So besides the fact that I haven't been blogging...I went back to try and find the last time I posted word metrics and HOLY CRAP it was back in APRIL. This isn't to say I haven't done any writing since then - nay, I've done a short story, some work on an unannounced group project, and some editorial stuff here and there [copyedits, etc.] - but I'm not gonna lie and be all, "Oh I wrote a BILLION words while no one was looking." It was more like maybe ten thousand, in total. Since April. Which is awful.

In my vague and slight defense, a LOT has happened in the last few months. For example (and in only some half-hearted semblance of order) - the back half of my house flooded; we arranged for repairs including new gutters and a french drain and new floors in the den; I went to California for a Children's Institute event; I Am Princess X debuted, and there was publicity and work on the audiobook extras and whatnot; I hired some help and rebooted the back yard, removing a lot of dead and messed-up stuff and installing several trees/hardscaping bits/large plants; I fixed up the garage, which was falling apart inside; Phoenix Comic Con happened, and that was a week out of my life right there when all was said and done; I got a new tattoo, hooray; I went back and got an old tattoo refreshed (part one - part two, with the finished re-do still to come); a week-long visit from one of my besties; and so forth, and so on, and look...sometimes life gets in the way, you know?

That said, it's especially difficult to defend myself otherwise, because two of the projects that have occupied my time are still on the secret side. But again, the point is this: writing progress has fallen off a cliff this spring/summer, and I have to get my shit together ASAP.

I have three books to write in less than a year, plus a handful of other things on deck. No more procrastinating. No more excuses. No more pussyfooting around.

Here's recent progress on one of my projects that I'm not supposed to specify yet, but will probably be able to talk about sometime in the next few weeks, I hope, so my apologies for any and all cryptic nonsense posted here until it comes to light:

Project: [Redacted]
Deadline: [Redacted]
New words written: 3444
Present total word count: 3444 (2-day total, actually)



Things Accomplished in Fiction: Got most of the way through Chapter One.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: [Just today and yesterday] Neighborhood jaunt with the dog; grocery shopping; went to Walgreen's; a little bit of yardwork; went to Ace; got some lunch.

Other: The 70k mark on the word meter above is arbitrary. I'm not sure how long this one's going to be.

Number of fiction words so far this year: 53,818 [Including 5100 re: other secret project, from last month. I don't have a count for the misc. bits and pieces, so I'm just leaving off the rest. Que sera.]

Bonus: Behold Greyson - happy as a clam, and covered in his buddy "Luna"'s drool. It was truly an epic play-date.