If you’ve ever wondered what authors do in August, the answer is probably less exciting than you’d imagine.
We’re not sipping iced tea on the porch waiting for inspiration to strike.
Well… we might be sipping iced tea.
But inspiration still expects us to show up for work.
There’s something about August that feels suspended between seasons. The excitement of spring has faded. Summer is mature now. Gardens need weeding more than planting. Vacations are winding down. The evenings arrive just a little earlier than they did a month ago.
Stories have seasons, too.
This time of year isn’t usually when new ideas appear. It’s when existing ones need tending.
Characters refuse to cooperate. Chapters get rewritten because they aren’t quite right. Tiny details—ones most readers will never consciously notice—get polished until they finally disappear into the story the way they’re supposed to.
It’s a bit like gardening, really.
You don’t spend every day planting seeds. Some days you’re pulling weeds. Some days you’re watering. Some days you’re just standing there wondering why one tomato plant is thriving while the one beside it seems determined to test your patience.
Books are remarkably similar.
Right now, that’s where I find myself. One story is moving toward publication. Another is growing chapter by chapter. A third is quietly waiting its turn. None of them are finished yet, but all of them are getting a little better every day.
That’s the funny thing about the “dog days” of summer.
From the outside, it can look as though nothing much is happening.
Behind the scenes, though, autumn is being built.
And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hope you’re finding time to enjoy these last long days of summer, whether that’s reading on the patio, taking a walk after supper, tending your own garden, or simply finding a quiet corner with a good book.
I’ll be over here, watering stories.
See you next week.
–Mark