#ROW80 is A Round of Words in 80 Days. It’s a quarterly writing challenge where you define your personal goals and blog each week about your progress. It’s made to be flexible and allow for tweaking.

So I’m falling down on my check-in’s. Totally meant to update on Sunday, but had stuff going on. Now today is a super busy, double posting day. Woo!

Writing Goals

Pretty much still where I was at last update. I’m focusing on edits and promo. I’m rocking along at a comfortable pace with the promo, so thank goodness I did all that push work in January to make the posts happen. I still have blogs to write, so I’m not in the clear, but I’m for sure doing well. And that’s a relief to not be scrambling.

The edits have been kicking my butt. As I got to announce on Friday, So Inked #2 is sold and officially titled The Harder He Falls. It’s a monster of a book, both in size and content. Edits and tweaking it are possibly the hardest thing I’ve done since expanding Personal Adventures, which was a beast. I finally turned in The Harder He Falls to my editor on Monday, so that’s one weight off my shoulders.

Today is the release of Collar Me in Paris, so hurray! I’ll be all about promo today, but as soon as I have time I get to write new words finally! I’m super excited about that. I’m beyond ready to get back to my two writing projects and actually accomplish something. I’m a little worried about how I’ll be able to jump back into the habit of writing after nearly a month off the wagon, but here’s hoping that I can get my muscles into shape by writing a quick short story for an anthology call I heard about recently that’s right up my alley. I figure that it’s a good exercise for me, and also gets another book out there if I make the cut. If not, well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Social Goals

Social I’ve been doing better on. Kind of. I’m really focusing on getting writing stuff done this month, spending some quality time with my writer people and figuring out the whole dating thing. Everything else gets to fit in where it can around those. It’s working out right now. I’d like more writing time, but that’s just because most of the writing time is being taken up with writing business work, which is not that much fun. I’ve had to pick and chose when and who I spend time with, which sucks, because I don’t like saying no to things. But it’s been necessary. Thankfully people have understood and even encouraged me to stay home and get stuff done.

And yes, I said dating up there. It’s interesting, and I’m pretty lucky that he’s cool about the writing time and needing to put in an hour or two even when he’s around. Really, that is one of the most awesome things I could ask for in a guy. But, enough of that. No one wants to hear about the mush. I might give people cavities or something.

This week is half over, and I’m good with that. I love that the books are now out and people can read them. I love that my edits are done. I love that I can hang out with people and not feel guilty or anxious about what I still have to do. I’m so ready to write new words, too! Ultimately I’m learning balance. I think I need to build in a night or two that’s just me on my own. I’m a social person, but I’m equally extrovert and introvert. While I thrive on being around people, I also very much need time alone and to myself to turn off the public me. I think that’s my next lesson. Balance of work and play, and balance of social and hermit.

How’s everyone else doing this week?