ROW80 Update: Story Alert

I apologize for the research I didn’t put into yesterday’s quote-fest. I may have been on cold medication. I may still be.

This is the part where I try to remember what my goals were for this round. I’ll be right back, and then we’ll see how things are going.

*disappears in a poof of smoke*

Treat writing like a business

Hmm… I’ve made a plan for 2014, does that count? One that involves releasing not one but two novels, drafting a third, and starting something new for next year’s NaNoWriMo. I’ve also set up a mailing list for newsletters and bonus content. In fact, there’s a short story (just under 5,000 words) nearly set to go out to my first subscribers (so if you haven’t signed up, click here to get on it!). So I’d say I’m definitely making progress, there.

Other aspects of this, like not being distracted during work hours, are going less well. I was supposed to be working last night, and this happened instead:

Slightly more appropriate than an actual photo of Miley.

NaNoWriMo

Done, as of a few weeks ago. And as of yesterday afternoon, my draft is DONE. And hooooo-leeeeeee carp, the things that happened at the end! People did things. The earth moved. People died. AND THEN THE OTHER THING HAPPENED. I hope it doesn’t piss anyone off. I think it’s delicious, myself.

This book is 20,000 words shorter than the first one in the trilogy… we’ll see how that works out. I believe that the word count should usually fit the story, not the other way around. And it’s still over 80,000 words, placing it squarely in the range I’m aiming for. Still, I’m trying to whittle the first book down a bit.

Reading

Ugh, still bad. I’m a bad beta reader and a bad human being. I finished reading and got big notes out (yay!), but haven’t figured out the rest of my notes yet. Problem is, on the Kobo all I can seem to do is mark pages. This means that I have to go back now and try to remember why I marked those pages. Next time, I keep a notepad handy. *headdesk*

I’m reading The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s seems to be the book everyone talks about when it comes to big names/titles in Fantasy. Well, that and The Wheel of Time, but I seriously don’t have the attention span for long series. My brain is broken.

Other Projects

I haven’t done anything with these. My time is limited, my focus even more so. I can only spread myself so thin.

So there we go- the most thorough update I’ve done this round. Some stuff has fallen by the wayside, but I think the things that are on-track are quite exciting, and I’m pleased with that.

Your turn! What are you up to? Are you finding that the holiday season is cramping your style when it comes to the other things you’re trying to accomplish?