August is usually the month when we take holidays and we decide to take a step back from our writing and from our life before everything goes back to normal again, quite literally.

    However, August need not be a month when we sluff off completely and do no writing. I have been harping about this for years on this blog. But time and time again, I hear from writers who did nothing at all during these lazy, hazy days of summer as it winds down.

    Most writers feel that they deserve to take a break. And this is true. We all deserve to take a break. However, to squander a whole month to this feeling of redemption is perhaps a bit much if you ask me. 

    I always coach writers to write during the month of August and to set goals. They may be small goals, such as writing a blog a week or writing a short story or writing a few articles that they can send off in the September. The important thing is that I want them to feel the self-confidence and elation of getting something done so that in September they can feel good about it.

    These small actions will not only build self-confidence, but it give you the motivation to jump right into your writing when September comes around. You will not only have something to show for your efforts in August, but you will also reap some of the benefits by sending a few things off right at the beginning of the fall. That can help you move your goals forward, one day at a time.

    So, what small goals would you like to complete in August? Sit down this weekend and figure out. Then when the brand-new week starts, you will be ready to plunge in.

    Try it!

Irene S. Roth