Summer Plans

The summer is my designated hard-core writing time. During the academic year from August to May, I am a faculty member in the Master of Social Work program at Gallaudet University. During this time, I teach classes like human behavior, self-care, trauma, and research. My days and nights are filled with developing lecture materials, creating assignments, and, of course, grading those assignments. After May 15th, though, the door to my writing life swings wide open. What’s happening this summer?

I’m glad you asked. I completed the first draft of my fourth mystery novel. This summer will be spent editing the draft, asking beta readers to give me their feedback, sending it to a professional editor, and (hopefully) publishing it. It’s a lot of work, I know. Writing the first draft is like trying to climb up a waterslide backwards. It’s slippery and requires a lot of concentration and focus.

Sometimes my brain decides to be uncooperative. A tiny voice tempts me, asking, “Hey, don’t you want to clean the bathroom?” or “A nap sounds nice, doesn’t it?” When this happens, I fight the urge. Sometimes. I really love writing, but creating a novel is hard work and takes a long time. When I feel inertia biting at my heels, I shake things up a bit. How do I do this?

Usually, I take a trip. This summer, my big trip is a month in Key West, Florida. I spent my middle school, high school, and college years in South Florida; so it feels like going back to my childhood home. It will be there that I work on the revisions of my manuscript and get ready for the next step. Wish me luck.

Send me a note at teresacrowebooks@gmail.com to let me know what your plans are this summer.