Wednesday, June 1, 2022

The Summer of Getting Stuff Done

For a lot of people, summer is about having fun, relaxing and traveling. For me, this summer is about putting my head down and keeping it down. I really need to focus. Need to. Want to. Have to. My emotional, mental, physical health demands it. My writing demands it. My home and weird . . . uh, unique . . .  little family demands it. (Mrs. Larry does not care for the word "weird" in reference to her, thank you very much.

 

Some of what I plan to accomplish:

 

* Get at least one draft of my novella done.


* Write and submit at least two stories to markets.


* Finish the 202.2 miles challenge. Maybe start one of the 100 miles challenges.


* Do some cleaning up, de-cluttering and organizing inside and outside the house.

 

I will have some fun, including lots of reading, TV show binge-watching and movie marathon-ing.

 

In the recent free version of Austin Kleon's newsletter, he mentions some advice by poet Jane Kenyon that explains exactly what my hope is for the summer – 

 

"Be a good steward of your gifts. 

Protect your time. 

Feed your inner life. 

Avoid too much noise. 

Read good books, 

have good sentences in your ears. 

Be yourself as often as you can. 

Walk. 

Take the phone off the hook. 

Work regular hours."


*****

 

Do you have any fun summer plans? Any "productive" projects? Looking forward to any summer books, TV shows, movies?

23 comments:

  1. Sounds like you've got a lot of good projects going this summer. I'm hoping to make progress in revising my manuscript so I can send it to beta readers. I love Jane Kenyon's advice.

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    1. Good luck with your revision, Natalie!

      That advice came at just the right time for me.

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  2. Hope you get that first draft done during the summer, Madeline. And also all the other things you have planned.

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  3. Sometimes you just need a season to get things done!

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  4. Ah, the noise has been loud lately for me, with everything pulling my attention in different directions. I'm hoping summer will give me a couple month break seeing that the kids won't have any school obligations.

    Good luck with getting your stuff done and attending to your mental and emotional health!

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    1. I hope you have a peaceful and productive summer, Loni, whatever that looks like for you and for your family.

      Thank you!

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  5. Productive? Yes, my garden is in full swing and my house is going to be a mess until September. I can do this! hehehe

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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    1. Yeh for a garden in full swing! I always wish I could garden. Hmm, maybe I can start with a basil plant. The tortoises would love that!

      Yes, you can do it!

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  6. That sounds like an awesome summer, Madeline. My plans include working on revising my one completed manuscript. Plus, I'm running again now that the Universe has stopped trying to murder me.

    Love the Jane Kenyon quote. I wonder what she'd make of today's obsession with electronic devices and social media.

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    1. Maybe you can outrun the Universe? :)

      I'm old enough to remember a time before the Internet, etc and while I see the benefits of technology, I also kind of miss those "olden" times.

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  7. I am looking forward to some me time this summer and getting in lots of walking.

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  8. My summer plan sounds like yours: I want to finish my sci-fi novella. I'm afraid to plan for more.

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  9. All my summer plans involve editing and then editing some more. Too early to say if it will be at all productive. Or fun...

    Best of luck with your plans. Hope you surprise yourself!

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    1. It sounds like the Summer of Editing for you, MJ. Good luck!

      If I surprise myself, I hope it's in a good way. :)

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  10. I like making plans, too! I've got a novel to finish and then need to choose one of the finished NaNo projects to edit... Drafting comes so easily, wish editing did!

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  11. I hope that you get a draft of your novella completed. That would be great!
    Good luck with all your summer plans, Madeline!

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