How the f*** is it June?
Time to turn up the heat on this pressure cooker.
Seriously, how is it June already?
Most of us share this strange warping of time as we get older—the days may go slow, but the months and years fly by at lightning speed.
It seems to get worse every year.
I blink and suddenly half the year is gone. What’s next? I blink a second time, and it’s the holiday season again already?
HOW RUDE!
Not unlike the ick we often feel as we take stock of our lives every December 31st, the start of June can bring about a similar sense of awakening and awareness. Or more simply, the thought: What the hell have I been doing the last six months?
This year, my mental June Gloom has taken things to new heights.
Just about a year ago, I was typing the final words into my first manuscript, Mise En Place.
That ~shitty first draft~ (a professional industry term) was printed out on May 25, 2024.
Promptly followed by sending the below photo to my writing group:
Why I felt compelled to measure that first draft…the world may never know.
It feels extra silly in some ways because I added about 15,000 words to that draft after several rounds of edits, so that photo is far from representative of the final work.
Printing out that bad boy was the first major milestone on my writing train, and I was stoked. It was a great day—would highly recommend printing your MS, it’s super satisfying.
Now, a year later (give or take a week), I’m 12,000+ words deep into my new work in progress (or WIP for you cool writer cats), and I’m feeling kind of meh.
The idea is exciting, and forward progress is happening, but the calendar is stressing me out a bit.
As previously mentioned, I’ve not imposed any consequential deadlines. Yet. In total transparency, that hasn’t been working super well for me. With half the year in the rearview, I realized that if I wanted to get this next manuscript over that first hurdle of the shitty first draft stage, I would need to turn up the heat on this pressure cooker.1
Recently, the writing community has been chock-full of people sharing their intention to participate in writing challenges that kickstart in June.
This is why I’m certain June gives “new year, new me” energy. BTW, if someone has proof of this phenomenon, please share it in the comments.
Anyway, rather than linger in my ick, I decided to commit myself to a challenge of my own. No specific word count goal, no quantity of time goal.
Simply: write every day.
So far, I’ve surpassed the innate requirement of this goal: aka one word a day. We’ll see how it goes around day 18… we’re only three days in, folks. I could do almost anything for three days.
This challenge feels straightforward and attainable, and I’m excited to see how much progress I can make in 30 days.
Breaking it down…even if all I can manage is an average of 50 words per day (which would be pretty light), that’s still 1,500 words by the end of the month.
Here’s hoping that by July, the ick has passed and we’re a few chapters further along in my WIP.
If you want to follow along with my June challenge, you can check it out on Instagram.
And, if you’d like to join in on the fun, feel free to use the template I made below to track your own writing progress. Be sure to tag me, I’d love to cheer you on for the next 27 days and beyond! 🥳
Now, with zero *WIP* words written today, I should hop to it. But, before I go…I’ve got some book recs to share this week. Enjoy, my fellow readers and procrastinating writers. ❤️
Book Recommendations
The Sirens by Emilia Hart. Part historical fiction, part magical realism. Completely captivating story about the resilience of women throughout generations. This may be in the running for one of my top books of the year. If you read and loved The Sicilian Inheritance, this is a bit like her mystical seaside cousin. Oh, and if you haven’t read The Sicilian Inheritance, what are you even doing in life?
Notably, Emilia’s book is not related to the recent Netflix series, Sirens, which, coincidentally, I watched over the same period I was reading this book. Both are great, but very different.
Dear Dotty by Jaclyn Westlake. Oh my heart. Although the protagonist, Rosie, is a recent college graduate, we can all relate to the desire to understand the richness and depth of those we love and lose. Entwining self-discovery, coming-of-age, and healing from grief into a profoundly emotional, yet lighthearted tale, Dear Dotty has elements everyone can relate to, no matter your stage of life.
Sending all the good writing and reading wishes your way.
Until next time,
Megan
For my fellow Friends TV show fanatics, yes, this is a vague reference to Chandler’s line from his convo with Monica.
I think your "write every day" goal is great - even if it's just one word. Because some days it may be one word and others it might be 1,000. That way, you're not fighting to hit some fixed daily word count. For me, that becomes a chore. I'd rather ride the wave when it comes and let it be when nothing's flowing. ;)
Love the measuring tape! I'm totally going to do that.