July has been hectic for all the wrong reasons. From a class in school I do not like at all, to a whole host of medical and dental distractions, July has not been the month I hoped it would be. Still, I did what I could when I could. I did not hit the goals I truly wanted for Camp NaNoWriMo or editing, but I do have more progress than I had when the month started.
It’s not quite the win I wanted, but it is better than what I had at the beginning of the month.
July Results
Writing
Camp NaNoWriMo
Nothing seemed to go the way I intended this month writing wise. Camp NaNoWriMo gave way to school essays and work and anything else but getting words on a page. I did manage a few things, but this month definitely wasn’t my best writing month.
Edit 500 words of Book 1 Daily
Similar to my goals for Camp NaNoWriMo, my goals of editing didn’t seem to go well either. A little here and there daily, with only a few days of actually reaching my goal. As much as I would have liked to be successful (wouldn’t we all?), July simply wasn’t the month to be successful. I do have more words and did make progress, but it wasn’t every day this month as I had hoped.
Edit One Short Story
Editing a short story came at a surprising time at the end of the month in connection with the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction second round. While it wasn’t exactly the short story I had hoped to edit, it did get done. This month, I’m taking the wins where I can.
NYC Flash Fiction Round 2
This challenge is always fun for me despite the looming feeling of a deadline. This year, this challenge actually helped save my word count for the month. Between not feeling well due to multiple health issues that popped up, work being hectic and busy, and navigating negotiations for time off, not to mention how many project I’ve stalled on in the middle, this challenge helped renew my excitement in writing. While I struggled to get started, I did manage to write something decent and submit it before the deadline.
Personal
Exercise
The health issues (temporary, thankfully) did not help my will to exercise. There were a few days, mostly lake days where I exercised without issue, but while at home, I simply couldn’t find the motivation to exercise. Plus when you have all over body aches and just a general yucky feeling, exercise is the last thing on your mind. I hope the next few months are better, especially now that I know what the culprit is.
Journal
Journaling has been my saving grace this month. Sitting down every morning and getting my morning pages down before I truly start my day has helped me make plans and strive for goals. Journaling has helped me get my stresses and successes down on the page and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I started my 4th journal of 2023 and more will follow.
OTHER NEWS
In July, temporary health issues sidelined a lot of what I wanted to get done. Still, I did what I could when I could and while it wasn’t the perfect month, I did make progress. I got the start or orthodontic work, with braces on 6 teeth for a few months and man are the headaches with those intense sometimes!
I went to two amazing concerts: Train and Tori Amos and neither disappointed. I love live music and the concerts were a much needed mental and emotional reset.
I also made it through the halfway point of my LAST CLASS in my bachelor’s degree. A few more weeks to go and then I work through the graduation process. I am so excited to be done, but I am more excited for what is to come next!
Word Count: 23,175
August Goals
Writing
NYC Midnight’s 500 word Microfiction Challenge
I’m always really excited for these short challenges that inspire me to work on something new and finish it all in one go. This will be the first year I do the 500 word Microfiction because this is the inaugural challenge. The 100 and 250 word challenges are fun, so I can’t wait to see how the 500 word challenge goes.
Edits on Book 1
I need to make progress on book one, that has been dragging on for most of the year. I have a true deadline for the end of October and I’m going to stick to it. Even if it means that’s the only project I work on for a few weeks.
Edit One Short Story
I have a story I wanted to edit in July, but it simply didn’t happen. I hope to make progress on the story and hopefully finish it for the next step.
Finish my last class of my Bachelor’s Program
3 more weeks to go and I am already looking forward to the end of this class. It has not been my favorite, but it is the last, so after that I am going to relax and feel waaaay less stressed.
Personal
Exercise
I would really like to get back into exercising in August if my body will let me. Pain more days than not kept me from exercising, but I desperately want to get back into it, so I can feel healthier again and hopefully less stressed.
Journal
Journaling has been very helpful this year. Some days it feels monotonous, especially on the days I simply wake up and go to work for most of the day. Still, journaling helps me realize my goals and put them on paper.
Hydrate
I’ve been really bad at staying hydrated, especially as the months get hotter. I would like to drink more water and hydrating drinks than just coffee throughout the day with a sip of water here or there. With the headaches I’ve been getting from the braces and the fun of relearning how to eat certain foods, it’s been a goal to hydrate more.
Here’s to kicking butt in August!