summer vacation

Let the Summer Reading Challenge Commence!

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on July 7th, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

Last week, I reminisced about the summer reading challenges I used to do as a kid. This week, I want to share that I've picked a challenge for myself to complete this year! 

When I was Googling summer reading challenges for adults, I came across so many different versions of the idea. Some were as simple as "Read one book a month." Well, I usually read at least a book a week. Other challenges were targeting specific genres of books, but I was searching for something a little more varied. Finally, I encountered BookBub's challenge graphic on Instagram: 

That's more like it! 

BookBub is a website that offers book discounts and recommendations. It's one of those places all of us authors cross our fingers to get featured! In fact, two of my author friends recently had a book show up on a BookBub list: The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne, which I finished just last week, is highlighted in the blog post "You'll Dig These 9 Action-Packed Books About Archaeologists." (I did dig this book, BookBub!) 

Long story short, I was clicking around on BookBub a few days ago when I found this graphic, read the nine prompts, and decided this was my challenge. And The Antiquity Affair will be my first crossed-off square, since it was recommended on the BookBub blog! Off to a great start. 

Now comes the part where I assess my TBR stack and my library holds list to see if there's anything else that fits one of the challenge prompts. If it does, it moves to the front of the queue. For prompts I'm less certain of, I'll have to do some research and ask around. 

On that note: let me know if you have a recommendation for a historical novel set before the 20th century or a thriller set in a vacation destination! I'm super excited for both of those categories. 

I'll share in my newsletter each week this summer which category I've crossed off and what I thought of the book. Also, for the purposes of this challenge, I'm considering summer to run until Labor Day. I finished The Antiquity Affair on July 2nd, and I know I recommended it last week, but I really did love it. 

Want to join me in this reading challenge? What's your favorite prompt from this grid, and what book would you choose to accomplish it? 

~Kathryn 

What I'm: 

Reading: The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle. My sister gave me this rom-com when we were together for the 4th of July. (In return, I gave her Trish Doller's Off the Map!) The Royals Next Door is about a woman who has a Harry-and-Meghan-ish royal couple move in next door to her remote Canadian island home. Almost immediately, sparks fly with the couple's Personal Protective Officer. I'm about halfway through, and it's fun so far! 

Listening to: I wasn't really listening to Taylor Swift in 2010, when "Speak Now" released, so I'm actually excited to dive into the "Taylor's Version" re-release. It's new music to me... ;) 

Loving: My daughter enjoyed a ton of cousin time over the 4th of July. Here she is with her littlest cousin, whom she absolutely adores, checking out the giraffes at the zoo. 

Greetings From Vacation!

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on August 26, 2022. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

On Monday, it was supposed to rain all day long. Not just rain—thunderstorm. I was awoken at 6:00 a.m. by a clap of thunder so loud and so close, it shook our entire beach house. As the sun rose, it continued to rain so hard, we could barely see past the porch railing.

Then, mid-morning...it started to clear up.

And so, we decided to be optimistic. We got into our swimsuits, grabbed our beach bags, and headed out to see what the day would bring. When we arrived at the beach, it was still overcast. The wind was gusty. The water was cold. Not exactly the fun in the sun you hope for from a beach vacation.

But the clouds blew away. The sun came out. By the afternoon, it was HOT. I sat in a rented beach chair letting the high tide wash over my ankles (and occasionally up over my knees, into my seat) and stared at the ocean, so very glad we'd decided to show up.

I've been thinking a bit about choosing the path of optimism. I've written about this before, in a sense, when I talked about writing for publication being an act of radical hope. The thing is, the weather might not have improved on Monday. We might have gotten caught in another storm. We might have had to turn around and go home. We took a risk, and ended up having a wonderful day...but it could just as easily have turned out differently.

Last week was release week for Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! I threw just about everything I had at that book launch. I organized giveaways. I bombarded social media. I did podcast and blog interviews. I emailed my friends and family. I visited and contacted bookstores. I shared link after link after link. Will any or all of those things move the needle? Will Madison take off and help Class Critters become the successful series I so very much want it to be?

I don't know.

I don't know, any more than I knew whether the weather would work out for us on Monday. But I choose the path of optimism. I tried my hardest and will keep trying to let as many people as possible know about this book I love and believe in. I'm hoping for fair skies ahead for my Class Critters kids.

That's all for this week. I am, after all, on vacation.

~Kathryn

What I'm:

Reading: I brought two new paperbacks to the beach: the historical romance A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall, and Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi. Both were recommended by the bookseller at my local indie, Terrace Books! I've finished the romance, and it was a perfect beach read. I'm about to start Yolk, which is a coming-of-age sister story set in NYC, and which Goodreads says is a tearjerker.

Watching: We started "The Sandman," and it's so good so far! We also watched the "House of the Dragon" premiere on Sunday. It was...fine? Curious to see if it comes to feel like must-see TV in the weeks ahead...

Loving: This donut. Hello, gorgeous. *heart-eyes*

Motivation Vs. Vacation

A version of this post originally appeared on the YA Buccaneers group blog. 

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I don't know about you, but I always find it difficult to feel motivated to work in mid-August. Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's that perpetual almost-back-to-school feeling. Maybe it's everyone's beachy photos on social media. Maybe it's the fact that I'll soon be at the beach myself. 

[Note: this post is from 2016, but we will in fact be beaching again, little person in tow, in a few weeks! Just you wait for the baby swimsuit photos...sorry-not-sorry in advance. And for the record, while this summer has been a crash-course in new-parenthood, most summers I'm writing and promoting my work just as hard—if not harder!—than the rest of the year.] 

Whatever the case, there's no question that I could use a vacation. 

But here's the thing about being a writer, full-time or otherwise: it can be hard to let yourself take a vacation from the work. There's the sense of obligation—this book isn't going to write itself. There's how productive everyone else seems to be. There's the fear of missing out, of being left behind by writers who have more book deals and whose careers are progressing faster. And of course there's the guilt: if I'm not doing everything I can to help myself succeed, I'll have only myself to blame if I fail. 

Needing time off can feel like weakness. Taking a break can feel like quitting. 

So here's the reminder, for myself as much as for all of you who are in the trenches with me:

Rest is important. Vacations are important. Time spent not writing is important. 

But when should you indulge in time off? Deadlines permitting, I'd say...

1: When you finish a draft. 

After you type "The End," is your first instinct to scroll back to page one and start editing? What would happen if you saved and closed the document, instead? What if you spent the rest of the day lounging at the pool, or catching up on Netflix, or reading a book? 

Taking a few days or weeks away from a project when a draft is done isn't just good for your brain; it can also be good for the manuscript! Time off can give you the space and distance you need to assess your work more clearly. You might pick up on plot holes, character inconsistencies, and even typos that you'd miss if you dove back in without pausing to catch your breath.  

2: When you send out or turn in a draft. 

When you send a manuscript to your editor, your agent, or beta readers/critique partners, you probably aren't going to immediately start tinkering with it. But what about those other projects that have been waiting patiently for your attention? Should you shift gears right away? 

Your mileage may vary, but I've found that this is one of the best times to take a brief writing hiatus. When I sent a YA WIP off to my agent last July, I'd planned to jump right into the MG fantasy rewrite I'd been anxious about starting. But after two days of feeling paralyzed by the blank page, I realized I needed to give my brain an actual break. I told myself, You'll start the MG on Monday morning. Then I devoted some time to all of the things that can fall by the wayside during intense revision periods. I took on some additional freelance work. I cleaned the apartment. I cooked some delicious meals for myself and my husband. I took extra yoga and dance classes. 

I went a week without creative writing, and it didn't kill me. In fact, when I opened the MG document again, I felt refreshed and was able to hit the ground running. 

3: When you're hitting your head against the wall. 

I'm a firm believer in "the only way out is through." Most of the time, when I'm stuck on a chapter or scene, I'll find a way to get something down on the page. I'll jump ahead a few scenes. I'll sketch an outline that has actions but no emotions, or vice versa. But what about those times when forward progress feels completely impossible? 

This is, I think, when it's hardest to step away from the computer. The stubbornness kicks in. You don't want to let the manuscript defeat you, even if writing is like squeezing blood from a stone. 

So...make yourself take a break. Walk around the neighborhood. Do dishes. Work out. And if your head doesn't feel clearer in an hour, give yourself the rest of the day. Or a couple of days. That stumbling block will still be there when you return—and with any luck, the time off will help it look less like a mountain you can't climb and more like a stepping stone you can use to reach the next level. 

What about you? When do you find it best to take a step back from your writing? How do you find the balance between staying motivated and giving yourself permission to let go? Chime in in the comments! 

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

~Kathryn