Summertime Blues

I know . . . summer is supposed to be the time of vacations and free time . . . well, at least that’s what I thought when I was a kid. Now that I’m an adult, I see that summer is just as busy for me as the school year. Didn’t I go into teaching so that I would have my summers off?

Well, I guess that just isn’t an option when you are a workaholic like me, who has a crazy husband and five sons to boot. I’m done with classes until the first week of August when I head back to Logan for a three day introduction to my graduate program workshop. Of course, Im already half-way done now with that program, and we just got word that my husband will be working in California those three days (and a lot more), so what am I going to do with my kids while we’re both gone? Such a bother, as Winnie the Pooh might say, but I’ll play Scarlett O’Hara today and say, “Fiddle-dee-dee. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

This week I’m trying desperately to finish a manuscript a publisher wants to see. Okay, I know it’s my fault for sending that e-mail query out the day before I left for Logan the first time, but how was I to ever guess I’d get a positive response in less than four minutes! I’m just too conditioned to those New York editors who take six months to tell me, “No.” Monday is my own drop-dead deadline for getting this nearly 600 page document into the mail.

Of course, that means I have to work like crazy between now and then because we are going to a family reunion in Beaver on Saturday and packing for a 10 day trip to Disney World Resorts. We leaved Tuesday, the day after my deadline, if I make it that long before collapsing!

Once the trip is over (if I’m not in jail for killing my husband or one of the kids—why is it teenagers can’t just stop the whining and be happy they are going to the Happiest Place on Earth????), I have a whole two weeks to enjoy my summer vacation, then I’m off and running, back to my graduate classes, getting ready to teach school (and those 7th graders I’ve never taught before), and still trying to finish the novel I’d hoped to have written by the end of June.

At least I spent an hour this afternoon watching my youngest play in his new pool. I guess that will have to count as my real summer vacation.

I did find the time to finish the second book from my Summer Reading Thing.

Ghost of a Chance by Kerry Blair

Samantha Shade, of the Nightshade Detective Agency, has been hired to find out what seems to be haunting the San Rafael Mission. But soon, Samantha is investigating a series of murders occurring within the parish. Several young men are found executed in the same gruesome manner—and each is discovered with a marigold between his lips. The clues all seem to lead to someone at the Mission. Who could be responsible? It’s Samantha’s job to find out, especially if she wants to live.

I love the book covers on this series, but unfortunately the books themselves have both been somewhat annoying. When I read a book, I want to be in the story with the main character, but not having them talk to me so often they draw me out of the intensity of the story, especially at a key time. At least this volume got rid of the crossword puzzle clues that ended every chapter in the first book (Mummy’s the Word). I think this author is really talented overall, but I have trouble staying hooked with the parts of the story that try to be “cutesy.” The joke just doesn’t translate onto paper for me. Because I thought book two was better than book one, I may give her one more chance when number three comes along.

My Summer Writing Schedule



Summer vacation is supposed to be a time of relaxation, but that never seems to happen for me. Instead, my time away from teaching school is my window of opportunity for writing. This summer’s schedule is no different from any others, except that this year I’m going to graduate school at the same time.

Here’s a rundown of what I’ll try to complete in the 80 days between the time school gets out and when the teachers go back to work:

1. Finish the new romance novel I’ve been working on.

2. Finish the Middle Grade novel I started this year.

3. Finish the book guides for Books, Books, and More Books: Volume 2.

4. Write a screenplay adaptation of a novel I’ve wanted to see made into a movie.

5. Write several magazine articles and submit.

6. Continue my columns, blogs, and zines.

Then there is the marketing. These are my summer goals for the things that are already written, edited, and looking for a publisher:

1. Follow-up with editors and the agent for the three books already submitted.

2. Query publishers for three more books.

3. Search for a film agent for the three scripts I’ve written.

4. Check with the producer who optioned one of my scripts to see what’s happening with funding.

5. Query magazines and submit articles.

6. Do interviews and assemble podcasts to post to my blog.

Oh, and I can’t forget the editing.

1. Finish the 90,000 word manuscript that was dropped off to me this week.

2. Go through my own stack of edits from my critique group and revise my manuscripts accordingly.

3. Edit manuscripts for Precision Editing Group.

4. Get to critique group every week.

5. Meet with a fledgling critique group to help them know how to get started.

And at last, I’ll have time to read the hundred or so novels that publishers have sent me to review for my newspaper columns, educator magazines, or workshops I present.

Oh, no! That means I’m back at list one with more things to write! And they call this a VACATION.