Summer Goals

Despite the cool temps peppering this area of the country, summer is almost upon us. Yes, it's May 15, and my children have four more days of school. And then? They'll be out until mid-August.

As any mom knows, summer is when the real work begins. I need to be more on top of the tasks around here because everyone is home. The house will be messier, we'll have more clothes to wash (thank you, summer heat), and cooking? I don't look forward to the number of meals I'll have to put together between next Friday and August 17.

Of course, I'll have four helpers who can aid in all of those tasks...

But the one thing they can't help me with is writing. How am I to get my writing and editing done with four pairs of little feet home 24/7? It's a question I ask myself every summer, and every summer, I put together a list of priorities. What can I realistically accomplish this summer in between pool visits, beach vacations, and taking care of the kids?

This summer, I don't have much on my list except for two items:
1. Keep up with my Literary Mama duties.
2. Revise After We've Fallen.

And while the list may be short, those two tasks are monumental. If at the end of the summer I have accomplished them, I'll be able to give myself an enormous pat on the back.

Do you have any summer goals? Feel free to share them with us!

Happy Writing!

~Christina

Someday, I Will

The other night, after having a conversation with an old friend, I pulled out a big black binder filled with pieces I had written.

I spent more than a few minutes walking down memory lane that night, reading and rereading, reminiscing about what spurred on a poem, or how I actually used to be able to write an entire upper level college essay in French. I laughed at a few pieces, swooned at a few more, and at one point, I even shed a couple of tears.

Those pieces tell their own individual stories, of course, but put together they also tell a collective story: the tale of my writing journey that, apparently, started long before I ever thought it did.

For you see, I've been writing since I was a kid. Really. I found half-formed poems, letters, quotes, and the beginning of what I think might be an epic love story. With each piece, I noticed an improvement in writing craft and style. I noted that I moved from simple letters and words to more sophisticated fragments and phrases.

And the lesson I learned? That with each new piece, my writing improves. That's right: every single time I sit down to write and revise a piece, I'm moving forward and making progress on a dream. I might have to take one million baby steps to get there, but someday, I will.

Start working on your dream, whatever that may be. And as always, Happy Writing!

~Christina