Round 2: Week 11: Busy Week, Happy Sunday

I'm trying to avoid ranting today about national politics, which have been a distraction all week. So, the key question for ROW80 writers is: What have we accomplished this last week?

• Wrote +1,296 on Tapestry. I'm counting any word count over 1,000 as good. Still reading (2 books by Sandra Brown so far, well written and a little dark) and researching what's involved in 'romantic suspense'. One friend suggested she'd write the sex scenes, and then I found RJ Crayton's definition: "page-turning suspense with a touch of romance." So still researching and reading the genre.
• Preparing for a major ad with BookBub. I ran across articles on the importance of 'back matter,' the need to update the afterword in your e-book with blurbs and links to other books, among other elements. In the process, I learned how to download the latest content for the e-book from Amazon. When I popped over to my writing blog, my book list there had not been updated with my latest book! Making real progress with updating that back matter for all three books and mapped out what I need to do before setting up the ad. Note: it does take real courage to commit to a BookBub ad, since the price has nearly doubled since 3-1/2 years ago, but the mailing list has also doubled. Wish me luck.
• Evaluating how I set, track, and evaluate goals for ROW80. I suppose this is ongoing, but with the end of Round 2 looming, I really want to focus on how I keep global, monthly, and weekly goals in sync. It's far too easy to set aside, for example, marketing for writing. At least, for me!
• Prep for mid-July reading at a local bookstore. Totally in flux as the musician bailed, but I'm working on this.
• Energized by Jill Dearman's ideas about how to jump-start your writing with B-A-N-G. She says:
• B = Begin with your strongest idea.
• A = Arrange your material into a concrete form.
• N = Nurture your project with love, so that others may love it too.
• G = Complete your project and let it GO out into the world to live independently.

Other: If I tell you we found a walker in excellent condition for $20 at a garage sale, that will let you know the foot is not doing so well. I did swim x3 this week, but since eating comfort food is my main strategy for stress, I'm gaining weight. Big goal for the coming week and more (once the ice cream is gone): Strategize a way to lose 5 pounds by the end of July. 

PS: We also found this gorgeous oriental lamp that reminds me beautiful objects can bring harmony. Setting clear and accountable goals creates structure. And then, there's that old butt in chair. 

Have a Happy Sunday and a very good week. Check out what other ROW80 writers are doing on the ROW80 BLOG or FACEBOOK page. See you there! 

Round 2, Week 10: Sunday Catch Up!

Wish I could report tremendous progress, but some real work got done despite my lapse in checking in with ROW80.

What happened over the last two weeks?

• Finally finished a major beta read (and learned much in the process).
• My dear sister visited from Tucson, and I gained 10 pounds.
• Wrote 400 words on family history and wrote about 800 words on The Seventh Tapestry.
• Posted my writing blog for Insecure Writer's Support Group on which is easier -- writing a title or naming characters, and read other's posts x6.
• Attended RWA-Inland NW workshop on how to use FaceBook ads.
• Posted a review on Annette Drake's moving and cozy read: Return to Celebration House.
• Started analyzing novels for romantic suspense elements. Found this lovely quote by Brenda Novak. She says there are two types of tension writers seek to create, "the tension found in an escalating romance, and the danger or ‘ticking time bomb’ found between the covers of a good suspense novel.”
• Celebrated the 6-year-old granddaughter's birthday with sushi -- her request! And drove dear hubby off to hike the 60-mile Centennial Trail that follows the Spokane River. Here's the view at the end of his first day, some 9 miles later.

Near Bowl & Pitcher, Centennial Trail (2018)

So, what didn't get done? Still behind on reviews and with the writing. Maybe it's OK, and maybe I just need my very own retreat. When I skip writing for a few days, the story and the characters seem to fade. So back to reading James Scott Bell, Just Write and beginning each day with writing!

Round 2 is winding down. We'll take a little break on June 20 for A Round of Words in 80 Days, giving us a little time to assess our goals AND our progress.

You can go to the ROW80 BLOG or FACEBOOK page to see what others are doing. Have a great week!

ROW80: Round 2, Week 8 and hotter!

Temperatures in 70s and 80s this week. Lots of distractions. No real progress on anything on my 'to do' list other than . . . hosting a launch party finally for Rivers of Stone!

What really worked this time? Finding the perfect site at our local library, a lovely, large, and adaptable conference room (capacity over 200). Set-up for the two-hour event took under 15 minutes (4 tables and chairs in informal groupings of 3-4, very easy to rearrange as folks arrived). I didn't know how many to expect and hoped for over 10 and was thrilled when 25 people arrived -- and stayed!

I really had fun AND assistance. Darling daughter staffed the sign-in/sales table. I brought artifacts for each of my books -- mermaid sculptures, travel journals, key reference books, and for Rivers of Stone, a neat replica of a woven belt worn by fur traders.

Roughly every 20 minutes, I talked about the background and read a short selection from one of my books (the audience decided which one), and passed around the artifacts related to that book, answering questions. We then held  a drawing (for one of my books [4 different books] or one of two plants -- audience choice). Snacks? Two kinds of cookies. No beverages; no mess. We laughed, chatted, and had an amazingly wonderful time.

Compared to a formal reading at a bookstore, I found holding this kind of a launch party was more personal and more celebratory. I got to interact with all my wonderful friends who came and who are enthusiastic about my stories. What could be better?

What would I do differently? Not sure. I could have and should have taken more pictures. Next time, I'll ask someone to do this. As a frugal indie writer, I worked to keep costs down (about $40 for books, plants, and those cookies). The library conference room was free, and the library received a heartfelt thanks (and a book for their collection).

Announcements were posted in the local newspaper and online. Posters went up in the library and online. I also sent targeted e-mails and handed out printed invitations to different segments of people I knew (writers, swimmers, quilters), and was thrilled when folks from each group showed up.

Would 'bigger' have been 'better'? I don't think so.

Quilting friends Twyla and CJ stopped by

Writing friends Caryl, Kate, Sue, and Dave from Spokane Authors

Now it's back to work as we wind down (by June 20) Round 2 for A Round of Words in 80 Days. Check back on Weds for an update and have a great week of writing and reading! You can go to our BLOG or FACEBOOK page to see what others are doing.



  

ROW80 and Weds WIPpet

Wednesday night. Finally quiet time for checking in with A Round of Words in 80 Days. Actually, I'm just committed to checking in every Sunday (goals for the week) and Wednesday (progress so far), regardless of the round of days.

PROGRESS SINCE SUNDAY? Nada. Unless you count driving the 5-year-old to ballet (45 minutes each way) and dealing with foot pain (yes, Naproxin helps, but I hate taking pills). OK, so I did make some progress on Tapestry, since my writers' group met Monday night. I read a scene, excited to be writing (at 6/7 days last week) and excited at how my characters are changing right before my eyes. Sandra is a little older and a lot more feisty. She's no longer a naive intern just starting out.

Wednesday is also WIPpet Wednesday (kindly hosted by Emily Wrayburn), a blog hop for writers sharing a snippet from their current work-in-progress WIP that somehow relates to the date. Today, I'm sharing 5 paragraphs (23 days divided by 5 (May) = 4.6 or 5 paragraphs). From the beginning of The Seventh Tapestry (first draft).

     First days are never easy, thought Sandra. Just go in and get started. She stared up at the massive stone exterior of the Museum of Antiquities. A green and gold banner hung over the entrance, “Welcome to Edinburgh’s Medieval Underground.” My new world. She adjusted her briefcase over her shoulder, wondered again if her resume needed additional tweaking, and smiled at the receptionist as she asked the way to the Director’s office.
     After another layer of assistants, a compact woman wearing a gray suit ushered Sandra into a formal office, complete with a devastatingly large antique desk. Stuart Hadley stood and reached out his hand. “Welcome, Miss Robertson. We’re quite excited you are finally here.”
     “Mr. Hadley,” Sandra nodded. “Aren’t there always complications? I’m thrilled to be in Edinburgh and eager to start.”
     “We have complications here as well. As I explained last week, several major artifacts are missing.” He checked the door, as if to make certain it remained closed and lowered his voice. “Please tell no one that you are from TSP Securities. You are simply a newly hired appraiser and database specialist. At least for the next four to six weeks.” His lips tightened. “I’m hoping we can have this issue resolved quickly. Any hint about these losses would be scandalous and could affect the Museum’s supporters.”
     Sandra nodded. Let the dance begin. All I need to do is find out how these priceless artifacts went missing and who is involved – in four weeks.

YOU can share something from your current wip OR read what other writers are posting by going to this LINKY.

Check in either at the website for A Round of Words in 80 Days or on Facebook. May you find good writing time in the coming week, despite the promise and distractions of spring.

Another shot of the Japanese Garden
at Manito Park (Camp, May 2018)

ROW80 Sunday Just in Time

Well, Sunday came along just as fast as last Wednesday -- and I'm even trying to slow down! Here's the recap for what happened last week:

WRITING: Actually wrote 6 out of 7 days, steady progress on Tapestry, editing and adding new words (+1,400). Research moving along. Funny to realize how I learn more about my characters as I write dialogue! Meeting with writers' group Monday night.

MARKETING: Getting ready for Saturday's launch party for Rivers of Stone with newsletter, FB posts, and fliers to handout. I'm excited and nervous at the same time, though now this story seems like something that happened another lifetime ago. So, should I do what others have done and combine all three books into one e-book?

COMMUNITY: Doing better here. Read/commented on posts by others x11. Finished beta read for one writer; have another ready to read. Didn't post on Writing blog this week -- so next week for sure. Still so far behind with decluttering e-mail (averaging about 160 unread) . Read 6 books this week (escape! escape!). Still adjusting to walking less. Hate pain meds. Did exercise 5x (water aerobics with no touching the bottom of the pool). Quilting? Making good progress on the 'owl' quilt. Finally mastered how to thread the fancy machine. Starting either an African quilt or aboriginal or finishing something!

Last week, a walk at Manito Park found my favorite tree in the Japanese Garden in full bloom. Hooray for spring into nearly summer.

You know the drill. Check in either at the website for A Round of Words in 80 Days or on Facebook. And have a bountiful week with much to cherish.

ROW80 & a snippet . . .

I've concluded that Wednesday is just too close to Sunday. Here's my check-in for A Round of Words in 80 Days, for which I report my writing progress most Wednesdays and most Sundays -- unless, as we say, 'real life' intervenes!

WRITING: √ Wrote on Seventh Tapestry 3/3 days. √ Posted on ROW80 blog. Still procrastinating on reading book for review that's due by end of May.

MARKETING. √ Not as much progress. Really pleased about the kind response from folks about the launch party scheduled for 5/26. Talked to Library about posters. Still need more work on press releases. Need to write tourism guy in Canada re Rivers of Stone.

COMMUNITY/OTHER. √ Read/commented x5 other bloggers this week. Still behind on decluttering e-mail.

But I'm writing and loving the way I can find a balance between ORGANIZING and WRITING. New this week: Shutting down the computer by 10 pm.

Wednesday is also WIPpet Wednesday (kindly hosted by Emily Wrayburn), a blog hop for writers sharing a snippet from their current work in progress that somehow relates to the date. For example, today, I'm sharing 21 sentences (5 for the month of May PLUS 16 = 21 sentences).

 YOU can join in OR read what other writers are posting by going to this LINKY.

Here's the blurb for The Seventh Tapestry: Art appraiser/archivist Sandra Robertson is pulled into danger when she finds clues to an undiscovered medieval tapestry in Scotland and attempts to rescue it from the black market with help from Thomas McDonnell, Edinburgh’s Art Crimes Unit.

     Why wasn’t Roger available when she needed to talk to him? And where was Rebecca? Sandra left a message as she fanned through the photographs she’d printed of the Narwhal cup. She flipped on her CD player, the familiar sounds of one of Machaut’s medieval compositions calming her.
     One of the photographs caught her eye. I don’t remember this, she mused. Very faint markings appeared on the bottom of the cup. Oh, I should have taken a close-up of this. Perhaps after I talk to Roger, I can call Mrs. Campbell again.
     Sandra placed the photos into a file folder for her meeting with Roger and glanced at her watch. She had at least two hours before lunch. She began to review the inventory printout Thomas had given her, checking for possible anomalies. After fifteen minutes, she had identified enough questions to take her into storage.

Sandra gathered her notes and made another quick call. Luckily, Priscilla answered the phone.

“Yes, Miss Robertson,” said Priscilla. “I’ll be happy to take you through how we store artifacts not on exhibit.”

      “Good. I’ll be over directly.” Sandra looked at her notes without seeing them. I don’t understand why the list Thomas gave me doesn’t match the Museum’s database. Surely, we can’t be missing this many.

View from Sandra's 5th Floor Apartment
Overlooking the Writers' Museum,
Lady Stair's Close, Edinburgh (Camp, 2009)
(Yes, we stayed here for several weeks, a fifth floor walk-up!)

ROW80 Sunday Update: Happy Mother's Day

Sunday morning early. Quiet time for writing. What more could we want? So here's my update for this week with plans for next week.

WRITING: MINIMUM OF 1 HOUR DAY/5 days week on Seventh Tapestry. √ Wrote 4/7 days. Finally transitioned from planning & organizing to writing, organizing, and researching. Currently using scaffolding to move from scene summaries to telling the story. Section 01 currently at 10K (goal 20K). √ Finished BETA read. NEXT WEEK? Same writing goals + 3 Blog posts. Maybe work a little on family history project. One book to read/review before May 30, but my problem is this self-published book has so many typos, every time I pick it up, I set it down. Any advice?

MARKETING. √ NEWSLETTER publicizing May 26th launch for Rivers of Stone out! Had fun tailoring the newsletter to writers and quilters in the Spokane area. NOTE: If you want to critique my newsletter, please let me know!

√ Ordered business & postcards VistaPrint, after abortive order thru OfficeMax. And, after much agonizing, decided to go 'exclusive' with Amazon, rather than go 'wide' with other platforms. This was not easy, but I just don't think I have the stamina to support setting up, formatting, and marketing other channels, though Smashwords has a very good platform. Your opinion? NEXT WEEK? Flesh out alerts for launch party on FB, e-mail, writing website. Write tourism guy in Canada re Rivers of Stone.

COMMUNITY/OTHER. Writing group is now back on track meeting 2x/month. So helpful to have F2F feedback of wip. √ Posted 2 reviews this month (Cynthia St. Aubin, Private Lies, and GB Williams, Locked In). Feeling somewhat disenchanted about changes in mobility, so didn't do as much connecting with other ROW80 writers and other online writing communities. NEXT WEEK? Improve! Read/comment x6.

Opening the Box for Rivers of Stone (May 9, 2018)

Just trying to create that ongoing balance between work, play, relationships, and commitments to others. Not much quilting to share this week. Missed an entire week of exercise, then walked 30 min (too far). Wishing you all a happy week ahead, warm weather, lots of words, and just maybe an insight or two along the way. Happy ROWing!

Check in either at the website for A Round of Words in 80 Days or on Facebook.