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)

Hop, Hop, Hop…

I’ve felt like this a lot lately

Running late seems to be just the way I roll…. or hop, or…  whatever.  Either way, I HAVE made it.  I am here with the next installment of….

My ROW80 and RSWrite Check-in

Hip, hip…..  *crickets*

Oh, well.  I didn’t do so hot last week anyway.  No cheering needed.

●How I did on last week’s goal(s)

• bring a notebook  — 3 of 7 here; because of my sponsor post for the ROW80, I took a few days off of pen and paper.  And pulled my shoulder carrying my laptop bag around…  oy vey!
• allow myself a space to just relax and look around and observe — Nope…  didn’t slow down much all week until Saturday, and then it was only to go flump and “Ahhhhhh”
• write observations down — Ah…  no.  Only did this once
• a minimum of fifteen minutes of physical exercise daily Check!!!  I’m actually doing physical therapy for my shoulders and knee, so…  I’m doing a lot of exercise lately
• make a space to write with pen and paper at home again — I’ve claimed one of the chairs and end tables in the livingroom with my ‘stuff’, but it doesn’t feel like much of a writer’s retreat
• ROW80 sponsor post — Check!  Had it in by Wednesday.  I can’t say I’m happy with it now, but then nothing says I can’t write another one…
• type in 5 of my handwritten pages —  3 of 5 done; will try for the full five this coming week
• create a new main page for my ‘name’ blog — super-fail here…  I have no idea of what I want to even do with my other blog

●My goal(s) for this week:

Yep…  the same.  I intend to keep the sponsor post goal, so I can write a new rough draft on my alternate topic (the one I’d liked a lot better but gave up on when, every time I sat down to write, the ideas all just scampered into hiding).

I am dropping the create a new main page goal in favor of brainstorming ideas for how I want to incorporate this blog and the Garden of Delights. 

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

Challenging…  Every word has been a challenge this past week—although not always (or even often) in a bad way.  A lot of the challenges have come from my characters themselves as they become more and more ‘themselves’ and less like the initial sketches I drew up.  I’m really discovering this with my (so-called) minor characters.  Every one of them has taken a moment to shine this week.

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

Playing catch up for the online work I had set aside to catch up with my in-person life responsibilities….

●Something I love about my WIP:

Being challenged…  I love it when characters become real.

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.

Ready. Set. WRITE! is a summer writing intensive that encourages goal-setting and accountability, and provides an opportunity for us to cheer each other on wherever we’re at with our writing projects—planning, drafting, revising, or polishing.  This year, your RSW hosts are Alison Miller, Jaime Morrow, Erin Funk, Elodie Nowodazkij, and Katie Upperman.

The ROW80 (A Round of Words in 80 Days) is hosted and run by the always awesome Kait Nolan and her hoard of minions (of which I am one).

Check-In #…2 & 5

YES!

I am finally back on track this week for my summer writing challenges. Welcome to the second week of A Round of Words in 80 Days and the Sixth Week of the Ready. Set. Write! (fifth for me as I missed one week and updated late—Wednesday—last week).

Here’s how everything is going:
●How I did on last week’s goal(s)

• bring a notebook CHECK!
• allow myself a space to just relax and look around and observe CHECK
• write observations down 1/2 Check (mostly my observations tended to become discussion fodder between the Spice in my Life  and I, not story fodder
• a minimum of fifteen minutes of physical exercise daily (on days I exercise I get much more, but then I flump on other days… consistency is key) CHECK (even when I really, really didn’t feel like it, I made some time for exercise)
• make a space to write with pen and paper at home again not so ‘Check’, since I mostly wrote wherever I could pull out my notebook, but I would still like a bit of ‘me space’
• write my ROW80 sponsor post 1/2 Check  wrote First Draft
  

●My goal(s) for this week

I pretty much have the same goals this week as last week. Took the sponsor post off the list because the first draft is done, and the final draft is being readied to submit this afternoon.

So I am adding theses as my extra RSWrite (weekly) goals:

• type in some handwritten work (at least five pages)
• prepare things for my pending change of blog (create a main page).

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

Taunting… I have a character (actually several) who enjoy baiting my MC, some more fondly than others. I just finished one of those dreaded transition scenes I’d been working on last night at our local NaNo groups where my MC finally gets the best out of one of these encounters.

●The biggest challenge I faced this week (ie finding time to write, getting sick, having writer’s block, etc)
Ow…. Last week was the week of hurt. Between two migraines, a super-sensitive chipped tooth, and a pulled ligament in my leg, I wanted nothing to do with anything most of the week. I still found time to write though. I don’t know my total word-count, but between the three notebooks I used (three different stories), I pulled out sixteen handwritten pages. I’m happy with that.

Alanii (sort of)

●Something I love about my WIP

I got to see a new side to my MC this week. He’s a real smart-Alec when he thinks he can get away with it. And… he’s such an idealistic dreamer. The world is not going to be very kind to him (nor will I).

(The picture is a sketch I drew of my MC a few years back…  not perfect by any means, including the eye color, but I think it captures the teen-age aspect of him somewhat.)

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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.

The links are:

• The ROW80 (Round of Words in 80 Days main site)
• The Ready. Set Write! (6th week linky)