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?