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As Excited as a Strutting Cherub

Strutting cherub in Venice, Italy (photo by Tui Snider)
Strutting cherub in Venice, Italy (photo by Tui Snider)

#Row80 Check-in

Like much of the south, it’s chilly here in Texas. I’m currently wearing fingerless gloves and a scarf as I type. Can’t complain, though, because there’s food in the frig, my espresso machine works fine, and – best of all – I’m making great progress on Unexpected Texas, my quirky travel guide with tips for visiting offbeat and overlooked places in reach of Dallas and Fort Worth.

Speaking of writing, here’s my weekly #Row80 check-in:

Finish my quirky Texas travel book by January 31, 2014: The book is coming along, but it’s not quite done. I am really excited to say that once this blog post goes up, it is time for me to go through the draft from start to finish. Squeal! I will be smoothing out any rough patches, catching obvious grammatical errors, and adding in pertinent “for more info” stuff after each quirky Texas travel site mentioned.

Ooh! I am as excited as a strutting cherub to have reached this point! I have no idea how long it will take to comb through the whole book like this, but I hope to finish it by tonight. Once I’ve gone through the whole book, I still need to finish up the introductory section. I purposely left that rough because until I know exactly what the day trip section includes, I won’t know exactly how best to introduce it. We shall see!

Daily writing check-in via email: Morgan Dragonwillow and I are dutifully checking in with each other every night via text and email. I was especially glad for her text one night because I didn’t realize how late it had gotten. I was bleary!

Blog 3X per week: My 2014 blogging schedule is to post each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mondays are for Texas travel, Wednesdays are for #Row80 and self-publishing updates, and Fridays are for quirky and/or world travel posts. I’m still keeping up with this one.

What is ROW80?

ROW80 is short for A Round of Words in 80 Days. It was created by the author, Kait Nolan, who describes it as, “an online writing challenge that knows you have a life.” Basically, ROW80 is a way for writers to connect online and share progress on their writing goals. Click on the aforementioned link for more information.

To join in and cheer on other ROW80 writers, check out the A Round of Words in 80 Days website. You may also simply click on any of the blogs in the following list:

Tui Snider
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Published inTravel Photo Essays

6 Comments

  1. Tui,

    How have I missed this blog for SO LONG?!?!?!?!

    I am so glad you came up in my sponsor visit roster this session! I love this blog, and the idea for your book. That might have something to do with my having had the Everglades, the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone as my backyard…

    Being an upstate New Yorker, I used to complain a lot about the cold – until I spent a winter in Wyoming! Now, I just get through it, and keep feeding the wood stove…

    You are so close to your goal. I’ll be looking for your upcoming release – this is one I’m going to want to own! =)

    Stay warm down there!

    • Tui Snider Tui Snider

      Hi Shan! Thank you so much for dropping by. I grew up in eastern Washington, so I’m no stranger to snow and cold. Trouble with the south is that we just don’t have the infrastructure to handle it. I’ve been snowed in here with weather that wouldn’t have made me blink up north.

      I have yet to visit upstate New York, but my hubby went to college there and has tales to tell of wintry weather.

      Thanks for all the kind encouragement. I can hardly wait to get all the niggly bits worked out. My self-publishing to-do list is still a mile long!

      See ya round the #row80! :)

    • Tui Snider Tui Snider

      Hi AmyBeth! Thanks for swinging by. My hubby’s the one who really knows how to get the most BTU’s out of our stuff. The day I wrote this post, I couldn’t seem to get the house above 55 degrees. Stay warm! :)

  2. I hope your editing session goes well, Tui. You must be excited to be in the home stretch! I love the cherub photo.

    Have a great day!

    • Tui Snider Tui Snider

      Thanks, Denise! Funny how long the “home stretch” has become. It’s like those road trips where you can see a mountain in the distance, and it seems so close, but at the end of the day, the mountain is still on the horizon, and you are still miles away. In any case, I’m enjoying the journey. Glad you like the cherub. I thought he looked rather mischievous.

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