Ciao everyone! I am writing my check-in to you from a hotel in Italy, which I will depart from tomorrow and head home. I did not get a LICK of writing done this month – not revision, nor a draft. Why do I sound happy about that? Because I LIVED! I spent half of the month in Italy both traveling for pleasure and helping my daughter get settled in Rome, which is where she will be going to college. GULP. And I spent every precious moment savoring the sights, sounds, scents of my beloved Italy after almost two years of no travel at all.
Travel is a huge inspiration for my writing, but I find it doesn’t find its way in until after I return and I’ve had a chance to process. And this trip was especially emotional, given it being the first trip post-COVID lockdown AND it included saying goodbye to my daughter as she embarks on this new phase of life. Lots and lots to process. Let’s hope that comes into my writing in September!
Tell us YOUR progress. Did you complete a draft and/or revision in August? Let us know in the Rafflecopter and in the comments. August Featured Author Darshana Khiani is offering a signed copy of her book HOW TO WEAR A SARI (U.S. only) and a 20-min Zoom session to talk about writing, publishing, or books in general to one VERY lucky 12 x 12 member.
What an outstanding prize! Thanks, Darshana!
Here is what you need to do to check in for a chance to win:
- See the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post.
- Click on the “Comment on Darshana’s post” button. Commenting on Darshana’s post is mandatory for this giveaway and you can enter the Rafflecopter even if you didn’t write a draft this month. Click ENTER.
- If you haven’t commented on Darshana’s post yet, go to the post here to comment. Then come back to this post to enter the Rafflecopter. (Commenting won’t enter you in the drawing automatically, you have enter the Rafflecopter by following step 2.)
- Click on the “Wrote a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you completed a PB draft in August. If you did, click ENTER, if not, click cancel and move on to the next step.
- Click on the last “Revised a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you revised a PB in August. If you did, click ENTER. If not, click cancel.
- That’s it! There is no overall submit button or email confirmation. Rafflecopter will track your points. (The top of the Rafflecopter will say X/3 with X being the number of entries you currently have in the drawing.)
Here’s a video tutorial on the forum to walk you through these steps as well. Click here for the monthly check-in tutorial.
You have until midnight Eastern on September 5th to enter your results. Rafflecopter will draw a winner and it will be announced on the blog on September 6th.
Remember, badges are not awarded automatically and must be requested in the forum. Click here to request your August badge on the forum. Badges for all previous months this year can still be claimed in the Important Announcements section of the forum here.
6 Responses
Writing is so much more than smearing ink around on a piece of paper or computer screen. So, Julie, don’t worry about not writing on your trip. You were writing! I’m focusing mostly on revisions this year and got another of mine looking better.
This month I have been right out straight with Drs appointments, x-rays, and various tests… so haven’t felt like writing that much. However, I did manage to write a very rough draft of one of my Storystorm ideas and revised a rough draft from last month.
What a wonderful month for you…all those emotions! I KNOW you will tap into them over and over.
It doesn’t matter that you didn’t write this past month– you gleaned a ton of writing inspiration and got a creative re-charge!! And that doesn’t always happen so often, so value that for what it is! Even without travel factored in, I find this time of year very hard to be productive. September, for me, is for getting more serious…I hope, ha!
Fall is approaching and I’m still hanging onto summer. My head may be behind, but I did write a draft and revised in August. Wishing everyone a happy September!
Just keep writing…a little is better than nothing.