THE SEAL IS BROKEN
I finally started my book proposal document!! I’ve done so much thinking about this, and I have little notes and ideas saved in various places, but today was the first day I actually started putting together an actual document. I am using a template that a gracious podcast listener sent me (her own non-fiction proposal that was accepted – in a TOTALLY different realm than mine, so I am definitely not at risk of doing any copying!). I’m also most of the way through Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book, which essentially contains a template after the initial blueprint portion (I didn’t realize that until I got to that point!).
(Her template is also available free here on her site, though more info about each section is in her book.)
I am absolutely writing stuff that will need to be revised, revamped, and edited up the wazoo (to use a technical term, lol). But it’s a start! And I feel confident I can have a complete rough (very rough) first draft done by the end of July. So that’s exciting!
Mid-day run!?
I just ran at noon. I know, bad idea, right? I really needed some extra sleep this morning and figured a run would be a nice “break” in the middle of my planned writing-intensive day. Honestly? It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated.
I probably picked a decent day, because when I headed out it was 84F (not 90F) and 75% humidity. My phone said the “feels like” was 91, but the dew point was 75F — pretty similar to what it is most mornings (fact check: it was 84F yesterday morning according to my friend’s “DewMe” app). So I’m not suggesting that running at noon in the summer is a wonderful idea, but if you live in a very humid climate and pick a day that isn’t the hottest ever, it’s not necessarily the worst thing, either. Also helpful: my neighborhood is very tree-lined so there is a ton of shade. We actually chose to live in this particular complex in part because the tree canopy is so nice.
(I was not doing any speedwork, mind you. And my HR certainly ran higher. But I felt fine!)
So, I’m on call next week.
According to my calculations, I will also absolutely be PMSing!! Maybe that’s best, get all of the unpleasantness out of the way at once, perhaps? I am already gearing up to make things easier on my future self — planning to record an extra BLP over this weekend, for example. I know being on call will heighten my desire for digital escapes (ie Reddit scrolling – none for 4.5 days now!), so I will be particularly mindful of that and have alternatives ready.
I had a great week in January and a decent one in March so I feel confident I can do that again! (I was also in call in May, but had weekend/night coverage so that doesn’t really count!)
ALL RIGHHHHT. This has been a nice week. I am off to the dentist and then to write some more (table of contents section, I am coming for you. Helps that a draft version already exists in my Apple Notes!)
13 Comments
Yay! Happy book proposal writing!
I live in New England and we’re experiencing a heat wave. I slept in on Tuesday but still wanted to run, so I went out Tuesday night, pretty slow. (I’m finishing up Couch to 5k after getting back into running after a couple of years off so I’m always slow, haha.) I feel like what I experienced is probably your summer morning normal, but it also wasn’t that bad! I am part of a large running group and we retain a coach who writes weekly workouts for us, usually sped work, and he emailed Tuesday afternoon to talk about the workout for Wednesday but also to point out that humans evolved to withstand heat. He wasn’t advocating for us to go crazy but it helped push me out the door that night (I didn’t do that workout as I’m still working up my general stamina). APL of this is a long winded way of saying that I agree with you—sometimes getting out when it’s hot is not the worst thing! I am very glad I went. I also remind myself (usually in the early morning when I’m trying to get out of bed) that I have never regretted a run, even if it was uncomfortable.
Excited for you about getting back into it! The coach/group situation sounds like it will be really fun when you’re ready for the speed work!
Congrats on your book proposal draft. I had a professor in college who taught us to “embrace the sh*t draft.” You can polish it from there. Just get the words on the page.
As for a mid-day run, It is also breezy today, which helps. I’ve also found that if I’ve been a very cold indoor setting, it takes at least a few minutes to (gratefully) defrost before I warm up enough to realize it’s hot/humid/both outside.
Yes breeze helped a lot!!!
Writing a book is so exciting!! And that is a super cool resource. I may need to come back to that.
I agree that maybe it’s “optimal” to have two bad things in one week. hahahaa…
super excited by your book.
Oh, you ran at noon??? Actually, our weather hasn’t been bad this week (for South Florida in June.) There was a nice breeze.
Very exciting about your book proposal!!!
Agree! It was only 84F- for us at noon in June that’s quite temperate!!
Sarah, I am just so happy for you. I read this post with a giant smile on my face. I feel like I’m living this process vicariously through you and I’m proud of all the effort you’ve put in to producing such genuinely helpful content over the years.
I hope the proposal writing goes smoothly. (*PLEASE REMEMBER ME WHEN IT IS TIME FOR BETA READERS*). I can’t wait to get my hands on your book. Eeks. So exciting!
That is so exciting that you’re starting the book proposal process… eek! Sometimes it’s good to just get something started and then the rest will follow. I am sure you’ll figure it all out along the way.
Ugh, and I know all about running mid-day… I have done that (when I wanted to sleep in) and while humidity is not as high here as in Florida, the heat definitely gets to me but it’s also a nice exercise in humility when it makes you run by effort, not pace LOL
Go go go for the book proposal! This is very exciting. Never underestimate the value of a terrible, awful, no-good first draft. (It will be better than you think).
aww thanks Liesl!!!