Hello friends!

First off, I promise I will not be bombarding your inboxes with holidays from now until the end of the year. It just so happens that today is, in fact, International Talk Like a Pirate Day and there is no way I can let that slide on by without acknowledging it. Just be thankful I didn’t ask the pirate ipsum site to generate all the content herein. Please enjoy this newsletter with a cup of grog*, ya scurvy scalliwags! (Recipe below.)

Now let’s get serious(ish)...

One of the things that plagues most of us at some time or another is that we’re afraid we’re not sticking to the plan or meeting expectations. Every one of my clients has at some point apologized to me for not getting ‘enough’ done, not meeting a deadline, or for taking a break when they need it.

Friends! No apology necessary. Not to me, not to yourselves. You have not failed. You are not a failure. Nor is your book.

Writing a good book takes as long as it takes. You're on nobody's schedule but your own.

But even that schedule is flexible. It must be. Life happens.

I tell my PM clients (and some of you, I’m sure) that if a project schedule ever runs from start to finish without a single adjustment, I will retire. Hasn’t happened yet and honestly, I don’t expect that it ever will. (I will, however, most definitely retire some day. 😉) If everything ran like clockwork, my PM skills wouldn’t be needed. And they most definitely are.

Things take more or less time than we think. People get sick or need mental health days. (Huge fan of mental health days over here.) Feedback doesn’t come when expected. The way to finish that scene is eluding you, despite your best efforts.

So what to do when life throws us these curveballs?

⚾Acknowledge whatever you’re feeling as legit. Be frustrated. Yell (but please, not AT someone). One of my silly/strange favorite decompression strategies? Taking some bottles to the recycling center. There is something about the sound of breaking glass that I find cathartic.

⚾Acknowledge where you are and that it’s ok to be there. I had plans to be done with my revision by now. I’m not. Confirming, to ourselves or someone else, what the state of affairs is takes some of the power out of it. There’s no value or judgment behind it—it just IS.

⚾Adjust the plan, thoughtfully. Don’t just put pressure on yourself to work double the amount of time to make your original deadline or throw up your hands and think that you can’t stick to a plan, so why bother. Look at your calendar and consider your upcoming commitments. Maybe there is a day that you can clear the decks and put your head down? Great! But maybe there’s travel and lots of running around coming up. Scale back what you expect yourself to accomplish. You’ll be much happier on the other end if you plan and finish a little bit than to give up on Day 4 because you didn’t get 1500 words written every day.

And when more shit happens, because shit does happen? Rinse, repeat.

This is bringing order to chaos. This is how shit gets done.

What Else is Happening?

The day after this goes out, I’ll be flying to Chicago for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association conference. This is another new one for me and I’m super excited to check it out and to see a few of my fellow book coaches in real life!

Stupid Covid threw me off my plan (and onto the couch) to finish the last bit of my book, but I’ve extended my co-writing sessions to the end of the month for a last push. I didn’t get to the recycling center to vent my frustration, but damnit, I was on a roll. I have found being around the creative energy of a big group of writers can be really inspiring, so hoping WFWA will help me get my mojo back.

In that same vein,, I am on the hunt for a couple of additional beta readers to take my book for a spin. It will be ready mid-October and if you like historical fiction, especially about a badass pirate, let me know. I’ll be asking folks to give me feedback by mid-November.

Speaking of November, anyone doing NaNoWriMo? My tentative goal is to jump in with both feet on drafting this new novel. I’ve also used the NaNo vibe to revise, so if that’s where you’re at, don’t despair—you too can live through the agony and the ecstasy! Lots of October content coming to help you plan to make November productive, and perhaps we’ll lean into more co-writing sprint sessions? Drop me a line if this is interesting and tell me what time(s) work best for you!

Arrrrwright! (Sorry, couldn’t resist! Booooo, me.)

♥️Kerry

*Grog recipe

1 oz. lime juice

2 tbs. Brown sugar or 1 oz. simple syrup

2 oz. dark rum

2 oz. water

In a shaker, combine the brown sugar with 1 oz. water and 1 oz. lime juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add rum, remaining water, and a healthy amount of ice. Shake. Pour. Serve. Talk like a pirate until grog is consumed.