Summer Sun + Draft 1 Writing Dash

Friday August 21st, 2020

10:00 a.m

Does anyone else find it crazy that we are a week or so away from September? No? Just me?

Although, I am at that midway point between wanting another month of summer sun, windy beach days, and ice-cream sandwiches annnnnd just about ready to plop in Hocus Pocus for the first watch of the Autumn months! I am thrilled that the Autumn is upon us and cannot wait for all the foliage, cool nights, and spookiness to come, but most importantly, it means that I have finished my first official draft 1 of this book!

Since my last update, I said my goal shifted from July 31st in completing draft 1! It is now August 31st. This was due to some of the stuff mentioned in the last post, but mostly to a lot of shifts and changes in my part of the world with COVID. It’s caused some set-back in starting a new job – happening this fall instead – and finding a new place to call home, which has been set back a bit as well. In all the halts that happened, writing suffered a bit causing the deadline to be pushed back.

BUT, I can happily say that I am on track to finishing August 31st (I’m smiling from ear to ear at that prospect of saving the final copy on my word doc and knowing I FREAKING DID IT!).

I’m still treading through part two of the book, about to finish it off and head into part three. Part three has about ten chapters in it. I have in total 12/13 more chapters left. To complete in 10 days. BRING IT ON! I am already planning out in my head my next ‘writing journey update‘ with all the tips and tricks I’ve learned in getting out that first draft onto paper.

Beyond that, I am taking it pretty easy with reading as I have plans for diving into all the books I wasn’t able to this summer during my two-week break from writing. I found that it’s best to take a good chunk of time off after completing a draft to get better perspective on it. I don’t want to think too far ahead to the changes I have to make or the other 4-5 drafts I have to write and revise until I get to the one that is good enough to query… it’s a daunting and exciting thing but ultimately too far in advance to worry about. I have my eyes set on August 31st and with the writing spirits on my side, I have no doubt I could do it!

In other news, I have been spending some time at the beach, under the sun and warm breeze, sitting in the sand. Eating all the BBQ foods I could before it’s gone for the year. And, enjoying my leisure mornings before work starts up again and I could kiss those goodbye. Frightened does not begin to explain how I feel for the coming months, especially not knowing what the pandemic will look like. I hope everyone is still staying safe and looking out for one another!

Here’s a tiny wrap-up of what I’ve been reading, watching, and doing over the past couple of weeks:

Reading:

Mostly on hold with a long list piling up for the ready come my two-weeks post draft 1, but I have been loving reading https://www.thelondoner.me/. It is just the cutest, most posh, and graceful blog I have ever come across and I just absolutely love her!

Watching:

Also most of the shows I am wanting to binge are on hold, but I have managed to catch a few episodes of Glow-Up on Netflix (absolutely loveee!) and Selena + Chef (the cutest show ever and makes me soooo freaking hungry)!

Doing:

I have been obsessed with sunset walks around the neighbourhood or the park. There is just something about seeing how the day is coming to an end, and the air gets a bit cooler, and the stars slowly start to come into view… really helps me breathe and remember how important small moments like this are. In addition to that, I have been journaling non-stop. After I basically word vomited in my last blog post, I realized how much better I felt writing that stuff down. I used to have a diary back in the day – well multiple diaries – and I kind of slowly got out of it once life got super busy. A therapeutic and soul-healing way to just figure out what’s really going on in your head and navigate how to make yourself better!

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What has everyone been up to? Anyone working on draft 1 and is pushing this last little bit out?

Also – I know it doesn’t look like it, but I really am trying to post more ‘writing’ type posts on a more regular basis. Hopefully as I am nearing the end of draft 1, I can get back into a solid blogging schedule since it is one of my favourite things to do!

Wishing you all luck with all your passion projects and letting you know you got this!!

Happy Weekend!

x