Monday 3 July 2023: The month ahead

What a lovely, sunny, cheerful flower. I think yellow is my favourite colour.

Friday

I knew Friday would be a busy day as it was the day I had to do all the old month/new month stuff. As usual, I checked social media and emails over breakfast, and I read another chapter of the NetGalley book. I’d finished the writing book the night before and was digesting that.

Turning the day on its head a little, I began with podcast episode 12, which wasn’t quite an hour but I was able to do other stuff that didn’t require too much thinking while I listened. When that was finished, I had a look at my workload and moved a few things to this week. And then I pinched a page from the characters section of my notebook for The Fool and did one of the suggestions in the writing book.

This first notebook will be the messiest of them all as I work out in which order things work for me. For now, though, it’s a great place to jot things down that can be applied once I start writing it.

Next I opened up the newsletter in order to finalise it for this month. It took me longer than I needed it to for two reasons. (1) The photographs from Symonds Yat all needed resizing. And (2) the interface has changed slightly, probably as the result of recent changes at Brevo.

I spent far too many hours on that and then when I sent it, I noticed an error. And it wouldn’t let me unsend it. I know I’ve recalled it before and made a change, but nope, not having it this time. I had to duplicate the newsletter, make the correction, and send it again.

Then I noticed that the code hadn’t picked up the name of the newsletter. So instead of JUNE NEWS it said [Title]. And THEN I saw that there’s [image caption and credit] below the image now instead of the actual image caption and credit!

Well, I had neither the time nor the patience to fix it again and I doubt many subscribers will notice anyway. BUT… it was sent. If you’d like to subscribe to the newsletter, please follow this link or use the form below or in the sidebar. You’ll get a bonus short story with every issue. Apart from the news flashes. Plus a link for all of the newsletters so far.

So that I don’t forget to correct all of these errors next time, and so I would remember to include the new link to the archive, I created two more campaigns: one for a news flash, as I’m expecting at least one before the next newsletter comes out, and one for July’s newsletter, with all missing components included.

Honestly, if things would only work how you expected them to…

I ordered a pack of handkerchiefs and two replacement printer toners only to see that Prime has landed in my basket again. I clicked all of the ‘no’ boxes and it looks like it’s not been added. But I WILL be keeping a very close eye on it. Then I ordered the last two books for the workshop I’m following in July. That’s me spent up now for the time being. I need to pull my horns in.

Next job was the weekly computer scan followed by complete critical data backup. I transferred my ‘wages’ to my current account to cover bills and shopping for the coming month. And I planned ahead to July for the writing schedule. I have a very busy month ahead, so I think I’ll be skipping Substack, Medium and Vocal during July.

Planning work took up the rest of the afternoon. I ran out of time to do the new month spreadsheets, so those will have to be done today.

Hello July

For the month ahead, then, I’d like to crack on with the following (not necessarily in order). Some have been carried over from last month, Some are not negotiable:

• learn how to publish a magazine in Affinity
• revise Harvey’s Festival and send it to market
• write the next short story for 12 Stories in 12 Months
• write The Haunted House and send it to market
• read set books for Fantasy Thriller workshop x5
• write pre-assignment for Fantasy Thriller workshop
• attend Fantasy Thriller workshop
• write second assignment for Fantasy Thriller workshop
• write third assignment for Fantasy Thriller workshop
• continue to proofread the Vietnam book and consolidate proofreader and author amendments with mine
• start to edit Navy book for client
• write After Tomorrow OR Terrors From the Toy Box and send it to market
• finish revising Killer Queen, send it off as a workshop assignment, and plug it into the machine
• Monkey Dust admin every Monday
• Diane’s gig list admin every Monday and Thursday
• continue typing Catch the Rainbow
• proofread Diary of a Pussycat
• publish Diary of a Pussycat
• start writing Project Management for Writers: Gate 3 – How?
• revise the remaining online workshops I’ve already watched and made notes on thus far
• write a sugarholic blog every Monday (for Tuesday publication)
• write an our garden this week blog every Wednesday (for Thursday publication)
• finish planning The (new) Fool
• continue planning The Beast Within
• finish the last two NetGalley books I had as holiday reading and write the reviews
• draft the July newsletter as I go

As well as all the usual admin stuff.

Phew! It’s a good job I have the weekends off!

I’ll have an update at the end of July, along with any extras.

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