Sweet Summertime

Hello there, dear Reader! Well, it's June. And that means... summertime. Which also means that my schedule is simultaneously going to both slow down and explode. Slow down because school is finished, and explode because... that's just what happens in the summer. There will be playdates and swim lessons and sports camps and picnics and house-building and traveling and vacations... oh, my!Oh, and I'm hoping to finish up that rough draft thing I'm working on before we go to Realm Makers.Which means that blogging is going to look a bit different this summer. I've got tons of ideas for blog posts, but I don't have a lot of time to write them. So, for June, the plan right now is to blog once a week, I might manage more than that some weeks, but that's the goal. (It's more of a "guideline" than actual "rule"). And then I will most likely take a HIATUS of some kind in July. I'm not sure what August is going to look like, but it might also have a once a week schedule as I'll be gearing up for the Silmarillion Awards in September... which will be super spectacular, as always.I'm hoping to do some "Favorites" posts, and pick up my "Favorite Family Films" feature that was popular last summer and recommend even more awesome movies for you. Maybe Henry Fairchild will even poke his head back out from whatever rock he's been hiding under... we shall see. Like I said, I have lots of ideas, I just don't necessarily have time to write them all... AND finish this rough draft I'm working on!I've also been hearing a lot of desire for informational/instructional posts on getting started in writing, self-publishing pros/cons, and the like. I'll be honest with you, I don't always feel qualified to write those types of posts. Partially because I can't compare/contrast indie vs traditional publishing, as I have no experience in traditional publishing, and partially because I just don't feel like I have a whole lot to offer. I may have four books out there, but I'm not by any stretch of the imagination making any kind of "real" income from this authoring thing. I dabble in trying to market things, but I'll be the first to tell you, I'm pretty certain I'm rubbish at it.Here on the blog, I'd much rather jump up and down and cheer you on in your own writing or fangirl over whatever awesome movie I've just seen or book I've just read, or have super nerdy discussions about Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.Buuuuut... because so many of you have asked, I'm going to try. One thing I can promise: these info-posts will be pretty short, but I'll try to offer you some of the tips and tricks I've accumulated along the way.So, tune in next week for the first installment... So You Have an Idea!