Our Summer Writing Goals...

Sure, relaxing at the beach is great. But have you ever experienced the high of cranking out seriously amazing pages and pushing ahead on your next WIP? Writers, we know you know what we're talking about!  So, here's what we'll be working on while the weather is fine. Now what about *you*?

"This summer I’m continuing to work on my second thriller and just passed the halfway mark. Having recently welcomed my third baby, my writing has been a bit sporadic and often involves jotting notes in the wee hours after a nursing session. The story is told from dual point of views and features diary entries from a sixteen year old, so I’ve had fun digging up my own angsty teen journal for inspiration. I’m also gearing up for the release of my debut novel IF I LOSE HER next March and hoping to ramp up my social media and marketing plan. I finally got a TikTok profile, so you may see my face on there occasionally (cringe!)."

"This summer I'm dedicated to writing two sentences per day, rain or shine. I've been integrating this practice for a month and I'm loving it—it usually opens the floodgates for a writing session, or at the very least allows me to brainstorm placeholders for upcoming chapters. I'm doing my best to manage the on-sub jitters, and I have a few trips and concerts lined up as a lovely distraction! On the weekends, I'm hoping to get in some pool time and tackle some of the books on my TBR!"

"I AM DOING IT. I'm re-opening a manuscript I shelved a few years ago because I thought there was nothing there. Only it turns out there *is* something there. I still want to write about the topic (it's an upmarket New Adult story set in New York City and the south of France--ooh la la!) and what's on the page is actually in extremely decent shape. Which is making me wonder why I ever put it aside in the first place? No matter! I, too, am going to try the "Two Sentences Every Day" strategy...actually hopefully more because I'm aiming to have a messy draft by the end of the summer.  Wish me luck! And find me on Twitter if you want to nerd out over "The Summer I Turned Pretty" Season 2. But be forewarned: I am 100%  Team Conrad. 

"As I do...I’ll get in my car and drive the eight hours to Maine with a book idea in my head. I will pull into my driveway with a solid sense of where I am headed. Then I’ll take time to walk the beach, cycle around town, and gaze out the window of my corner property, looking for characters and actions to weave into my percolating idea.

I will offer one hint—a beach house. The novel eager to crawl out is set at a spot I know well. It’s one of those classic beachfront, shingled cottages with a weathered look that tugs hard at every true beach-lover heart. This house has a big wrap-around porch that begs for sipping rosé, scotch, or a morning coffee while listening to the waves and watching the dune grass sway right
out front. It’s a place crying to be the star of a novel or at least the backdrop for one. This is the summer I will make it happen for this quintessential beach house."

"I’m attempting my own version of NaNoWriMo in July. Sounds scary to write 50,000 words in a month, but I love a challenge. I have a studio, finally, so I’ll be painting scenes/locations from my novel in between writing. The art process creates clear images of place. Of course, the San Francisco Giants games will be playing in background while I paint and/or write. Nothing quite like the sound of a ballgame on a summer’s day to inspire the words to flow. Here’s to hoping that I’ll reach my goal of 50,000 words (or the first draft of a novel) by the end of summer!"

"We're in the full throes of winter Down Under (and by 'full throes', I mean we've had a bit of rain and it's chilly enough to wear a jacket... otherwise, sunshine as usual). I've just finished the first draft of my new manuscript, which is a fun upmarket fic / psychological thriller about a skint and scrappy single mum who unexpectedly inherits a run-down carnival, and whose dreams of a nice lucrative windfall are thwarted when she realises there's something suspicious going on inside those paint-peeling carnival rides. I've now put the first draft aside and given myself until the end of June to forget I ever wrote it (and catch up on Succession - NO SPOILERS PLEASE) before I pull it out with fresh eyes and discover all sorts of horrifying plot holes. I do my best work during revisions, so I'm looking forward to it!"