August is well underway; the leaves of trees around me have started their shift into a paler shade of green — harbingers of the coming Autumn. There’s still heat. Wet, oppressive heat. But the days are getting shorter, and the heat hits differently . . . like a sun god who stands upon the threshold of the sere and yellow leaf.
With that in mind, I figured it was time to chart out a path, to throw down the gauntlet of a deadline on The Book. So, that’s what I’m doing: I plan to use the remaining days in August to nail down a working synopsis. Then, I will begin drafting in earnest on 1 September, aiming for 1000 words a day. My plan is to have a finished draft by 10 December or so. That way, I can start the new year with one in the “win” column.
“And how’s it going without social media,” you ask? Surprisingly well. I don’t doomscroll like I did in the past — shuffling between social media sites in an endless hunt for a hit of dopamine. Now, I check my email, check the weather, go for my morning walk, fix breakfast, read the news while eating, do the breakfast dishes, chat with Shannon, and then work for a couple of hours. Then it’s time for lunch; as I eat I catch up on any book news via BlueSky, then do the lunch dishes, followed by some more work or some reading, take a nap, and get ready for work at the Night Job.
For GI Joe, knowing is half the battle; for Scott, habit is half the battle. For good or ill, I’m a creature of habit, and one key to past productivity is cementing writing as integral to the habits of my day. I work best if I know where all my pieces are, if I have my real-world ducks in their rows, and if I can minimize distractions. It’s not always possible, but when it works . . . it works like gangbusters.
Distraction is always a chief concern. Just this week, I’ve seen friends celebrating their current projects and the sense of jubilation arising from it. I’ve felt envious: “I want to participate in that!” I want that sense of community, of being part of something. But that’s not the path I’ve chosen. Hopefully, there will come a day when I can share a bit of good news — a new book, publishing news, what have you — but until then, it’s butt-in-chair, nose-to-the-grindstone or we’ll get nothing done. And then how badly will we feel, precious?
So, congrats to all who need congratting! Huzzahs all around! As for me, I’ll be over here behind my DO NOT DISTURB sign, working in Antiquity. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll have a book to talk about in the waning of the year . . .
Nothing like a bit of routine - good luck!
Keep it up! Distractions are killers.