Checking In and Out

Well, nothing quite so dramatic as actually checking out literally, of course.  But this has to be one of my shorter updates.  I really thought I was starting to take things easy after the end of the school year and then the JuNoWriMo, and then the…

You get the idea?

The CampNaNoWriMo for July is almost over, and I’m about 2K short of winning with my ‘lazy summer’ goal of 20K.  Easily doable between this evening and tomorrow as long as I do some BICHOP (Hands On Pen here…  I’m going old-school with notebooks and pens and lots of non-electronic time…  even a lot of my electronic time has been old-school, with DOS and Wordperfect 5.1).  And…  as long as I find the time to do it.

So..  count since Monday:

• another 5K in words to ‘win’ CampNaNoWriMo — not quite, though I did get some editing in too on some older stories I’d been hoping to return to
• ‘fun’ reading!  — not really, unless you count rediscovering love of old stories
• exercise at least 15 min daily — Oh yes…  Oh, a definite yes.  I am rocking the exercise goal this week between swimming and karate…  and just general walking.  I blame Ingress for the walking.
• online?  — I’m still catching up with visits (between all my blog hopping, I had something like 100 visits to make and we won’t talk about replying to comments…  *hangs head in shame*)
• photography — I almost let this slide again, but I managed some pictures once a week or so.

In all, I’m satisfied.  It’s not perfect, but nothing is perfect.  All is well in my world.

There’s Plenty Made

Another Wednesday, another WIPpet… and…  I made it even.  Yay me….

Another piece of the Was Long Variation….  We’re into the next morning and that sparring match is coming up.

Simple maths: 8 short paragraphs: (7 + 9) /2 =8 short paragraphs (after tossing away the 1+5=6 from last week’s post)

The governess looked like a giant compared to the rest of the Queen’s staff, but she danced like a little girl as she dodged her youngest charge. Mystii and another girl came up behind her. The kitchen maids set down two huge trays of food in the center of the table

There were stacks of waffles (Jayce could smell the rich malty flour), bowls of whipped fresh cream, berries of several kinds, plates of toast, carafes of milk and juice…. A small pot that smelled of coffee was placed between Tiiran and Keith.

His mother arrived next. Her hair was pulled back in tight braid. The woman’s skin-tight black bodysuit added to the stark effect. She smiled at her family and guests, each in turn, a smile that hinted at her more mild nature but did not allow it free. She sat down. The first one to reach for the food, the queen served herself half a waffle, two full cups of berries, and piled half a serving bowl’s worth of the whipped cream on top of her meal.

“Mom! Leave some for us!” cried Nytramli.

“Quiet, Martyn,” scolded Shenta. She waved behind her to another serving girl who set out two more bowls of cream. “There’s plenty made.”

His step-brother promptly dug in.

Next to him, Tiiran looked at the queen. “Martyn?”

His mother laughed. “Yes. Martyn is Nytram spelled backward. Speaking of Nytram….” She looked over at the boy as he was finally passing the bowl to Andreya. “Martyn, dear, would you take Tiiran down to the weapons room after we eat and help him pick out–?” She turned back at the captain. “What kind of match do you prefer?”

There, all done!  Now why don’t you all head over to the WIPpet linky and visit some our other awesome members. Toast and croutons to KLSchwengel for hosting the sprint and putting up with all our silliness. 😀

Creating Headspace

It’s Monday already, and I’ve not done much of anything here.  Yes, posts have gone up, but I owe people visits, I’ve not planned any of my future blog hops, …  I haven’t even looked at my other blog.

Back in school, I looked forward to summers for the time off from all the bustle.  Even when I had to work on the farm, summer seemed somehow relaxing, calming, not…  not this.  When did summer become the busiest season of the year?

With that in mind, I have to take a serious look at my goals for the ROW80 and the RSWrite.  I crashed on so many of them this week, that I think it’s time for a total revamp….

How I did on last week’s goal(s)

• bring a notebook with me — Yes!  And most of the time I used it to write too
• allow myself a space to just relax and look around and observe — Not really; I want to keep this despite my failures, because I DO think it matters, and the few successes I have had have been wonderfully energizing
• write observations down — does two pages today when I had no internet count?
• a minimum of fifteen minutes of physical exercise daily — Yes, though I missed a full week of karate because of scheduling conflicts
• make a space to write with pen and paper at home — No success, and I am dropping this.
• ROW80 sponsor post (part deux) — no action except to jot down an idea inspired by two discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday
• type in 5 of my handwritten pages — none (although I did write over 30 new pages including today’s new two)
• brainstorm ideas for other blog — had a great idea for a post (A post, not several) and then forgot to write it or to set up the linky for the First Friday Photo blog hop I’ve started there (the linky is active now…  Please feel free to join in and share your artistic eye)

My goal(s) for this week

It’s said it takes at least two months (often more) to build a new habit, so…  I’m keeping my “Yes, I did it” goals.  They aren’t habits yet, and I want them to be.  But I’m trimming back a lot.  See?

• bring a notebook everywhere
• allow myself a space to just relax and observe
• a minimum of fifteen minutes of physical exercise daily
• fifteen minutes of fun (non-research/work) reading

A favorite line from my story OR a word or phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised

Was it wrong to kiss a woman he didn’t love? he wondered for only a moment.

He wasn’t Hastor. And the Laninii was a lovely woman who deserved to be treated as properly befit someone of her birth. So, without a second thought, he leaned in the last bit, and kissed those moist lips.

The biggest challenge I faced this week (ie finding time to write, getting sick, having writer’s block, etc)

Too much time driving and out of the house…  I feel like I haven’t had a chance to just settle (except perhaps for a few hours at Panera Bread on day) in a few weeks now.  And anyone who writes in cafes knows how the din during the rushes can become overwhelming… 

But I still wrote a lot.  A big lot of words…  Nearly thirty handwritten pages (about half in a 9×6 notebook and the rest in a 8.5×11.5 notebook) are nothing to sneeze at.  I have really narrow handwriting and usually average about 275 words to a page in my little notebooks.  So…  that means I cleared an 8K week at minimum.  Can I hear cheering this time?  YEAAAHHHH!

Something I love about my WIP 

Is it wrong that I’m dreaming of this weather now?

I absolutely adore my MC(s).  Atyr’s a bit hard to get a hold on at times, but ‘Listii and Alanii are just wonderful.  And all three of them create a synergy when they are together…  well, it’s powerful just to write.

That’s my update. How has everyone else been doing with their goals? Not a member of either the ROW80 or RSWrite? You can join in at anytime. Jump on it and get involved with two wonderfully supportive online communities for writers.  Here are the links for the most recent updates:

• A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80)
• Ready. Set. Write! (RSwrite)