July 2025 Newsletter

Hello, everyone! How was the first month of summer for you?

June was a bit of an adjustment for me. During the school year, work didn’t really feel like it disrupted my routine—but now that I’m working during the summer, everything feels different. I used to be able to sleep in until noon and spend long, relaxed hours writing and reading throughout the week. Now, I can’t do that anymore.

Even though I’m only working a couple of days a week, it still doesn’t feel like summer used to. I know this might sound a little whiny to those of you working five or more days a week, but it’s just hitting me that I’m growing up—and that pretty soon, this new pace is going to be my normal. I’m grateful I get the chance to ease into it, though.

That said, getting a paycheck definitely makes the trade-off a little easier—especially when it means I can buy even more books I most definitely don’t need. XD

Have a great July! ❤️ 

Writing: Free Word Count Trackers

Over the years, I’ve experimented with all kinds of word count tracking methods—apps, websites, printed calendars. Today, I’m sharing a few of the best tools I’ve found that make tracking progress simple and effective.

Word Tracker (App)

This one has a simple design and is perfect if you just need the basics. You start a new project and set a word count goal (you can also begin with a base word count if needed). However, it doesn’t allow for multiple sessions—you’ll need to manually enter your total word count each time.

TrackBear (Website)

TrackBear has a unique setup compared to most word count trackers. First, you create a project, then separately create a goal—which can include multiple projects. One cool feature is that you can choose between a target (like a word count) or a habit (like writing daily) when setting up your goal. You can track your progress by words, pages, chapters, scenes, or lines. It also lets you select the phase you're in (e.g., drafting, brainstorming, outlining), which adds an extra layer of organization.

Pacemaker (Website)

This is the one I’ve personally chosen to use. When setting up a project, you can specify the type of writing (novel, essay, etc.), your current stage (drafting, outlining, etc.), and what you’re tracking (words, lines, chapters, etc.).

Two features I really appreciate:

• You can schedule lighter writing days or take days off.

• You can view your progress as a calendar, graph, or table.

The free version limits you to two plans, but you can delete and start a new one once you finish a project. The only downside is that the interface looks a bit outdated and ugly.

Word Elf (App)

Word Elf is about as simple as it gets. You can set one goal for a single project, and it tells you how many words you need to write each day. It includes a pie chart to show your overall progress.

One issue I ran into: it doesn't let you record any words written over your daily goal. That makes it hard to do catch-up days if you fall behind.

Overall, if you're looking for super basic word trackers, Word Tracker and Word Elf are solid options. But if you want something more customizable and feature-rich, I’d recommend checking out Pacemaker or TrackBear.

Reading: Best Book-to-Film Adaptions

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women (2019) is, and always will be, my comfort movie. I’ve probably watched it at least ten times, and I’ve included references to it in several of my stories. After reading the book, I can confidently say that not only does the movie stand on its own, but it’s also a faithful adaptation. It even includes direct quotes from the original text, which made my book-loving heart very happy.

Enola Holmes by Nacy Springer

While the action-packed Enola Holmes films—starring Sherlock Holmes’s younger sister—aren’t entirely accurate to the books, they still rank high on my favorites list. The movies borrow some plot elements, but more importantly, they stay true to Enola’s character and the heart of her story. Since the original book is a mystery, I think the fact that the movies have different plots actually works—it helps preserve the suspense and keeps things fresh.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

When most Percy Jackson fans hear the words "movie adaptation," they probably scream and run the other way. The original movie versions of the first two books were a complete disaster (I didn’t even watch them—just heard the horror stories). But the new TV series? It’s amazing. So far, only Season 1 is out, but it’s incredibly faithful to the books—the characters, the world, and the plot all feel right. My sister and I watched it together every Tuesday as the episodes came out, and we’ll definitely do it again when Season 2 is released.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The story of a ragtag group of college boys who came together to win the 1936 Olympic gold medal in rowing is incredibly inspiring. Each character feels real and compelling, and you find yourself rooting for them the entire time. Their determination, teamwork, and resilience make the story deeply moving. I really enjoyed the book, and I thought the movie did a fantastic job capturing both the emotional heart and historical weight of their journey.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

I almost never say this, but this is one case where the movie was better than the book. I know—if you’re a fellow reader, you probably just gasped. The book is always better! But not this time. I found the novel disappointing: it felt poorly written and unengaging (I’m really sorry if you loved it—just my opinion!). The movie, on the other hand, was adorable, fun, and super entertaining.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This is another case where, like Enola Holmes, the plot was mostly thrown out the window—mainly because the TV series combines the Shadow and Bone trilogy with the Six of Crows duology. That said, the characters are some of the most accurate on-screen portrayals I’ve ever seen. I know not everyone will agree—everyone imagines characters a little differently—but for me, the casting felt like it came straight out of my head, especially for the Six of Crows crew.

Spotlight: My short story was accepted for publication!!!

I’m getting published!!!!!

A month or two ago, I submitted a short story (title coming soon) for publication. I didn’t expect much and had honestly moved on—so I was completely surprised when I found out it was accepted by The Pearl Magazine!

I’ve just started working with their editor on developmental (big-picture) edits, and she seems really nice. I’m a little nervous—it’s my first time working with an editor—but I know it’s going to be a great learning experience. I hope to share more soon about what it’s like behind the scenes!

I don’t have a publication date yet, but I’ll let you all know as soon as I do! 😁 

Quick Writing Update

• Wrote 10,000 words in The Phoenix Pendant

• Wrote 3,000 words in Project:Sci-fi

• Wrote 900 words in Project:Europe

Curious what these stories are about? Click here to find out.

Do you have a favorite book-to-film adaption or word count tracker? Let me know by replying directly to this email or leaving me a comment of the website that corresponds to The Introverted Writer. I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you so much for reading! Have a great rest of your day!

Abby Henderson

P.S. I hope you’re having a great summer!