Wow. As I recap July, I feel like these mere 31 days were two months instead of one. For the first 20 days, Daniel was in Australia visiting his family. I eased my loneliness by working my ass off, putting in extra hours to write, revise, and do all the little things that come with being an authorpreneur. And then I got on a plane to Australia to join Daniel…
…and promptly did zero author work for the final 11 days of the month. A much-needed rest that has left me feeling a bit disoriented as I head into August (aka the final march toward the publication of Desertera #2!). Here are my notes on what I accomplished in July and my goals for the coming month:
Writing
- Blog Posts Written – 7 (and two reblogs)
- Fiction Words Written – 0
- # of Days I Wrote Fiction – 0
- Nonfiction Prompts Written – 100 prompts (plus front/back matter material)
- # of Days I Wrote Nonfiction – 8
- Outlines Written – 1 (100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts)
- Days Without Writing and/or Editing – 13 (thank you, Australia!)
Editing/Revising
- Drafts Revised – Line Edit of Desertera #2
- # of Days I Revised – 10
Reading
- Books Finished
- The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler
- Cat and Mouse by A.M. Offenwanger
- The Successful Author Mindset by Joanna Penn
- How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis by Bryan Cohen
- Books Begun/In-Progress
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- Books Reviewed
- Cat and Mouse by A.M. Offenwanger – read review
*Remember, I review every book I read on my Goodreads page.
Author Business Activities
- Published 100 Crime Fiction Writing Prompts (Fiction Ideas Vol. 7)
- First round of line edits for Desertera #2 (and won Camp NaNoWriMo!)
- Started cover design process for Desertera #2
- Hosted the Desertera #2 title contest (winner will be announced on Friday!)
- Author interview on Kate Evans’s website
- Participated in the Indie Pride Day Book Blast
- Participated in the Fire & Lies Goodreads takeover
Goals for August
This month is all about getting Desertera #2 ready for publication in September!
- Finish line editing and proofreading
- Finish cover design process
- Format for ebook and paperback
- Set up preorder on online retailers
I also plan to write and publish 100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts (Fiction Ideas Vol. 8).
What did you accomplish in July? If you participated in Camp NaNoWriMo, did you meet your goal? What are your plans for August? Share below!
Kate M. Colby 
I keep meaning to keep a list like you do, because I always find these look-backs at the end of the month interesting, and I think they would help me see how productive I’m being, even though I always feel behind. I wrote *a lot* in July, but I’m feeling frustrated a couple of days into August because I didn’t finish a new novella yet, and was so sure that I would. It’s close, but no cigar yet (though why I’d want a cigar for finishing . . . maybe a piece of cake).
@mirymom1 from
Balancing Act
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I understand exactly how you feel! I always think I’ve accomplished nothing at the end of the month, then these updates help me put it all in a positive perspective.
At the risk of revealing the true depths of my “author OCD:” part of the reason I can do these look-backs so easily is because I keep a time sheet of hours I work and their tasks. Part of this is to help me plan in the future (as I know exactly how many hours it takes to produce a novel, for example) and part is to help me treat my author work like a “real” job. It’s not a system for everyone, but I really enjoy it.
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Wow. You were really busy!
I did meet my Camp NaNo target, but forgot to validate in time. Lol. But the good news is I’m done with the first draft of my second book, so I can now concentrate in the cover design of the first one. ☺
Can’t wait to read Desertera #2!
Have a great day 😊
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That’s awesome, Heena! Congrats on finishing your draft and yay for cover design. It’s so rewarding to finally see your book cover. It always makes the book feel more “real” to me.
And thank you! I can’t wait to have Desertera #2 published and move on to the next book!
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Thanks, Kate! You’re always an inspiration 🙂
And wow, can’t wait to read what happens next in Ana’s life.
Have a great weekend!
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You’ve had such a huge month, Kate, and have accomplished so much – it must feel good when you write it all out. Hope the trip went well xx
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Thank you! It does feel pretty darn good. And yes, my trip was lovely. Lots of great quality time with friends and family.
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I’m glad to hear it x
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I also read How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis and thought it was terrific. I have Joanna Penn’s Author Mindset book on my to read list.
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I really enjoyed them both! The synopsis book was timely, as I need to get writing mine for Desertera #2. Joanna’s is fantastic. So inspiring and heartwarming for me.
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