JulyNoWriMo 2019 - Apricots & Gillyflowers

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mrsmig

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"Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers."
- Sara Coleridge,
Pretty Lessons in Verse
:e2flowers

Welcome to the July Goals thread! Whether you're Camping this month or not, help yourself to some virtual s'mores and state your goals (writing and otherwise) for the month! We'll all be here to encourage, commiserate and applaud!

As usual, I'll start us off. I'm Camping with a cabin full of other AWers, but my goals are modest as I'm anticipating a fairly busy and somewhat unsettled month. A lot of my other goals are repeats or stepped-up versions of my June goals. A big one is getting my draft of Book 5 in chronological order - I tend to write out of order anyway, but this draft is kind of a mess so far, and it's time I got organized.

[ ] Camp NaNo: write 8k words on Book 5 of my series - 0 out of 8,000
[ ] Read 3 books - 0 out of 3
[ ] Exercise 1 hour a week - 0 out of 4

[ ] Determine publishing/promo schedule for Book 3 (estimated mid-August release)
[ ] Approve cover design for Book 3

[ ] Review text of Book 4 for republishing in October
[ ] Rewrite front/back matter on Book 4
[ ] Submit Book 4 to formatter/designer

[ ] Put work on Book 5 into chronological order

How about you? Camping or not? Big goals for midsummer, or are you kicking back and taking some down time?
 

bdwilson

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Okay, let's do this!

I'm going to drop decluttering from my list for the moment, but I expect it will come back. I'm also tracking exercise as part of a challenge else-webs, so it'll mainly be the writing I'm working on here.

[ ] Camp NaNoWriMo: Finish pulling together my short story collection and publish it.
[ ] Finish the rewrite I started last month.
[ ] Finish the revision for PoV3 in my 85K90 book.
[ ] Pick something to start plotting.
[ ] Plot the thing.
[ ] Finish Dan Brown course.
 

Woollybear

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Heya--

[ ] Finish polishing two novellas to 'personal satisfaction' stage
[ ] One will be in the beta project, so this includes getting some crits on it.​

[ ] Finally crack open and begin integrating the final beta feedback on novel
[ ] Also make sure the world building things (which shifted from writing the novellas) are consistent​

[ ] Read another novel. I wish I could tear through novels as easily as others do, but it takes me a while.

[ ] Along those lines, maybe find a book club to join.

[ ] I've been recovering from a rafting injury and hope to be jogging again by mid month.

That's all.

Edit: No 'tisn't.

[ ] Add a blog post to my highly anemic blog.
 
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Tamlyn

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No official camping for me, but hopefully a busy month. I plan to ease myself back in this week (still not feeling great, which doesn't help), but hopefully by next week I'll be in full flow.

Normal goals for me, really. Read books. I'd still like to read some shorts, but it's not an official goal because, uh, I write my goals down in a little book and I ran out of room on the page. Vote in at least one Hugo category -_- (I am terrible at this.)

I need to decide what novel I will work on editing next. I'm not going to stop querying S&M (and queries are on the goal list), but I'm not hopeful about my chances with it so I really need to work on something that's not the 2nd/3rd book in the series. Which is sad, but I love my other first drafts too so I'm sure once I get into it, I'll be happy.

Otherwise I need to finish last month's story and edit it since I wrote it for an anthology deadline. (Already done some words on it, since it's the 2nd for me and I did not skip the 1st.) I saw another deadline that a little unedited flash piece I have fits the theme perfectly so I want to get that one done too. Plus a story drafted for July (finishing June's doesn't count!). I need to continue Haven, which means actually doing my map so things are less all over the place for it.

Actually do some game planning. Actually organise to, you know, play.

1. Read five books.
2. Finish June's story and edit it in time for anthology (end of month).
3. Draft one new story.
4. Edit flash story in time for deadline (14th).
5. Game planning.
6. Query S&M.
7. Continue writing Haven (and create map).
8. Decide on what novel to edit next.
9. Write/edit each day, with one dedicated writing day per week.
10. Bake a thing.
 

Saoirse

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I'm in. Going easy on myself this month.

[] 20,000 words on Survivor for Camp ~676 so far
[] Read and review at least one ARC
[] Begin cleaning office
 

mrsmig

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The first week of July wasn't a particularly energetic one for me. The heat, humidity and holiday seemed to sap my energy, and lots of correspondence with siblings about my mother's care was a major distraction. She's doing okay; on her doctor's orders, the rehab facility sent her home to continuing healing from her femur break, with the plan to bring her back in three weeks to begin weight-bearing therapy - but the problem is that she's 98, lives alone and is currently in a wheelchair. So there's a lot of scrambling around to see that someone is with her to aid her and assess what kind of help she may need down the road. In the past I've been one of her main caregivers, but I'm working two part-time jobs at present, one of which is a teaching gig that ends July 22nd. I was originally planning to go down there on the 23rd, but now it looks like she may be back in rehab by then. So my status is what my brother calls Semper Gumby - "always flexible."

I did get one big job out of the way (getting my current draft in chronological order), but weirdly, that took the wind out of my sails insofar as actual writing. I ended up with a draft that's about a third of the way there, with some great big holes in the narrative, and weighing in at about 52k words. I'm not bothered by that; I tend to write long in the first draft and go back with a machete to edit the second draft. The problem may be that I'm thinking, "what do I do next? Start fixing those narrative holes now, or keep writing the scenes that I feel inspired to write?" I expect the latter is the answer, but meantime I've been spinning my wheels.

I barely - just barely - hit my exercise goal for the week. I've resolved to do better in the coming weeks.

[ ] Camp NaNo: write 8k words on Book 5 of my series - 1,164 out of 8,000
[ ] Read 3 books - 0 out of 3
[ ] Exercise 1 hour a week - 1 out of 4

[ ] Determine publishing/promo schedule for Book 3 (estimated mid-August release)
[ ] Approve cover design for Book 3

[ ] Review text of Book 4 for republishing in October
[ ] Rewrite front/back matter on Book 4
[ ] Submit Book 4 to formatter/designer

[x] Put work on Book 5 into chronological order
 

Tamlyn

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Week one update.

Been good and bad, I guess. My writing day went well, but then I got two rejections this morning and barely felt like writing at all (I ended up doing game words).

I've got some feedback from a friend and my sisters about my little novel blurbs. They're all different, but it's helping me narrow down what I'm going to work on next. And the enthusiasm is a bit of a balm - sometimes that's all I need. No queries sent yet. Maybe tomorrow. Haven't written more on Haven - I really need my map (since I'm up to the walk around town introducing a character to people part). Hopefully will definitely do that tomorrow.

I finished writing last month's story and am forgetting about it for a week or two to let it percolate. I started another story, but I started it from one line and had no clue where it was going. I've come up with a kind of idea now at least. No editing - I intended to on the weekend, but was not in the mood.

Got some game planning done, actually organised the next session, and know what I still need to plan. So happy with that.

Not really been reading, which is sad. I usually can carry the habit out of my reading month a little, but not this time.

So overall my goals look pretty bad, but I don't feel like it was a terrible week for writing.
1. Read five books. 0/5
2. Finish June's story and edit it in time for anthology (end of month). Written, but not edited.
3. Draft one new story. Started.
4. Edit flash story in time for deadline (14th). Nope.
5. Game planning. Yes :)
6. Query S&M. No.
7. Continue writing Haven (and create map). Not yet.
8. Decide on what novel to edit next. Getting there.
9. Write/edit each day, with one dedicated writing day per week. So far, so good.
10. Bake a thing. Nope.
 

bdwilson

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Week one went okay. Making progress on things, and getting close to finishing off the rewrite, but not quite there yet.

[-] Camp NaNoWriMo: Finish pulling together my short story collection and publish it.
[-] Finish the rewrite I started last month.
[-] Finish the revision for PoV3 in my 85K90 book.
[ ] Pick something to start plotting.
[ ] Plot the thing.
[X] Finish Dan Brown course.
 

Woollybear

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Actually already dreading the end of July b/c I don't want to have to finish some of these, But yes, there was some progress in weeks 1... so that's good...

[ ] Finish polishing two novellas to 'personal satisfaction' stage
[ ] One will be in the beta project, so this includes getting some crits on it.​

[ ] Finally crack open and begin integrating the final beta feedback on novel
[ ] Also make sure the world building things (which shifted from writing the novellas) are consistent​

[ ] Read another novel. I wish I could tear through novels as easily as others do, but it takes me a while.

[ ] Along those lines, maybe find a book club to join.

[ X ] I've been recovering from a rafting injury and hope to be jogging again by mid month.

[ ] Add a blog post to my highly anemic blog.
 

mrsmig

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Woollybear

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Aw, thank you!

Turns out you can get whiplash on class 3/4 rapids. Whiplash sucks. It's been about a month and I still have a slight headache, but am off the ibuprofen and starting to do light exercise again.

And--this goals thing is great. I made it to the library and picked up another Haig novel (The Radleys) which is ...AWESOME... already 30% through in one day. And also signed on to a bookclub through Meet-up. Not sure if I will attend this month, but being signed up and ready to go --> is toward that goal on the list.
 

Jaymz Connelly

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:hi: Hi everyone. It's been a while.

Had computer troubles, and then health troubles, but the computer and I are both doing much better now. I won't put up goals for this month, but I hope to be back next month with some goals to meet.

Good luck to everyone on meeting your goals for this month!

Also, Patty... :Hug2: Ow. Whiplash does not sound like a fun thing at all. I'm glad you're recovering and off the painkillers.

Also :Hug2:for Tamlyn on the rejection letters.
 

mrsmig

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Glad to hear things are improving, Jaymz. And good to see you in the thread, if only for a brief visit.
 

Kjbartolotta

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:hi: Hi everyone. It's been a while.

Jay's back! For this visit at least. So am I apparently Glad you're ok. :D

Aw, thank you!

Turns out you can get whiplash on class 3/4 rapids. Whiplash sucks. It's been about a month and I still have a slight headache, but am off the ibuprofen and starting to do light exercise again.

Guh! Glad you're ok too. Where were you rafting?
 

Tamlyn

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Week two! And, uh, not that much progress.

The Haven map is turning out to be much more time-consuming than I anticipated - I spent most my writing day doing it. So not a wasted day, but still a whole lot more to do (the drawing bit is done; it's the populating bit that's hard) and so I've not done any more Haven words. Will hopefully really knuckle down on that this next writing day. I could do some today, but I think I need something easier today. Been gardening all weekend, which has flared up my it-was-almost-healed neck :(

I did manage to get that flash story edited and submitted in time (and now I'm just waiting on my rejection *optimistic*). Haven't made any more progress on editing June's story or writing the other new one. Been doing game bits at work. So I guess I've made a bunch of progress on that?

Aaand I still haven't finished even my tinsy Famous Five book. I am going to be lucky if I end up voting in one thing for the Hugos. Considering putting everything aside and just reading an old favourite (Goblin Emperor, maybe) just to get myself back in reading mood.

So not looking great on the goal front. But we've decided what we're doing with the garden, my new training at work is going well...? Actually, that's a good idea, I'll blame all my brain power going towards work (my work decided not to renew the contract of the stuff I did, so I have to train for other stuff and new things are scary).

(It's not work's fault. I've just been... ambling.)

1. Read five books. 0/5
2. Finish June's story and edit it in time for anthology (end of month). Written, but not edited.
3. Draft one new story. Started.
4. Edit flash story in time for deadline (14th).Yes!
5. Game planning. Yes :)
6. Query S&M. No.
7. Continue writing Haven (and create map). Started the map.
8. Decide on what novel to edit next. Getting there.
9. Write/edit each day, with one dedicated writing day per week. So far, so good.
10. Bake a thing. Nope.
 

mrsmig

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I hear ya, Tamlyn. Can't seem to get up a head of steam either. Still poised to make the trip down to Tennessee to look after my mother, but now it looks like she may go back to rehab earlier than anticipated; they're just waiting for a bed to open up for her. I may still have to go down, but not for the entire final week of July.

I finished reading a book (Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex), got a paltry 1k words written (way below goal for Camp) and once again, got in my hour of exercise (barely). My cover designer got back from vacay and immediately floated a cover design for my 3rd book past me, but I fear I shot it down. It wasn't at all what I wanted, but she's pretty intuitive and I'm sure she'll come up with something much better. I have a feeling that mid-August is going to be upon me before I know it so I'm glad I'm not locked down to a specific re-release date for that 3rd book.

[ ] Camp NaNo: write 8k words on Book 5 of my series - 2,160 out of 8,000
[ ] Read 3 books - 1 out of 3
[ ] Exercise 1 hour a week - 2 out of 4

[ ] Determine publishing/promo schedule for Book 3 (estimated mid-August release)
[ ] Approve cover design for Book 3

[ ] Review text of Book 4 for republishing in October
[ ] Rewrite front/back matter on Book 4
[ ] Submit Book 4 to formatter/designer

[x] Put work on Book 5 into chronological order
 

Woollybear

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Jaymz! Welcome back however much we can have you. :)

KJ: It was the Mighty Merced what did me in, and a great trip to take sometime though their season is starting to wind down now. We've done that tour before, but I was younger then. Ah, age. Why do you taunt me so.

Tamlyn--I did not realize you were mapping! Cool. My little map is still not completely done (April goal IIRC), but I poke at it now and then and it's in decent shape.

Mrs.Mig--I've heard good things about Middlesex. I hope your mom is comfortable.

I've had a decent week goal wise. It was the little ones I took aim at, but knocked a couple off.



[ (X) ] Finish polishing two novellas to 'personal satisfaction' stage --I've got one basically done. Yay! The second will take a fair bit longer. It's rougher than I thought.

[ ] One will be in the beta project, so this includes getting some crits on it.​

[ ] Finally crack open and begin integrating the final beta feedback on novel
[ ] Also make sure the world building things (which shifted from writing the novellas) are consistent​

[ X ] Read another novel. The Radleys by Matt Haig. Quick read and good study in successful head-hopping and also character goal vs. desire and placing these in conflict.

[ X ] Along those lines, maybe find a book club to join.--I joined a local meet-up group and even RSVP'd for a meeting in a couple weeks--Girl Waits With Gun, a mystery.

[ X ] I've been recovering from a rafting injury and hope to be jogging again by mid month.

[ ] Add a blog post to my highly anemic blog.
 
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bdwilson

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Forgot to check-in yesterday, and it seems my last week was more productive than it felt.

[-] Camp NaNoWriMo: Finish pulling together my short story collection and publish it.
[X] Finish the rewrite I started last month.
[X] Finish the revision for PoV3 in my 85K90 book.
[ ] Pick something to start plotting.
[ ] Plot the thing.
[X] Finish Dan Brown course.
 

Saoirse

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Update:

[] 20,000 words on Survivor for Camp ~7,301 words so far
[] Read and review at least one ARC ~Started reading today
[] Clean office ~Started
 

Tamlyn

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Week three, and someone has definitely stolen my month.

I kind of forgot about the second story, for the end of the month deadline, and so I'm going to have to work hard to get that done - and might not have much time to do the other stuff I still need to do! I've done a little more on drafting the other story, but not there yet. I haven't done writing today, but I've got something open and hopefully can do that soon. Just, not something that involves much brain.

I have, however, finished the map for Haven and I know can move forward. I won't get time to move forward with writing much, but it's good that it's done and it gave my ideas for bits and pieces as I worked on the characters. I definitely feel accomplished there.

I did pick up The Goblin Emperor again, because rereading is better than no reading, and I've been happily chugging through it. Almost finished.

Work is exhausting, car shopping is hard, and so apparently is writing.

1. Read five books. 0/5
2. Finish June's story and edit it in time for anthology (end of month). Written, but not edited.
3. Draft one new story. Halfway through.
4. Edit flash story in time for deadline (14th).Yes!
5. Game planning. Yes :)
6. Query S&M. No.
7. Continue writing Haven (and create map). Finished the map!
8. Decide on what novel to edit next. Probably decided.
9. Write/edit each day, with one dedicated writing day per week. So far, so good.
10. Bake a thing. Nope.
 

mrsmig

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Down in Tennessee looking after my mother, which isn't terribly conducive to the creative process, and trying to deal with all the moving parts of getting her back into rehab. There are so many individuals involved, none of whom seem to talk to each other, that trying to coordinate with them is a daunting task. I'm trying to be patient and upbeat, since Mom gets very down with each delay.

I fell short of my exercise goal this week (unsurprising since I spent two days driving), but I did finish a book (a translation of a book called The Ratcatcher, whose author I can't remember). I also approved the cover design for Book 3 - we ended up going back to the same background artwork that my publisher used for the first edition, which was something I'd picked out in the first place - and I have the galleys to review, which may be how I spend the rest of the week instead of trying to force myself to write in surroundings that are less than ideal (did I mention that my mom's house is HOT?). I've added the galley review to my list of tasks = don't know why I didn't add it in the first place.

I don't think there's any hope of meeting my modest camp goal, but stranger things have happened.

[ ] Camp NaNo: write 8k words on Book 5 of my series - 3,456 out of 8,000
[ ] Read 3 books - 2 out of 3
[ ] Exercise 1 hour a week - 2 out of 4

[ ] Determine publishing/promo schedule for Book 3 (estimated mid-August release)
[x] Approve cover design for Book 3
[ ] Approve galleys for Book 3

[ ] Review text of Book 4 for republishing in October
[ ] Rewrite front/back matter on Book 4
[ ] Submit Book 4 to formatter/designer

[x] Put work on Book 5 into chronological order
 
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Woollybear

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Good week for me. I've been outlining novel two (not a goal for July), and making real progress. This is the third attempt at it but the outline is now sorted and I'm trying the snowflake method -- and -- you know what? -- I actually think this will work. I think this will work. I'm feeling positive. What an odd feeling. :)

So--the unmet goals might just have to roll into the future--because it feels good to have momentum on a new project.



[ ] Finish polishing two novellas to 'personal satisfaction' stage. (I think I won't really get either of these to personal satisfaction stage, but they are both getting better.)

[ X ] One will be in the beta project, so this includes getting some crits on it.​

[ ] Finally crack open and begin integrating the final beta feedback on novel
[ ] Also make sure the world building things (which shifted from writing the novellas) are consistent​

[ X ] Read another novel. The Radleys by Matt Haig. Quick read and good study in successful head-hopping and also character goal vs. desire and placing these in conflict.

[ X ] Along those lines, maybe find a book club to join.--I joined a local meet-up group and even RSVP'd for a meeting in a couple weeks--Girl Waits with Gun, a mystery.
[ X ] I've read this novel now, too! Woot, bonus book read. Last time I read two novels in one month--I can't remember the last time!​

[ X ] I've been recovering from a rafting injury and hope to be jogging again by mid month.

[ X ] Add a blog post to my highly anemic blog. I was so happy to get this done. So happy.
 
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bdwilson

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Check-in time. I still have one story I might replace in the collection, but other than that I've pulled it together so I'm calling that half done. Almost there! Just picked the next plotting thing right now, because I wanted to check something else off, but really, that was taking me far too long.

[-] Camp NaNoWriMo: Finish pulling together my short story collection and publish it.
[X] Finish the rewrite I started last month.
[X] Finish the revision for PoV3 in my 85K90 book.
[X] Pick something to start plotting.
[ ] Plot the thing.
[X] Finish Dan Brown course.
 

mrsmig

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Overnighting in West Virginia on my way home from Tennessee. Mom will be returning to rehab to continue physical therapy for her broken leg on Monday; fortunately a friend volunteered to get her readmitted tomorrow, since I have to be back home in order to start rehearsals for my next show Tuesday morning. I'm grateful we were finally able to get her back in, since the place has been jam-packed for the past two weeks.

I wrote almost nothing for the ten days I was caring for Mom. Just couldn't focus. I did finish another book, so I've met my reading goal, and I'm a bit more than halfway through reviewing the galleys for Book 3, so I'm more or less on target to finish that by the end of the month. Don't think I'll get to the prep for the re-release of Book 4 this month, and unless inspiration strikes over the next few days, I think the Camp NaNo goal is a washout; disappointed in my lack of exercise as well. I resolve to do better next month.

[ ] Camp NaNo: write 8k words on Book 5 of my series - 3,456 out of 8,000
[x] Read 3 books - 3 out of 3
[ ] Exercise 1 hour a week - 2 out of 4

[ ] Determine publishing/promo schedule for Book 3 (estimated mid-August release)
[x] Approve cover design for Book 3
[ ] Approve galleys for Book 3

[ ] Review text of Book 4 for republishing in October
[ ] Rewrite front/back matter on Book 4
[ ] Submit Book 4 to formatter/designer

[x] Put work on Book 5 into chronological order
 
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