Weekly Roundup 23: Submission Summer

Tomorrow is the summer solstice for those of us in the north. Even though we have plenty of long, hot days coming our way over the next few months, I always feel just a tiny twinge of sadness that those days will be growing shorter.

One of my fond memories of having school-aged children on summer break was participating in the reading challenge at the local library. They always had such cool themes, which are selected by an organization called the Collaborative Summer Library Program. Since 1987, they've brought summer fun such as Cosmic Connections at Your Library, Build a Better World, and this year's Adventure Begins at your Library to kids all across the country.

In the same vein, I've given myself a theme this year, which is Submission Summer. As you may or may not recall, my writer word of the year is submit. I'm sorry to say, I've fallen off the pace over the past few months and have some catching up to do. But what better time to do that than during summer afternoons when it's too hot to be outside?

It may not be as fun as Thrills and Chills at the Library or Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales, so I might just have to think of a cool prize to give myself when it's over.

Here's wishing you a productive summer season!

 

Weekly Roundup 3: Yellow Snow

Hello there! How's your week going? Have an eye on the January finish line? It's coming! In the meantime, sports fans have plenty to keep them interested, what with NFL playoffs and the Australian Open and college basketball. When I sit down to watch sports, I'll often have a book in my lap. It feels more productive that way, even if I have to read the same page more than once or keep asking my husband what happened in the game/match :-)

Submission Sunday: To keep my word of the year at the front of my mind and action list, I've made it my mission to not let a Sunday go by without submitting something I've written to someone, somewhere. It makes me feel better to start the week with at least one under my belt.

Fail to Plan, Plan to... I'm trying to make the most of my desk planner calendar, not only for my daily schedule, but also tracking my writing time, submissions, inspirations, exercise, etc. It's a binder style, so I can add pages and move sections around. I write with colored markers, and it's kind of fun to look back at the end of a week and see something other than, ugh, the dreaded white page. (Although I still have some of those, too.)

Yellow Snow: Scientists have discovered what makes snow yellow! Well, actually they discovered the enzyme that turns bilirubin into urobilinogen, which is what makes pee yellow. And that enzyme is produced by bacteria in the gut. This article from EarthSky is a fascinating look at a process that helps keep us healthy.

Have a great week!

It's New Month Resolution Day!

Happy March, everyone! Two months of 2018 are already in the books, and I keep thinking it's still 2017. That's how far behind I am. But I'm one of those people who believes every month is a chance to start fresh. It feels a lot more manageable than making resolutions on January 1st that are supposed to somehow keep their freshness and appeal for an entire calendar year. I have found that resolutions are rather like English muffins...after 30 days, they're pretty stale and need to be replaced.



So, goodbye failures of  February, and hello shiny, brand-new potential of March. Today, I will do my first-of-the-month rituals: flipping calendar pages, changing the photo in my "seasonal" frame, replacing the kitchen sponge, and committing myself to a few action items. Like most writers, I have overarching goals that don't vary much during the course of a year--or decade, or, probably, lifetime. But because I have a short attention span and am easily overwhelmed, it helps to break them down on a monthly basis into slightly different combinations. It's kind of like moving furniture. The room is basically the same, but with a new look. And possibly a new throw pillow. (Note to self: you do not need a new throw pillow.)

This month, I resolve to blog once a week, submit (something, somewhere) once a week, and increase my social media participation. Oh, yes, and write!

Before I go, here's an interesting tidbit about March 2018: it will have two full moons, one on the 1st, and the second on the 31st. It seems to me that those celestial bookends should be very good for writers. Because, you know. Books.

Happy NOvember!

Whew, where did October go? I handed out a lot of candy last night, so November must be upon us. Many writers are digging in to NaNoWriMo today, and I wish them the best of luck. Remember, you don't have to get all the words right. Just get them down.

I'm not participating in NaNo this year. But I'm giving myself another challenge: submit as many times as I can. Yes, queries and synopses and all that stuff that's not nearly as fun as actually writing. But it's as important. Maybe even more so. (Okay, not quite.)

Sometimes, writers don't want to send off their work because they're afraid to get a rejection. But everyone gets them, and I can tell you from experience that the more you submit, the easier it gets. Unfortunately, it's also easy to procrastinate writing those queries. Toilet need cleaning? I'm your gal! Spice cupboard need alphabetizing? I'm on it!

My tough love plan for myself this month is to collect as many "no"s as I can--hence the name NOvember--and maybe even a few "yes"es.

I admit, it's a little scary. But not as bad as those Halloween clown masks.