Welcome to IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is 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 haven for insecure writers of all
kinds. IWSG is the brainchild of our fearless ninja leader Alex Cavanaugh. Thank
you to this month’s cohosts: JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre.
July’s optional question: What are your favorite writing
processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and
tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all-time favorite that
you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?
I’m going to skip this month’s question because I wrote about the "Read Aloud" feature in Word, and the world of difference it has made to me here.
Aside from that, things are going slowly lately. I’ve
finished a query letter, a synopsis, and a pitch for my latest novel, but find myself
dragging my feet on sending anything out. This will be my fourth attempt in the
querying trenches, and things aren’t getting any better in the traditional
publishing arena. Do I want to do this to myself again, or should I reexamine
my publishing goals?
Yep, I'm stalling, and my other excuse is, well, summer! I’ve lived in my house for 32 years. Who knew the two Stella D’Oro lilies my late aunt gave me in 1992 would multiply so? Over the years, I’ve divided and moved them, adding other colorful perennials to fashion new gardens, never imagining the work I'd be creating for myself all these years later. As things go, I’ve planted low-maintenance varieties and it’s worth it when the June blooms arrive, but still, the outside takes a lot of upkeep. The gardens, the beach, the gorgeous weather and an upcoming Fourth of July family gathering all conspire to keep me from taking writing/publishing action. Add in a not quite finished kitchen construction project and a mid-July visit from my sister and her husband whom I haven't seen in person for seven years, and is it any wonder why my focus in waning?
Let’s just say there are lots of distractions, and I’m letting them have their way with me.
For those in the US, wishing you all a happy 4th and for those in this hemisphere, a wonderful summer!
Care to share your writing processing tips? Or better yet, how about some gardening shortcuts?
14 comments:
That's a lot of plants but it looks beautiful.
Get through the holiday then hit the querying next week when people return to work. (Because around here, everyone takes this week off.)
Take time for yourself - that's important.
Our 4th July is General Election Day in UK and I've also got a family funeral to attend. I bet it rains - again.
Enjoy the summer and the holidays as you can! Staring out at grey skies and pouring rain here in Scotland. The publishers aren't going anywhere.
The garden looks beautiful. It's interesting that you've still got the descendants of flowers from 32 years ago.
Happy Summer! Beautiful garden:)
Have a great day!
Your garden is so gorgeous! And you've accomplished so much already, there's no shame in taking time to breathe and rest. After all, summer is the perfect excuse!
Oh, your garden is lovely! I don't even have any plants inside my house. Believe me, any and all flowers/plants prefer to have a window between me and them. :)
Hi Bish - all I can say is your home/garden looks beautiful ... and like you I'd be leaving writerly things on the side for now - good luck and just enjoy visits, gardening and mulling! Cheers Hilary
Hi,
One distraction that you should sit back, relax, and enjoy is the visit from your sister and her husband.
I visited my sister last year in person and it was heavenly.
Have a happy Fourth of July.
Shalom shalom,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
That does sound like you've got a lot going on, between gardening, kitchen construction, and all the rest. But you still got some writing done with that query, synopsis, and pitch, and as I always say: any progress is good progress.
Gorgeous gardens! Love the hydrangea.
Gorgeous gardens. They'd be gasping in TX by this time - it's been darn hot and no end in sight. Typical but I complain more each year.
And in the scheme of things, your gardens, family visits, beach (! take pics), etc are all important. Embrace stuff as it comes along and you want to do it. At this point, it should not be a chore. Make the most of summer and your book will find its way to the right person or source at some time. Ramble about and maybe a NY publisher is vacationing in your town!! You never know.
OMG, Liza! My jaw dropped when I saw your gorgeous gardens, but what a lot of work! I love hydrangeas, and blue ones are so pretty. Maybe you just need a short break until you've enjoyed the distractions. Summer and life are both fleeting, and the longer I live, the more it is about the people I love. You'll figure out what gets you through!
Oh my gosh, Liza, your flowers are gorgeous. Happy summer to you, too. Looks like you deserve a little distraction. More power to you, my dear. Enjoy!
My hubs and I are alone for the first time in months so we cooked a very small amount. And, spent this hot hot summer day inside under the cooler, doing house cleaning stuff we usually only do when moving (which will never happen again, fingers crossed). Plus, all the 4th activities have been cancelled in my area due to the evacuations and fires (I'm not affected).
Love your garden.
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