But this is summer. I get to spend all hours of the day with my daughter (when she's not visiting her grandparents so I can get duties accomplished around the house. Ha. Duties.). I can't mow when it's just her and I, and some of my summer projects include cleaners and paint, which she can't be around. Today it was cleaning the garage. Way too many sharp things surely to call her attention. Other than that, it's her and I - what's been self-dubbed Maddie/Daddy Summer, Part 2. Pictures to pop up on my Facebook if we're friends over there.
Summer also sees my awesome wife with a much lighter schedule, which means less for her to bring home and more time for us. Cue drinks out on the back porch at sunset and yelling at the television during America's Got Talent.
Summer is also the best writing time for me. Maddie naps between ninety minutes and two hours (sometimes more, and sometimes just shy of ninety), which gives me plenty of time to do what I do.
It's only been two days into my summer vacation and already I've finished the first draft on a novel roughly to be out three years from now (I speak as if that's a long time from now, but, certainly, the time will fly), and I've just begun the second draft of a book that I'm planning to put out in 2018. Where'd all the inspiration come from?
Well, months ago I decided not to work myself into a stressful exhaustion by taking a year off from having a book on the calendar. By determining not to have a book release in 2017 it really took the pressure off, and opened up my timeline, letting the next story come freely and without worry. I could just write. When it's done, then I'll think about release dates and the like. As of now I have two novels out with a third (a novella and story collection) in the editor's hands that'll come out in October.
As for the remaining seventy-four days of vacation left, I look forward to more of the same, plus losing track of what day it is.
Happy Wednesday!
