Jumping tracks.

I’m determined to do more check-in’s! Last Sunday I did a major recap of everything I’m doing and touched on a lot of stuff I’m juggling. Since I’ve been talking about stuff in two groups, why don’t I start that way?

Pen Monkeying.

For my sake, here’s my original list I started with:

• Get So Inked #2 out the door and to my Critique Partners.
• Hammer out So Inked #2 per my Critique Partners feedback.
• Submit So Inked #2 to my editor.
• Write a short story #1 for an anthology.
• Edit the short story #1.
• Send the short story out to my Critique Partners for feedback.
• Write my 2nd science-fiction romance.
• Begin writing So Inked #3.
• Revise short story #2.
• Submit short story #2.

Ah lists. How much I love them. And how much they change.

While I was out for my day job conference, I did some line edits for A Kiss for a Cure. This is getting so close to being finished. It’s pretty exciting! I also just adore the cover. They did a great job on this at Lyrical Press.

I should get my critiques for So Inked #2 sometime in the next week. I’m waffling on if I will stop drafting to do the edits, do them after I finish drafting or try to do a multi-job, trading hours of writing and editing. I’ll have to evaluate the feedback I get and make a game plan then. I’d love to have this book sent off and rolling before the end of the year, which is totally do-able.

Since it’s now NaNoWriMo, I’ve begun writing my the follow up to A Kiss for a Cure, which is my sci-fi/rom series. The first two days were a bust and I just could not get the dang book moving. I wrote five or six different opening scenes. I’m so frustrated with myself, but I’m also not working with all cylinders firing. There’s just something missing from the book or characters or whatever that it hasn’t clicked.

Yesterday in the really early morning hours I decided I needed to write something else.

A while ago, after Romanticon, I was kicking around the idea of writing an erotic horror for the Ellora’s Cave Shivers line. They’re actively seeking more submissions and I like some horror. I started a book and I’m liking it. I’m sort of afraid to jinx it so I’m not saying a whole lot about it except that it’s begun well and I have a good idea where it’s going.

I have a history of deviating from my plan to do something either really great, Under His Skin for example, or really awful. Maybe this will be a great novella to add to my backlist? I’m hoping it doesn’t turn into a novel. I’d be nice to get this erotic horror and the seekrit project finished for NaNoWriMo in place of Sharks #2.

So how about a new list since the one I’ve started with seems to be falling apart?

• Get So Inked #2 out the door and to my Critique Partners.
• Hammer out So Inked #2 per my Critique Partners feedback.
• Submit So Inked #2 to my editor.
• Write my 2nd science-fiction romance.
• Begin writing So Inked #3.
• Revise short story #2.
• Submit short story #2.
• Write erotic horror.
• Write seekrit project.

I’m leaving Sharks on the list simply because I would really like to write it this year, even if I write it during December. I can push So Inked #3 back to January and it’s not a big deal to me.

The first short story has also been removed. I imagine I’ll write it during January or later once I’m more prepared for it.

I’ve added both the erotic horror and the seekrit project, which I can’t talk about since it’s, ya know, seekrit. Hopefully in the near future I’ll be able to blab all about it!

Health.

I added health goals after ROW80 began. For those that don’t know, I’m on a Jenny Craig diet and my goal is to stay consistent with the progress I’ve been doing. I somehow managed to drop almost a pound while I was at a work trade show. Considering all the greasy food we ate, I’m thrilled.

In not so great news, I’ve had some bad gallbladder attacks so I’ve made an appointment with a surgeon my doctor referred me to for Monday to talk about having the pesky organ out. Chances are it will be at some point during the next week. This blows because it’s going to knock me off my stride for NaNoWriMo, but oh well. My health is more important and words can happen later.

That’s all folks!

I believe that’s a wrap for this week’s ROW80 recap. How’s everyone else doing?

#ROW80 stands for A Round of Words in 80 Days. It’s a flexible writing and lifestyle challenge that allows the participants to set goals at the beginning of an 80 day span of time — and change them if you so desire.