July: The Month of Finishing

My life right now: I'm in a boat floating in a sea of unfinished things. It's actually my normal state, but this time I'm working towards being finished. And working towards finishing feels a lot better than doing nothing.

So if this blog has been a little sparse lately, that's why. Blogging is something I can always do more of, which is why it's been kind of pushed to the side during my "Month of Finishing," which is what I've just now decided to call July.

Partly to keep you all informed, and partly to keep myself accountable, here's a quick look at what I've been doing/thinking about:

1. First of all, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Christopher Gronlund over at The Juggling Writer for writing a truly inspiring post in response to mine about Expectations vs. Reality. He was so sweet regarding my blog and he brought new insight to the points I was making. Thanks Christopher. You really made my day and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond!

2. So...I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo this month, which if you haven't heard, basically consists of trying to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It's something I've been wanting to do ever since I heard about it several years ago, but never had enough time until this July. If you'd like to keep track of my progress you can see my word count in the left side bar under the typewriter.

3. Reading. I've got so many books I want to read! I'm currently trying to finish my required summer reading, which I am LOVING so far. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin is beautifully written and also gripping and scary and emotional. I was totally not expecting that. I'm still not really sure what to expect from this book. I will let you know how it turns out.

4. Collaboration! Ok so my best friend and I are working on something we've been trying to do every summer for the past three or four years. We're going to make a book of our writing and artwork and publish it through Blurb. When it's done, it will be the culmination of not only ten years of friendship but also the result of our creative efforts so far. Scary but exciting.

5. This blog. My New York recap post is sitting half-finished in my drafts folder. I have a list of books I still want to review. You probably won't be hearing from me much this month (I've got a lot on my plate), but as soon as I get some of the larger projects out the way, I really want to devote some time to writing all those posts that have been nagging at me all summer. Stay tuned.

Links:

I don't usually share links like this, mainly because I almost never click on the links other people share when they're in list form. I don't know, maybe I just get overwhelmed. But if you are the kind of person who loves going through link lists, then I hope you'll enjoy this! (I promise, these are worth taking a look at.)

Under All this Noise: On Reclusion, Writing, and Social Media : Awesome, awesome article on what it means to be an author and a recluse in today's society, where the compulsion to share everything is turning into a "business strategy."

What a World : Beautiful, heartbreaking letter from Ken Kesey to his five closest friends after the death of his son. Incredibly sad, yes, but hopeful, too. 

Letters to July: One of my favorite Youtubers is making daily video letters to the month of July. Short, lovely, and good for the soul. While you're on her channel you should also check out her video called "The Secret Life of Things."

The Fishbowl: Where Ideas Swim: My best friend's blog. She has challenged herself to post something every day in July. Go forth, read, and support!

What are you working on this month?