Cathy C. Hall Writes

I love tricks–the stealthier, the better. So when my brain came up with a few tricks to keep me working through the summer, well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve accomplished this summer and it’s only July!

Want to know my tricks? Check out my post, “The Trick To Working in the Summer” over at The Muffin. I guarantee superior stealth and optimum results.

And because we’re all about sharing the writing gems here, I’m passing along one more trick that I didn’t mention at The Muffin: Kidlit Summer School 2015!

It’s a day late for preregistration goodies, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get in on some awfully good stuff! Honestly, last summer, Kidlit Summer School really gave me the push (and lots of tips) to get my Middle Grade novel going–and I had SO much fun, I didn’t even notice I was working.

Come to think of it, I worked like a dog. But a really happy dog. So hey, who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? (Even if it’s summer!)

Holy firecrackers! Half the year is gone already! (Imagine me running around, bumping into walls) It’s just…well, that was fast, wasn’t it? Kinda puts me in mind of Jodie Foster (at the end of this clip from Maverick):

BUT this year, I’m using my Super Duper Writing Notes Idea and boy, it’s been working like a charm! (If you’ve forgotten exactly what the Super Duper Writing Notes Idea is, you can read this post on getting organized.)

And I had this thought–sort of Part Two of the Super Duper Writing Notes Idea–that at the end of each month, I’d share some of the really good tips from the month, all in one handy post for you. But…uh…I’m not so sure that I followed through on that. Still, it’s never too late to implement a good idea, so herewith a few of the great tips (courtesy of my Writing Notes, June, 2015):

1. Over at the Creative Penn, “29 Books Every Writer Should Read” (So 29 is a lot, right? Maybe just pick a few that appeal to you, but it was a great comprehensive list.)

2. Melissa Stewart’s blog, Celebrate Science, a blog for teachers, parents, and those writers interested in tackling non-fiction (specifically science) offered “21st Century Nonfiction Conference” (A handout of books, by category, that you can use as mentor texts, or just take a look at, if you’re interested in giving non-fiction a try.)

3. Anne R. Allen with Ruth Harris (and really, they have SO much good stuff at this blog all the time!) share “Edits, Editors, Editing: The Secret Weapon of Every Successful Writer.” It’s just packed with info, so you’re going to need a bit of time to get through it all, but editing? That’s a skill you can take to the writing bank.

So, a good slate of tips and such and not too overwhelming, I think, to start off your July writing. ‘Cause this summer is zipping by fast. (I thought it was fast. Was it fast? I thought it was really fast.)