IT'S ALL ABOUT . . . AUGUST ACCOUNTABILITY

by Melissa Stoller

We just passed the halfway mark on the calendar. It's time to take stock of your writing life and put into place some accountability systems. Here are a few ideas to try:

1) Take note of the stories you are currently working on, those you might want to place on the back burner, or those you might want to work on for the rest of the year. Write a list of your goals for the remaining months of 2022. Ask your critique partners to help prioritize your goals.

2) Be intentional with your kidlit reading. Jot down several books that you want to read and potentially use for comparative titles. Keep an active list on Goodreads or through your library's books on hold service. Check in with friends and online kidlit groups for the latest book suggestions in your genre and others. 

3) Access your idea files. Are you running low on potential ideas? Do you need to replenish with new ideas? Would it be helpful to mash together some ideas from your idea notebook? Check in with your writing pals and help each other prioritize ideas to work on for the rest of the year.

Stay accountable to yourself and to your writing partners during this month and throughout the year. Let me know how you are doing in the comments. Happy August and cheers to creativity.

BIO:
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Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing in October, 2021. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story judge, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Wordle! 

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https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com
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