Round of Words in 80 Days

Fully two weeks into ROW80, and we’ve already progressed to acronyms in the post subject line.

I love my goals and I hate my goals, but so far I’m meeting or beating those puppies, so that’s fine and dandy with me.

Probably the one I’m struggling with most is editing MFV, cause we all know how much fun editing is. However, I am on track to finish round 1 edits within the 80 days at the pace I’ve established…it’ll just be toward the end of the 80 days.

As usual, my stats are on my super-duper special ROW80 blog page.

We’ve been challenged to post an example of our goal-achieving efforts by one of the other ROW80 participants. To that I’ll say anyone wanting to read an excerpt of my Ellen project (currently entitled “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and to that I’ll add don’t groan. It’s a working title, okay, and there are no gay militia in it anywhere) is welcome to take a peek at my YA blog under my other pen name of Iris St. Clair. You can’t miss it—it’s the only post on the blog so far. Creating new pen names complete with shiny new blogs is my latest procrastination technique.

And if you want to see how my ROW80 compatriots are doing, you can go here for links to their progress reports.

As I write about my progress over 80 day chunks and contemplate my ultimate end goals, to be a NYT best-selling author among them (God’s driveway is just as out of reach as the peak of Mt Everest, so why not?), there are a few reasons I’m glad I’m not there yet.

Top Ten Reasons I’m Glad I’m Not A Highly Successful, Oft-Quoted, Run With the Celebrities, Professional Author

My day job forces me to wear clothes other than flannel pajama bottoms and t-shirts at least 5 days a week, not to mention a bra.
My car runs better when I take it farther than the grocery store to stock on Diet Coke.
My garbage bill is minimized by being able to dispose of my breakfast and lunch trash at the office.
I can’t obsess as much over my email in-box on my work PC.
No worries about carpal tunnel, jet lag, or lost luggage from those pesky book tours. Gah, those must be so awful.
I have no psycho stalkers and none warming up on the sidelines.
I can change my blog template every damn day and not have to worry about branding, confusing readers, etc.
I can write when I feel like it and thumb my nose at my editor and publisher (me) whenever I like. She’s a taskmaster, but at the end of the day, she’s in MY pocket, not the other way around.
No author’s photo to worry about, so no urgent need to dye the grey out of my hair anytime soon.
No scathing reviews to either avoid or dry my tears over. Most of my readers are of the pat my hand and say, “Erm, it was…nice. Good for you for trying so hard,” variety.

Image by two stout monks via Flickr

Father and patron saint of writers, it’s been over a year since my last confession. I am guilty of scriptum interruptus.

In the interests of complete disclosure of my transgressions, I present my list of incomplete projects. I’m excluding the ideas that I’ve been smart enough to park in my notebook to ferment.

To-wit:

The PURE, novel #2, romantic suspense, needs a revamp of its opening and another polishing edit. It could use a better query and synopsis too. I still firmly believe in this one, just haven’t found the right audience for it…yet. Plus in my heart of hearts, I believe this genre might be where my most concentrated talents lie.
All’s Fair in Love and War, novel #3, contemporary romance, per feedback from TWRP and another beta reader, needs a wee deus ex machina exorcism. I know I can do this and therefore don’t want to trunk it.
My Fair Vampire, novel #4, urban fantasy, needs multiple rounds of edits. I’m actively doing round one edits, have had a few chapters critiqued. It also needs a query and synopsis. This one has sequel potential because of the slow-burn sexual tension between the two MCs and the spinoff stories made possible by the reveal. Plus the heroine is so much quirky fun to write.
Sins of Our Mothers, novel #5 and my 2010 NaNo needs to be completed at least enough to get my free Createspace proof prior to the 6-30 expiration date (think that’s the date; it was last year). She currently sits at 57,000 words and is in active rotation. However, the plot has become snarled in my head and until I get that sorted out, it’s not much fun to work on.
Novel #6 Iris St. Clair‘s as yet unnamed YA novel about Ellen, started December 2010, needs a title, an outline and the rest of the story beyond the first 9000 words I’ve already written. Ellen is also in active rotation.
Novel #7 Iris St. Clair’s middle grade book, The Book Portal, started late 2009, last visited June 2010, stalled out at 3750 words. It’s a cute story that I don’t want to abandon, but I’m not sure Iris is all that keen on writing MG. This one is heading for the trunk with novel #1 but isn’t quiiiiite there yet, thus it stays on this list.
Novel #8 Iris St. Clair’s YA speculative fiction / steampunk novel Horizon, based on three short stories I’ve written, is currently idling on the sidelines.
A short story anthology by my other sekrit alter ego. This is “take a break from novels / filler work” because I can crank out short stories as easily and often as bowel movements (but hopefully not as smelly). Ha, sorry for the potty humor but I’m a quick hit, rush to the punchline gal by nature (and I don’t mean in the bathroom too…gah…you people!) so short stories come easily to me. Editing them however…well…add that to the list of unfinished chores.

I’m counting on the Round of Words in 80 Days project to help keep me focused and oblivious to the tantalizing hares on the sidelines, itching for a good chase.

In my defense, any and all writing is good as I build up to that mythical million word mark, the point at which anything I crank out might be worth a damn. As they say: Gutta cavat lapidem non vi, sed saepe cadendo*.