Last month, I was at Camp Draft, where a number of writing projects were going to get done. Unfortunately, early that month, anxiety roared in like a swarm of angry mosquitos sending me cowering under my bunk, whimpering, with my arms over my head. But, thankfully, my protagonists are braver and smarter than I am, and they eventually lured the swarm away with some Key Lime Pie ice cream (I’m not sure this would work in real life but here, at Camp Draft, weirdness often works.) Coincidentally, this is also how my protagonists lured me out from under the bunk so we could get back to work.
What got done:
The Longer Short Story – a solid rough draft!
The Drabble – written, revised too many times to count and submitted!
What did not get done:
The Novella
So, I decided another session of Camp Draft was in order for August. This time around, we’re going to:
* Finish the nightmare road trip – aka The Longer Short Story – and revise it until it stops chanting “are we there yet?” so I can hopefully submit it.
* Explore that cursed island where the Novella lives, and hang out with two of my protagonists and let them tell me all the secrets, or at least the ones they know about. This project will be about progress, and even though I’m not exactly sure what that looks like, I’ll know it when I see it.
Hopefully, August will be free of angry mosquitos. But I’m going to stock up on some of that Key Lime Pie ice cream, you know, um, just in case….
*****
How’s your summer going? Having fun? Getting projects done? Staying cool, calm and collected? Hiding from angry mosquitos?
It sounds like Camp Draft was successful in July. I hope you have another productive one in August.
ReplyDeleteJuly turned out better than I thought it would, considering that bad bout of anxiety early on.
DeleteThanks, Natalie! Fingers crossed!
I read your last month's post, but I'll just comment here. Nice progress with Camp Draft! Good luck with finishing the novella!
ReplyDeleteWe have mosquitos in our back yard because we have a defunct pond. I've treated it, but it seems like there is still a few of those biting buggers still around.
Thanks, Loni!
DeleteGood luck getting rid of the rest of those mosquitos. I hope they're the regular ones and not the angry ones.... :o
Woot! I'm cheering you on! You've totally got this. Way to make tracks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Crystal! Appreciate it. :)
DeleteTake your bug spray!
ReplyDeleteHa! I think it needs to be more specific, like angry mosquito/anxiety spray. :)
DeleteSummer is going pretty well. Not on an evacuation order--forest fires, and we have pretty clears skies.
ReplyDeleteOn the writing front, I'm inching forward and really, really, like the draft camp idea. :-)
Anna from elements of emaginette
Fingers crossed for a safe rest of the summer for you....
DeleteInching forward is still moving forward! :)
I love the way you write about this. Yes, visit that cursed island and take some notes, maybe write a vignette chapter, and see where it goes, or take a few photos and add to the map. :) Take your bug spray and some extra key lime pie. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tyrean! Hmm, maybe I'll take some Key Lime Pie to the island. No, wait, I'll take some Key Lime Pie ice cream to put ON the Key Lime Pie! (I think my sweet tooth just exploded....) :o
DeleteI've not been getting projects done, but I am trying. I have, however, been getting eaten alive by those anxiety mosquitos. As well as the real kind.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great time at Camp Draft this month. May the writing and ice cream be plentiful!
I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with those angry anxiety mosquitos, too. As if the real ones aren't bad enough.
DeleteThanks, MJ! Hopefully the ice cream won't make my pages too sticky....