals as we roll into the fall! September has always been a fresh start for me. I love summer more than any other season, but there's so much chaos! Everyone is going everywhere and all I want to do is vegetate on a beach somewhere :) Here's to getting back into the swing of things, marketing and publicity, and going after fresh, shiny new goals! Cheers! Oh, and happy birthday/anniversary month to YOU! ~ Jen

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    1. Thanks Jen! I always think the summer will be hanging out at the pool but there was precious little of that this year.

      Good luck to you with all your new goals!

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  22. Great goals! My evil day job is for a major university and summer is the hell that leads into the worse hell of the first few weeks of school (not a faculty member- I'm a financial aid advisor- it's ugly!) So for me it's more hanging in there and surviving ;).

    Have a great month!

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    1. *hugs* Hang in there then and look forward to whenever it will get better. Good luck!

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  23. I would still be stewing over my first book without goals. 9 novels and one musical later... I'm a firm believer in setting goals and pressing forward, and I think those are some great ones. My goal for August? Stay ALIVE.

    I hope you have an amazing birthday, anniversary, and back to school relief!

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  24. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love the idea of goal setting, though mine are more modest: finish one more revision and QUERY. Oh, and write a syllabus for the class I'm teaching in two weeks . . . (Maybe another goal should be to get my priorities organized!)

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  25. Those are great goals Charity. Good luck accomplishing them. I'm sure you will do fine.

    And Happy Birthday :)

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  26. Happy Birthday! It's my birthday month as well (this is my birthday week). My friend is making me a gooseberry pie, so I'm definitely more optimistic.

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