It’s August in D.C., which means nearly everyone who lives and works here is elsewhere. I’m spending some quality time with my family right now and this blog will be silent for a few days, but below are links to some blogs I enjoy whose authors appear to be continuing to post during the summer doldrums. Tell them I said hello.

• The Happy Book Blog by Jolina Joy (@Jolina_Joy): Enjoy these short essays from a young writer with a lovely voice and dollops of inspiration.

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  Strangling My Muse by Sandy Ackers (@SandyAckers): Sandy’s posts are short and focused on sparking a writer’s creativity.

• Fear of Writing by Milli Thornton (@fearofwriting) with Judy Clement Wall (@jclementwall): The blog is a nice mix of how-to, introspection on the life of a writer, and inspiring guest posts (including this one!).
• Barefoot Blog by Danielle Meitiv (@Danielle_Meitiv): Take one part oceanographer and one part fiction writer, stir and serve. A fun mix of fun science facts and a writer’s personal journey.
• The Traveling Writer by Alexis Grant (@alexisgrant): She’s a journalist in D.C. writing a travel memoir and pursuing self-employment. Yes, loyal readers, the similarities are eerie, but she is far more prolific than me with her useful writing-advice posts, so enjoy.

Hope you are having a magical summer!