July 2022 Writing Check-In

It's time for the monthly writing check-in! I'll tell you what I've been working on, and I'd love to hear how you're writing is going for you.

In July, I submitted a Blueprint for a Book (as written by Jennie Nash in her book of the same title) to a coach for a YA contemporary novel, and I'm waiting for feedback, which is HARD! In our fast-paced, instant-gratification society, it's hard to wait. I want to know what's working and what's not, but I know that thorough, high-quality feedback takes time. Would I secretly love the coach to tell me I did everything right and I'm a genius? Yes, I would - I think we all feel that at some level. But instead of getting a gold star to satisfy my ego, I fully expect to receive constructive feedback that will strengthen and deepen my story, which is why I wanted coaching.

I've also been participating in the #AmWriting-Author Accelerator Butt-In-Chair Challenge with a completely new novel idea (an adult contemporary romance). It's been rewarding to tackle a small piece of a new story idea every week, and it's made me not go crazy while waiting to receive feedback on my other novel. (And I'm super excited that I will be the featured guest coach on August 12!!! I will send a link when it goes live.)

I wrote a short piece on my blog highlighting what I've learned about writing by taking an adult beginner's tennis class this summer. You can read that post here.​

And it wouldn't be complete to talk about writing without talking about what I've been reading. On the fiction side of things, I enjoyed the YA enemies-to-lovers romance Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon. For nonfiction, I read GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon and WOW. I think this book belongs on every novelist's bookshelf. Highly recommend.

How did your writing go in July? I’d love to hear from you. Use my contact form or connect with me on social media (links at the bottom).

Here's to a writing-filled August!