Hello from the Hinterlands.
It’s time to check in and see what we’re getting done.
This weekly post is a great way to stay productive. All you have to do is leave a comment and let us know what you accomplished.
As for me, I worked on my novel, coaching, my apps, and took a couple of days off.
Novel
My grand plan was to blow through five chapters a day, reading through my rough drafts and editing them well enough to make for a first pass legible enough for beta readers. Sadly, I only produced two such chapters, copied below.
Seeing this sad lack of progress, I took a bold step. Toward the end of the week, I paid for a major blog promotion (from a blog I’ve used before with great success—onlinebookclub.org) for the book’s release in late October. This is an accountability thing I like to do—a real-world deadline with money on the line. It’s the kind of thing I need to force me to finish on time.
The book is a speculative / alternate history of the US that starts November 2026, so it has to come out before then.
Next step: a pre-order on Amazon.
I also got a workable cover for the book, here:
I’ve been working with a designer from Fiverr. I plan to do more comps, but this is where we’re at now. (The left side shows a color palette and style ideation step—I was aiming for a kind of mid-century UPA feel (United Productions of America), my favorite design style. For me, this style screams satire. But I’m not sure it totally nails it yet.)
Coaching
I’ve been spending a lot of time with coaching clients, reviewing and giving notes on material. And holding Writers Room meetings. This is an extremely rewarding activity for me and (after finishing the rough drafts of two screenplays and most of my novel this month) provides a much-needed break from writing so god-damned much.
By the way, our monthly Accountability meeting is on Zoom next weekend: 10 AM CT on Sunday, August 30. Subscribe to join in—the link is below. I hope to see you there!
Apps
I tinkered with my apps, updating the Comedy Mastermind app with the help of feedback I got from beta users—thanks to all of you who chimed in! It should be on the Apple store any day now.
This work provides yet another break from writing. Such a different part of the brain!
Days Off
I took two full days off, mostly watching testimony of the Lindsay Clancy trial and going down a Greta Gerwig rabbithole, watching her pre-Barbie movies, which are wonderful. (I saw Barbie in theaters when it came out and was dumbfoundedly impressed).
That’s all for me. Don’t forget to update us on what you got done this week!