July is here, and the #PitchWars hashtag party has begun. Writers are connecting to other writers, making new friends and CPs (critique partners), and the mentors have started their hilarious, fun-loving wars with one another.
As the excitement ramps up, it can be tough to close your browser window and focus on your work. Because hey, who doesn’t love a party? But that submission deadline is looming, and you’ll want your best, prettiest, most polished manuscript to shine like a beacon. You’ve still got work to do, so let’s get started:
I. SET DAILY GOALS
You know how much work needs to be finished before the August 2nd deadline. Take that giant pile of work and *gasp*… use fractions. Break it up into daily workloads you can accomplish. Every day, get your manuscript work done first, then reward yourself with a treat by diving into the party for a few laughs. Or, you know… ice cream slathered in fudge and drizzled with whiskey.
NOTE: I always set my goals to finish a week before submission. I use that extra time to go back for added polish, destroying filler words, and turning thought/feeling words into sensory action.
II. GET AN ACCOUNTABILIBUDDY
Yes, that’s a word.
I can’t stress this enough: find a friend. Be accountable to one another and meet your daily goals. This will help keep you on track, and you can support and encourage each other if you hit a tough snag.
III. REWARD YOURSELF
Take part in the festivities, strengthening your writer tribe. Here’s some ways to do this. Remember, these aren’t mandatory – just fun things to do with your fellow writers.
- Join a #PitchWars hashtag game
- Join the Pitchwarriors Facebook Group. This is where mentee hopefuls meet in secret (sorry mentors!). We connect, meet CPs and readers, swap queries, and encourage one another. You don’t have to be super active, but it’s a great place to get support if you’re feeling low, or celebrate good news.
- Follow or Join the #PimpMyBio Blog Hop.
Have fun and good luck to everyone submitting! 🙂
Want to add a little shine to your manuscript? Here’s some tips for self-editing your novel.
[…] year I wrote an article on goals. These are crucial to help writers navigate their careers, but the same could be said for almost […]