Super Quick Update...Then Back to Homework!

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I am starting a master's in English program and my financial aid and all that fun stuff didn't get finalized til over the weekend.  Classes started Monday, which was the day I was able to register for classes.  So I've been a ball of anxiety trying to get things in order and keep up with the work.  I also started teaching a writing class one night a week, which I've been doing for about 7 years, but this on top of my day job and the school thing has been wiping me out, energy wise.  Because of all this I haven't gotten any writing in since Sunday. I actually don't think I'll get any writing in until this coming Sunday, but I am okay with that. I need to get myself organized and then, once I have filled in my day planner with highlighted areas (in different colors of course!) for "work time", "school time", "working out time" and "fun time", I will add in that one hour a day for writing.  With everything on my plate, I know that organization is going to be key to my success here.  I hope everyone has a good week and I look forward to checking out everyone's progress in the next couple days! Now back to reading This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald...

ROW80 Update and A NaNoWriMo Decision

This is going to be a ROW80 update and blog post combined in one.  It's just easier to do it that way today since I am heading out to brunch with my best friend to hash out some major decisions I'm in the process of making in my life.  I need to bounce some ideas off of her and I know she will help me find which direction I'm heading in, instead of flailing about.  

First, I'll get my update out of the way on the ROW80 goals.  I continue on target for the activity goal, 6 days of activity out of 7, on top of the 6 out of 7 before that!    Woot! *pats myself on back*  Sundays are my day off, and thankfully so, because my muscles are screaming for a little R & R.  Though, I may sneak in some belly dancing later this afternoon--I'm trying to get this one move down and its driving me crazy.  As for writing, I'm plodding along, but this part of the WIP is going slower than the first half.  I think because the work has taken such a different turn than what I initially expected.  I need to adapt the ending I had planned for the twists and turns the WIP has decided to go in.  But…slow and steady wins the race right?

So with ROW80 going well, on to the next question that has been stirring in my head recently:

Halfway there….ROW80 Update

I'm going to be upfront here.  I was doing so damn well.  But…Monday and Tuesday I didn't get my writing in.  Work was just way too busy and there weren't enough hours in the day to fit everything in.  However, despite not meeting my goal, I've decided to look at this recent misstep as not necessarily a bad thing.  As I mentioned in my last update, I have been chugging right along on the longer WIP.  I'm a little more than halfway to the end which is both exciting and scares the hell out of me.  So missing two days in the scheme of things--well I am okay with that.  I think also, it gave me time to let step back and breathe.  I needed time to think and go over my notes and outline, and especially stew over the "how I am going to get this to the ending I had planned" thought that has been poking at me at random times in the last week and a half.

A Quick but Late Update

So here is a quick and dirty update on ROW80.  The reason it is quick is because I have a another blog post here, Blocking Out Meanies and Kill Joys.  Read it over if you'd like and please leave a comment if you choose...I'd love to see what people think on the topic. I could be completely off-base, or crazy...or maybe both. But any thoughts would be appreciated as always.  But anyways, here goes for the challenge update:

Blocking Out the Meanies and Kill-Joys

*Block out the negative…block OUT the negative…block out the negative….*

Seems like I've been doing a lot of that in my life recently--saying that mantra over and over again, in many parts of my job and personal life.   So what type of negativity am I pushing out exactly?  Constructive criticism?  No.  Not that. I need that.  In fact, I LIKE constructive criticism.  It's hard to hear sometimes, but I take that over just plain ole meanness any day.  I guess what I'm talking about are the negative attitudes, thoughts and comments of certain people in my life, that seem to pop out to ruin a good thing at the worst possible moments.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not expecting all things to be rosy and perfect.  That would just be delusional.  But I don't want the 'You can't do that(s)', the 'you shouldn't try that(s)', the 'why would you ever think of doing that(s)', and the 'what the hell did you write about this for(s)' kind of people in my life anymore.  And I'm especially done with people who think everything in life is a competition and it's all about "winning".  I'm not going to fight and try to claw the eyes out of these people anymore--even if they keep trying to do it to me.  I'm just done.  I'm turning my back and walking away…

It's Been Too Long Since My Last Update...

To quote the white rabbit, "I'm late I'm late, for a very important date."  Things have been crazy hectic lately in my life, and I haven't blogged in well, way too long in fact.  I've been lax in my challenge updates and haven't had time to do anything other than work, get started on this grad school venture and try to keep up on my daily writing goal.  In terms of the ROW80 challenge the only thing I've stuck to is the writing a minimum of an hour a day.  The plus side is that I have come a long way towards finishing the book I've been working on.  I have actually surprised myself in the turn it is taking plot wise, but am super happy and excited by it.  For me, there is nothing that gets me to want to write more than when suddenly the story I'm writing takes a zig, when I had planned to zag.  The downside of this is, I have had little free time between that and well, work,  to actually blog.  That changes today.  

Update: Missed a Post & Sunday Summary…A Day Late; With Some Soccer On the Side…

I was doing so well, keeping up on the blog reading, writing every day, updating my blog.  And then life got in the way. I hate when that happens. The good thing though, is that, although I missed an update and have to catch up on the blog reading, I DID write every day.  So looking at it from the glass half full perspective, I guess one out of three can’t be too bad. 

My current WIP is coming along really well and I have definitely found a direction that makes sense for my character.  Saturday I went back and read what I'd done so far and changed some things around again, added a bit of back story to a character who I thought would just be in the periphery but is turning out to be much more, and did some editing.  I am really liking what I have so far.  Now, whether anyone else will like it, well who knows.  But at this point, as long as I do, I'm ok with that. 

That leaves me with my other WIP, the short story that I have mentioned in previous posts.  It's still sitting here, and has gone through another round of editing. I'm still stuck with what to do with that one.  But I've collected a lot of information on e-publishing and so making a plan for that will be next on my list.  Maybe I can get something done before I go on vacation at the end of September.  That would be an incredible weight off my shoulders.

And on an unrelated note, the US Women's Soccer team lost in World Cup Finals.  I was sad about that, but all in all I couldn’t be disappointed with the U.S. team overall in the tournament.  I mean, after all, they did make it to the finals.  And talk about some exciting games!  My blood pressure has been through the roof  during every game just about. I can't imagine the pressure they were under.  Kudos to them for their amazing abilities and skills, their fighting spirit and their grace.  As for Japan, well, if the U.S. team had to lose, I'm glad it was to Japan.  Japan was consistent in their play throughout the tournament and talk about an amazing technical game.  They can pass that ball like no other team I've seen--at least not in awhile anyways.  The best part I think, was that it was a good, mostly clean game.  It wasn't about who was more aggressive or dirty plays, nor were there any controversial calls by the referees.  They were barely noticed as a matter of fact, which is the way any good referee is.  Instead the game was about pure skill.  The only change I hope for is that eventually FIFA gets rid of that silly penalty kick rule.  Just keep having extra time…ties are silly and penalty kicks are a crappy way to end a game, in my opinion anyway.  Soccer is a team sport, so let it have a team ending.

With that, I am off to get some writing in for today…continued good luck to all with your ROW80 goals!   

Stressed but Surviving (ROW80 Update)

Let me start this off by saying that I feel very unmotivated today. It's hotter than Hades outside and so I'm cooped up inside with the blinds drawn and the fan on, trying to stay cool. On top of that I'm dog sitting for my sister--her dog is huge and she is hot and miserable (the dog, not my sister; though my sister might be too, considering she is camping in this furnace).  So I've been a nervous wreck, putting ice cubes in the dog's water dish to keep it cold, and keeping a fan on for her.  Perhaps a bit overboard, but I blame the news--they keep freaking me out with stories about pets getting sick from the heat.  Add that on top of stress from work, waiting to hear whether I got into grad school and just some unnecessary drama I'm dealing with, well  it is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I've been wound tighter than a spring of late.  But...almost happily, I will end my rant-fest there, because despite the craziness, there has been a bit of a silver lining, at least in regards to my writing and the ROW80 goals.

Yes, I have found time to write every day for a minimum of an hour (yesterday it was four!) since last check in. I went through what I'd written earlier in the week and re-arranged some things, even added about three scenes that I find are necessary to fit the expanding story.  Writing, for me, is a great outlet to get stuff out and off my chest; an opportunity to just vent through the lives of my characters.  And I have definitely needed to vent.   It just feels good to just shut myself inside, turn the phone off and  just write for a little bit each day.  

So overall I am pretty darn proud of myself with the progress of my ROW80 goals.  Now, I turn my attention back to my WIP and set the clock.  Onward I go to the next goal post!   After I refill the dog's water dish, adjust the fan, and perhaps do a rain dance for good measure.

Success! ROW80 Update

So here is the first update for ROW80 challenge.  Given that my goals are somewhat modest--writing a minimum of an hour a day and perusing the blogs of others doing the challenge at least twice a week--I can thus far say I'm  a success.  But then, it's only been a couple days.  The real challenge will be later this weekend and next week when work picks up.  Will I be able to stay on track then?  I hope so.  Cause I'm loving the progress I've made so far.  With one small hitch--the short story that is done and itching for the next step in this process.  That had me stumped most of yesterday and for part of today.

ROW80: Round 3 Goals

So here we go, I'm diving right in, getting ready to start ROW80, round 3. I am  really glad I found this challenge, because this will really jump start the works in progress (ie. WIPs) I have in a stack on my desk, and in my nightstand.  My goal for this round:

• Write, or work on my stack of WIPs and/or my blog at least an hour a day, whether that be actually writing, editing, or revising or a combination thereof.
• Check in on the other blogs twice a week, both the ROW80 blogs and the ones I follow, to engage, discuss and hopefully, stay inspired.  

Letting Vulnerabilities Inspire Creativity and Writing

I just read an amazing blog post, How Vulnerable is Your Writing? | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author . In deciding to make a comment, I started making some notes and scratches on a pad, and realized that I had way too much to say, and so, hence this blog post, about her blog post. I know, confusing right? But well, I find myself having so much to say about this subject, that I just have to post a blog on the topic.

This is the comment I made in response to her blog:

“In looking back at my writing--from the time when I refused to let me, the writer, into my stories/characters at all--to now, where I've learned to open myself up a little, the transformation is quite shocking. My stories and characters are more alive, more tangible to me, and I hope will be others, when I peek over the walls I've so skillfully built up over the years. I need to bookmark this, so whenever I forget to open up as a writer or feel my works are stunted and distant, I have a reminder to really crack open my characters, as well as myself.”

I think this issue of letting ourselves, the writer, become vulnerable and to not be afraid of it in our writing, is something that so many writers deal with way too frequently, but don’t necessarily address often.

Nobody Panic...

Or, well, maybe panic...just a little...