Holiday weeks are always a little wonky. We returned from our long weekend at the lake house on Monday evening, went to work on Tuesday, had Wednesday off, and work again Thursday and today.
Why we get Wednesday off rather than the nearest Monday or Friday is beyond me, but it makes the work week disjointed. Especially when half of the country is on extended vacations.
Anyway, the weirdness threw my writing schedule off a bit, too, but I think I did alright.
I wrote 1,500 words this week, half of my initial goal. I am still in the midst of rewriting the first few sections of my book, and I think it’s going well.
My opening section was a bit heavy on exposition, so I’ve tempered that in the rewrite by adding an extra character who can have an active dialogue with the POV character.
I’m also expanding the scene to include more people. It may be a bit overwhelming for the reader initially, but it’s better for the narrative. And, it’s much more entertaining to see political dealings play out in lively conversation than in one person’s head.
I’m enjoying the writing process so far — all two weeks of it. I’ve missed being able to dive into a new story, make up names on the spot, and decide which features or mannerisms to highlight about a person mid-sentence.
Hopefully, this creative spark will carry me through Camp NaNoWriMo.
Oh, right! Camp NaNo! I joined a “cabin” with a group of other writers. We seem to run the gamut from Very New to Writing to Has Multiple Books Published. I’m hoping the group stays active through the month. It’s nice to share writing time with others.
WoEM Things
On a side note, my wife’s aunt bought a copy of my book! So that was cool. I brought a few copies to the lake house with me in the hopes that some people would be interested.
I definitely did not try to pitch my book to my wife’s family, but if they asked, I talked about it. Most everyone who saw the cover was impressed, so that felt good.
Taboola continues to frustrate me. I’ve emailed their customer support team for some help. In the 2 years+ I was managing campaigns through them in my last job, I don’t think I ever saw a campaign fail to start. They might splutter after a few days or a week, but nothing?
Otherwise, I’m just waiting for publication day. Hopefully my pre-order customers will be pleased 🙂
Goals for 7/13
- Write 4,000 words for WoEL
- Get my Taboola campaigns going or find a different service
- Start reading consistently again
Steve D
Evening Satellite Publishing 