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Manic Monday: Row80 Round 2 Kickoff – Determination

I can’t believe it’s April 2nd (only twelve days away from my thirty-fifth birthday, a day of equal celebration and mourning in our house) and time for Row 80, Round 2.

Some big goals for me this time around. INTO THE DARK releases from MuseItUp Publishing in November, and I’ve got to have “The Book Formerly Known As The Prophet, But Now Needs A New Title, a WIP” ready to query by then – or earlier. Whether you self-publish, go with a small press, or by traditional means, having more than one book out is a big key for a new author to build their readership. That means WIP needs to be done asap.

Round 2 runs from April 2nd – June 21st. 
Goal: Finish the first draft of WIP by then. That’s roughly 85,000 words, depending on how much I’ll need to cut with the new plot adjustments. I’ve got until June 13th, as we’re going on vacation shortly after, so in a five-day work week (weekends are always iffy), I need to average at least 1600 words/day to get it done. Thanks to Catie Rhodes, I’ve got a fifty scene outline, something I’ve never had before. So I WILL get it done. I’m determined. This means you’ll be seeing me at the Row80 Sprints on Twitter!

Additional Goals: I’ve also got some ideas for a series to work on after this, so I’m hoping to find the time to study up on forensic psychology. If you have any good resources, please share.
Continue to blog and market Thriller Thursdays.
Continue to promote fellow authors/bloggers.
Continue to work on marketing plan for INTO THE DARK.
Continue to maintain healthy eating regimen.

What about you? What are your goals for this round?

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P.S. Bones returns tonight. Woo-hoo!

31 comments on… “Manic Monday: Row80 Round 2 Kickoff – Determination”

  1. Sounds completely doable to me! 1600 words a day is a great goal, especially because you’re giving yourself weekends off. And you’re right–creating a backlist is crucial for any author. Good luck!! 😀

    • Thanks, Adriana. I hope so. It’s also important I get it done before Grace is out of school for the summer. Productivity will go down then;)

  2. Glad to see you back for another round. I’m focusing more on editing this round instead of writing now that I have two different first drafts finished. But, I am also going to start plotting, and hopefully writing the next one.

    Good luck on your goals!

    • Thanks! I’ll be editing this summer. Good for you on having two first drafts finished. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate, but you can do it!


  3. Juliana Haygert


    Sounds like you have a great plan going on! I’m sure you’re gonna succeed 😉

    • I hope so. Motivation will be the big key for me. I can get into ‘meh’ periods. Can’t let that happen this time!

  4. I am so happy for you and the great progress on both books! Can’t wait to read them. I’m ramping up my writing time this round to get more steady work done on my novel WIP. That is what will get it done.

    • Thank you! I feel like I have a limited amount of time because of my daughter being home during summer and then having to market, so I know I’ve got to get it done. Good luck to you, too. You can do it!


  5. authormarieandrews


    Love your goals Stacy! Sounds like you have a good handle on what you need to accomplish, and a strong will to get those accomplished. I’ll be rooting for you 🙂 GO STACY GO! lol okay I’m being a nerd 😉

  6. Stacy, I love reading about your progress, and I love that you are keeping that forward momentum!

    I am still working on my goal list, but I AM doing ROW80 this time around. My goals are not going to be up on the regular blog, so when I post them, I’ll be sending everyone here: http://rowofwonder.wordpress.com

    Can’t wait to see what great things come of this round!

    • Thank you. It’s a bit easier when the publishing deadline now. I know I’ve got to get a lot done by the time that hits. I’ll definitely check out your blog. I know you’ll do great:)

    • Thank you! If I don’t I know I’ll be in trouble this summer. With the kiddo home and summer stuff going on, will be really busy.

  7. You’re turning into a plotter yet! You can totally kick this goal in the behind. I really didn’t think it was possible, but during Nano a lot of us shot for 2000 a day and actually made it. The best advice I can give is that it seemed to be easiest to divide it into manageable chunks that fit into our normal schedules (with a little tweaking of course). Look forward to seeing you at sprints too! Good luck with everything – we’re all rooting for you!

    • YOu know what, I am, lol. It’s gotten to the point where I NEEDED to have the book plotted out before I could write further. I don’t know if that’s because this plot was so intense or what. That’s a good idea – two chunks of 750 should be doable. Once I force myself to write, and I have a scene idea, I can usually get a fair amount accomplished. We’ll see. Thanks for the advice and encouragement!

  8. So glad you’re jumping in again! What a goal at 1600 words per day. Wow. I’ll be sprinting too. See you there! Best wishes, Stacy.

    • I know. I hope I’m not biting off more than I can chew. I’m sprinting tomorrow. Today was full of appointments and catchups. Good luck to you, too!

  9. Even though I already know the plot, I am excited to see how this book turns out. Your writing improves all the time. 😀

  10. Hi Stacy – please delete this if the comment comes up twice (sorry about that … darned computers). Anyway, I enjoy your blog, and thought maybe I could suggest some forensics books I found helpful (quite fascinating subject). The first is: “Forensics: A Guide for Writers” by D.P. Lyle, M.D. – it provides and overview and lots of details other books leave out. Similarly, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Forensics” by Alan Axelrod and Guy Antinozzi. Top choice is the writer’s guide, but I used the Axelrod one first, so I’m not sure how they compare at this point. Hope that’s helpful, and best of luck in sticking with your goals and in your research. 🙂

    • Your comment did come up twice, lol. I’ll delete one. Glad you’re enjoying the blog, and thank you for your suggestions. I’ve been meaning to get Dr. Lyle’s book, but I’ve never heard of the other. Do either of these touch on forensic psychology? That’s something I’d like to work with in an upcoming series, but I’m struggling to find a good place to learn that isn’t dry text book. Thanks so much!

      • Sorry about the double comment … I actually own the “Forensics: A Guide for Writers,” and yes, it does have a chapter on criminal psychology. You can also check out the author’s website http://www.dplylemd.com where he’s supposed to have info on “all types of forensics” (sorry, haven’t been to see). “Complete Idiot’s Guide” does touch on Forensic psychology … at least I can see notes on it in my research book. Neither are dry; there are lots of case studies, and it was relatively easy to find the info you needed without having to take a course in forensics. The book “You Can Read Anyone” by David J. Lieberman, Ph.D. is kind of about profiling … although not for criminal profiling usage. Hope that helps. 🙂

      • THanks so much! That is a big help! I need to make sure I understand forensic psychology before I decide to make that a character’s profession. Right now, it’s a toss up between that and a criminal profiler. Will definitely check out all the books!

        • Hey Stacy,
          Best of luck – both forensic psychology and profiling fascinate me, too. Just wanted to let you know that in this particular forensics book (the one for writers), they list profiling as part of what the forensic psychologist does; although with the FBI developments, I suppose you could have a seperate profiler as well. Just a thought – not trying to confuse the issue, really! 😉 Anyway, best of luck, and hope your character comes together for you.
          Shelly

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