Wednesday's Writing Update: August Goals

 

Happy Wednesday!

Since I'm taking a vacation from the day job next week, I've decided to take a blogging vacation too. My next post will be on August 5th.

July's been very busy and trying month. I've fallen so far behind in everything it's pathetic, and I just can't seem to catch up where I should be, so once again I'm rearranging my goals. It hasn't helped that I've been having some eye problems since April. I have dry eye--probably caused by my allergy medicine and spending 8+ hours a day on the computer doesn't help either. The eye doctor said the average person's tears break up around fifteen seconds; mine break up around three seconds. I'm taking OTC drops and flax seed oil pills, and while that does help, when I'm tired, my eyes refuse to work. It's slowed down my writing and reading a lot more than I want to admit. So I'm a big Camp NaNoWriMo fail for the first time since I started participating in NaNoWriMos. *sighs* I'm still hoping to get at least Part I in Reforged finished as well as four short stories in Neighbors of Foxwick this month.

Also yesterday was my dad's 59th birthday and my parents' 36th anniversary!

Here are my August goals:

• Edit Reborn. So far, I've gotten no editing time for Reborn, but I still have August to finish it up. I plan to send Reborn to beta readers by early September (after Labor Day).
• Write Part II of Reforged. Right now I have a bit of a rewrite on Part I that I hope to accomplish in July, but I'd like to have Parts I and II finished of Reforged by the end of August.
• Finish writing the short stories in Neighbors of Foxwick. I want to have this done by the end of July too, but if I have a short story or two left over, then I can finish them in early August and still be ready to publish the collection in October.

What are your August goals?

2013 Stats

111,310 words (21,191 words this month)

1581 pages edited

Stats taken from 1/1/2013 - 7/23/2013

***

Also, Smashwords is once again having its Summer/Winter Sale. Through the end of July, you can purchase the ebooks of Gravity: The Complete Trilogy and The Nightmare Collection for $1.50 using the coupon code: SSW50. By the way, I've been playing around with the ebook covers for these two books. What do you think?

***

I also have two unedited excerpts. The first is from "Siren's Call," a short story in the forthcoming Neighbors of Foxwick.

“Keep an eye out for rocks, so we don’t run aground.” She shifted the wheel toward the island.

“Aye, Capt’n!” Jamsey saluted.

Thunder grumbled like an ornery old man. Another wave swelled and lifted the ship high in the air. Tamarlyn held her breath as they crashed down.

“Hold on!” She cried out.

Water swept over the deck and knocked her feet out from under her. Pain raced along her arms as she held onto the wheel. The ship swirled widely toward starboard.

Strong arms righted her and steadied the wheel. “You should get below deck, Capt’n.”

Tamarlyn glanced back at the bulked-up Brutis. Her fingers tightened upon the wheel, and she ignored the heat radiating from him against her. “I’m not some fair maiden. Go tie yourself to the ship, so you don’t wash overboard.”

This second excerpt is from Reforged, and it introduces some new characters to book two, not that most of you have met the old characters from book one. *laughs*

“Come up for air, you two.” Ferris knocked against Sari and Karn.

Karn’s face changed from its yellowish-tan color to red as he accepted his drink.

“You’re just jealous.” Sari grabbed her drink and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, yes, I want to make out with Karn all the time.” Ferris made a smoochie face at Karn, which made the other boy even redder.

“You’re terrible, Ferris!” Bea slapped his arm.

“And you know you love it.” Ferris winked at her.

Bea giggled.