A Belated ROWnd-Up: #ROW80

How very odd. A Sunday passed, and I did not provide an update on my progress in A Round of Words in 80 Days. However, the round was officially over on Thursday, June 21, just as I was struggling with a nasty migraine that made me wonder if beheading myself would relieve the pain. I spent the weekend catching up and relaxing.

Thankfully, migraines are extremely rare for me (regular migraine sufferers have my unlimited sympathy), and I’m back on track now. So here I am to give a final update on Round 2 of “the writing challenge that knows you have a life.” Here were my goals:

• Log 5,000 words per week on young adult novel, SHARING HUNTER. This should result in a completed first draft. Finished on May 15.
• If first draft is finished, edit once through SHARING HUNTER. Completed as of last week. Now I’m going through a second time.
• Work on pitch and synopsis for DFW Writers’ Conference (taking place May 19-20).  I pitched at the conference and am currently polishing my synopsis.
• Send in queries to four agents for SHARING HUNTER. Queries will be sent this week (probably Wednesday).
• If I get all of that done, edit through THE YEAR OF FIRSTS, my middle grade novel which is in second draft form and has been gathering dust for a few months. Didn’t happen this round.
• Read one writing craft book. My choice this round is Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Read about a hundred pages, then stalled. This goal will follow me into Round 3.
• Read through issue of The Writer’s Digest. Read about half.
• Read 10 books keeping to my At-Least-3 Reading Challenge for 2012. I’m on book #9: Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas.
• Exercise three times a week–length of time to be determined. Signed up for Zumba classes, which helped me get in at least two sessions of exercise per week.
• NEW GOAL: Finish church camp lessons due by June 23 to be sent to the 8-10 teachers who will lead Bible classes. Submitted the lessons to the camp’s director on Saturday, June 23.

I’m pleased with the overall progress, even though life continues to interrupt my well-laid plans. My kids are at camp this week, so I’m hoping to knock out quite a bit of work in their absence.
I did not do as well as a sponsor in Round 2 as I would have liked. I was slow commenting on updates, and I want to improve that in the next round.
Because yes, Kait Nolan has lassoed me into sponsoring Round 3 of A Round of Words in 80 Days! (I bet you didn’t know Kait had such wicked rope skills.) We’ll begin again on July 2, and next time I will have fewer goals to focus on over the summer.
In the meantime, give a few back-pats and high-fives to the participants of Round 2 by checking in with them HERE. Happy writing, y’all!