The day before the ROW80 starts...and the story has changed. It's no longer the space opera, which is still in progress, but it's my NaNo Summer Camp story.

This project is a romantic time-travel story...with somewhat of an outline. But I really want to use this story as a chance to write the way I want to write...just put it out there and not edit as I go.

My client work doesn't always allow me to do that. There are tighter deadlines and the push to get the first pass a good-to-go story (the longer stories...the novella-length ones...the shorter ones don't even require much planning. They just happen.)

I am probably ill prepared for this but I don't want to use that as an excuse not to do this. I'll make it work...set my goals and work toward them. There is always time to edit...and revise...later. I mostly want to get the story on the page before it leaves my head.

There is also a call from a publisher I've been following for a 25,000 - 30,000 Gothic horror story. I have started that and might add that project to my goal here. The deadline for submission is mid-September. I have started that and have a semi-outline to work from. That needs to be completed before ROW80 ends, edited and submitted.

Hopefully my goals will be a little more concrete and organized when I actually start reporting them.

ROW80 starting in like no time at all....

I finally...finally started the outline for the story I plan to write during ROW80. I'm not a pantser; I like outlines. But for some reason it's escaped me that I should have one for this story.

Still...

ROW80 ... Round 3 Goals

Something new...after a long hiatus.

Goals for the July #ROW80:

4000 words daily (M-F) split between client work and my own. At least 1000 of those words should be on my own work, not for clients.

A bit of history: I ghostwrite erotic romance; I've been doing this for a year, full-time for the past six months. I have two clients at the moment, actually three. One requires longer pieces, up to 70,000 word stories. The other is 2000 short stories (less on the romance and more on the erotic). And the third I just acquired, who wants a historical romance of 100,000 words. That story I'm a little behind on, but have no worries it will all work out. They almost always do.

I find that's a good balance for me. The longer stories have character development, plot, story arc...all the things I strive to improve on daily, that require plotting and 3x5 cards with scenes, have projects in Scrivener.
The shorts are just that...a quick burst of creative energy, no outline, just a situation and people...usually two, sometimes more. I still provide characters, plot and a story arc, but it's condensed. And it's mostly erotic, as I say. They're a good release, a palate cleanser sort of, between longer pieces for my other clients.

And then, finally...finally, I want to start my own work, for publication under my own name. At this point, for the July ROW80, I have a space opera in my mind. Not an erotic romance...a space opera, fantasy, something as far removed from romance and erotic as I can get. Should make for an interesting 80 days.