3-month writing challenge (UPDATE: BOOK 3 complete; hey, only took a year!)

As I mentioned in the other threads where Chris Fox and Kevin McLaughlin are discussing their 21-day novel challenges, I wanted to join in as well but was about a week off their schedules in terms of outlining and preparing. So I thought I'd start my challenge on March 1. Which is today.

So here it is; I'll use this thread to discuss the challenge, the writing on a day to day basis, and any challenges or successes that come along. The goal is to write the first three full-length books of a new urban fantasy series. Book 1 I'll write in March; book 2 in April; book 3 in May. I'm targeting 75-90k words for each one, and my daily goal is to hit 3000 words a day spread over at least three 30-minute writing sprints (more if I can fit them in amongst my day).

Like Kevin, I work a full-time job in addition to writing and family and other commitments, so I'm doing this challenge partly to illustrate how it's possible to write and be productive even when it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day. I don't think I'll bore you with my daily blow-by-blow, but I'll try to show how it's possible to make choices to do what's important (for me writing is the most important part of my life next to my family and my health).

Anyway. I'll be doing assorted videos from time to time, and actually spent part of today recording and releasing two videos, mostly about Scrivener but also about my writing process and how I outline. You'll find those videos on the Scrivener Tutorials thread I started, but you can also find them here.

I did a lot of prep work today putting my Scrivener file together and pulling most of my outline together. The outline isn't finished to my satisfaction yet, and at 1130 PM when I was thinking I'd just head to bed, I grabbed my Alphasmart Neo and sat down and pulled together a 30 minute sprint and wrote the first 1098 words of the first novel. It's not 3000 words, but it's a start, and I know I can make up the deficit in short order. I know I've started, and that's good enough for today. Sometimes it's enough to just show up and write.

So, feel free to follow along. I hope this challenge inspires some to join in on their own challenge, and I hope you ask questions or at least cheer me on as I go on down this crazy road. I've loved following Chris and Kevin's journeys and hope you'll join me in this one. I plan to release the first book on June 1, and it'll be very interesting to look back on this thread once the books are out.

Time to have some fun.

--tl;dr updates April 22:

Refining the goal a bit and adding in some scheduling to keep me focused and folks updated if I don't remember to include it in the videos:
Book 1: Written March; to editor May 6; to be published early June
Book 2: Write in April (possibly part of May); to editor mid-May; to be published early July (ideally out before July 15 so that I can take copies to a con)
Book 3: Write in May (possibly part of June); to editor early June; to be published early August

Cover artist booked, editor booked, print layout designer booked. Will DIY ebook formatting via Scrivener compiling; anticipating simultaneous print and ebook releases.

TL; DR part 2: Latest update right here

TD; DR Part the Third: Latest update right here