When in ROWme Do as the ROWmans Do

Well, this is getting to be a very bad habit here…  the missing of Sunday check-ins that is.  I seem to remember having a similar problem right around this time last ROWnd (perhaps even a bit earlier even).  It would be nice to say that I’m getting better at organizing my time, but if one makes a point to bring up the whole “A Writing Challenge That Knows You Have A Life” part about the ROW80, it means I’m doing something definitely wrong here.

Or, it means, I’ve been sick.  which I have…  Sunday became Catch Up Day, laundry and the sink full of dishes and conflict.  So much conflict…  I’m counting down the hours till this school year finishes, and the less said about that, the better.

Sunday was GOOD!

I did have a wonderful time with Elizabeth Anne Mitchell at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Sunday evening.  The very last of the Albany Symphony performances this season, this was more an eclectic mix of chamber music and soloists from the orchestra than not.  A wonderful performance that surprisingly also included the band and chorus from the Doyle Middle School in Troy as part of the Symphony’s Music In the Classroom program.  The students composed and researched their own concert pieces.  It was quite impressive.

I’m sorry their parents brought them home after their part was over instead of letting them experience the last four numbers.  I suspect, given the energy and enthusiasm that these kids had approached their project with, they would have enjoyed seeing the other young composers’ creations.  There is something empowering about seeing what can be done, or even what some people have tried, just so they might be willing to test new limits.

Goals were NOT…

As psyched as I was after last Wednesday (and oddly enough, I was psyched, about writing, NOT about being on the computer), everything fell apart on Thursday.  Between having the weirdest “ick’ (still not sure what it was since it seemed to incorporate food poisoning, a migraine and throwing my back out) and my father “helping” me buy a car at the NY State Auction…  Basically I crawled into my bed at 1:30 in the afternoon on Thursday and only dug myself out on Friday morning because I’d promised my son that I would go to see him at school for the last “Morning Meeting” of the year.

This means two things…  I ended up NOT getting anything done for Story A Day or my sponsor posts until Saturday.  I also ended a 230 streak at 750words.  No Pegasus badge for me…not this year.  😦

It also means I have another POS car in the driveway to rant about in future posts.  😉

So my challenge for this month Story A Day is technically a bust.  I was hoping to use the weekend to catch up on writing in the stories I’ve handwritten.  I’m probably going to have to save that for later, perhaps in July, since I do intend to do the JuNoWriMo (really happy about the “not new story concept part” about the June Novel Challenge).   I’m still handwriting my stories…  these last few have not been very good, ihmo.  When I do type them in, we’ll see if any are salvageable.   So far they all seem to be something from a larger work.

Failure shouldn’t be an option

Clearly I need to spend some time developing my technique for the short form.

And until then,….

I will do as other ROWmans do–put my butt in the chair and make words flow.  There really is no other way to go.   The Writing Challenge that knows we have lives exists because we want to live as writers.  So I missed a bit this week.  It’s not the day-to-day, or even the month by month…  It’s the long haul.  And in that, I can still say I’m Rockin’ the ROW80.  I’m still writing, I’m still posting and commenting and learning… and I’m still ROWing.

(Hopefully I will remember to edit this post when the Linky goes live.  Keep an eye to A Round of Words in 80 Days for it so you can support other ROWers just in case.  These wonderful people deserve your support.)

Related articles

• ASO helps students make music (troyrecord.com)
• After 140 years, downtown Troy landmark no longer a bank (timesunion.com)
• Despite poor economy, wealth of artistic activity exists (troyrecord.com)
• It’s All About Heart by Jayrod Garrett (rainingink.wordpress.com)

Photo Credit

• Violinist Joseph Joachim and pianist Clara Schumann. Reproduction of pastel drawing (now lost) by Adolph von Menzel, 1853. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
• Unknown, found here (a very good post that fits where I am perfectly)