#ROW80 - Bring On The Turkey

Well, I've kept at it. So far this round has had a rough start. And, as the Starks say: winter is coming. In this hemisphere, that means the holidays, travel, and other interruptions to a normal schedule.  Fortunately, laptops exist.  I actually generally get a lot done when we travel.  There aren't a whole lot of distractions in the car.  I'm pretty much either reading, writing, or driving.  So I guess you could say I'm looking forward to the holidays, then, because my normal schedule has already been shot to hell.

Let's look at the goals, first:

• Lesson Learned - Ranting is helpful.  In several ways.  I got some great comments, and (I think) provided some good commiseration.  Also, it got it off my chest, and pulled a few fanfriends out of the woodwork.  (Any writer that doesn't smile when someone says simply: "I enjoyed your book," is an alien without a mouth.  Even if they've not been able to write a review or do anything "proper," the simple comment helps.)  It may even have netted me a pity-buy.  I'll be quite honest, I'm not "too cool" to take pity-buys at this point.  Obscurity is my biggest foe, and while I'm not really on my knees begging yet, I'm not above that.  I just want people to give my story a chance.  I have no problem handing out free copies either, all you need to do is contact me.  Money helps, but I don't want it to be the hurdle. 
• WIP - I think I was 8/6.  I wrote the final, climactic scene in my WIP on Saturday.  I polished off the chapter on Sunday and Monday.  I need to write an epilogue/tie-up chapter, and then I'm done with draft one.  It'll go to betas and editors.  Depending on their schedules, I may be able to have it out by Christmas yet...
• Blogging - This took a hit.  When you're dialed in on the ending of a longish story, it tends to push other writing from your mind, I've found.  Also, the day job perked up and demanded my attention, so I begrudgingly gave it.  Blogging is the first to suffer, sadly.  This will likely be my only post here this week, making me 2/3, and I'm one short on the other blog as well.  Not terrible, but I'll be behind the eight-ball for next week too.

The good news is that the main project, the novel, is almost done.  That's obviously a huge goal of this round, and really the highest priority in my writing world.  Blogging is suffering a bit as my schedule gets tossed around, but I supposed that's to be expected.  My new side goal here is to get a second draft proof hardcopy that I can bring with me to Thanksgiving.  Never hurts to have a new book to pass around the family.  (Second draft would be my first read through and edits, plus some beta comments... pre-editor stuff).

After I finish writing the last few scenes, my WIP goal changes to spending an hour per day editing.  I may actually increase that to something more ambitious like 5 chapters a day.  Then, it'd take me about a week to finish the first pass edits.  We'll see, but that would get me done by next Friday and give me a shot to hit TG.  I think I need to hit Thursday in order to have the hardcopy in time, though.

Anyway, that's enough blabber for today.  I'll close with the word count glimpse:

• Project Fiction: 2,808
• Since last check in: 4,797
• Grand Total for Round 4: 32,556