A Check-in With my Brain (ROW80)

What I don’t know (a sampling)

I don’t know How many angels can dance on my pin head

I don’t know what “easy as pie” means. Does it mean, as easy as making pie? Because, that is not easy—unless you cheat and buy a frozen crust and canned fruit filling.

Now, eating pie? That is easy. Maybe the saying should be:

Easy as eating pie.

I don’t know how to let the bright shiny things be. Just let them be!

I don’t know how to express my love for and stupidity about Quantum Physics and String Theory including other universes

I don’t know where the show “Firefly” could have gone if not cancelled. OKAY, they gave me “Serenity” but, come-on!

What I do know (a sampling)

I do know when I write, I write, which in turn makes me write more.

I do know every time I send something out I am braver and braver (also willing to take more risks—because they’re really not risks since I’m not published yet!)

I do know when I feel a part of a community and with some healthy competition I write more.

I do know that I can write whatever the hell I want and if I want to write a Steampunked mythological zombie-fied automaton novel of revenge, I fricken can! Or, you know, a romance is good too.

ROW 80, cha-cha-cha

Feeling much better about a lot of things. Seem to have a handle on my goals, here's the scoop:

Edited 5 pages a day--check! 

Extra special stuff:
I've joined a health challenge with a group of co-workers, point based. Lots of "healthy" competition ;).
Every day I wear my pedometer and I try to do two cardio things--walking and riding the stationary, ice skating and walking...you get the picture.

And because I love to see our team in the top three, I like to add big numbers! Yesterday I broke 20k steps on my pedometer and walked (ran for a micro-second) at the activity center for an hour (yay!) while my youngest had baseball practice.

How's everyone else doing?

Row 80 Check-in, Late Again!

I blew right past last Sunday's check-in and now I'm late for Wednesday's.

Clearly, something's wrong. With me. ::sigh::

I was doing pretty good through Sunday too, really should have posted on a high note.
Last week, I did get three hours butt in chair--with some good advancement in the editing/rewriting.
Then, kaplouey!!!

I'm changing my goals...again. 

There's a part of me that is so disappointed in myself, for not rocking this last goal, for changing my goals again, for so many things... luckily, there is a louder, bossier part of me that says, "who gives a rat's ass? Do, what you have to do. And if that means changing your flipping goal every check-in, so be it!"

Without further ado, my new and improved goals:
Writing:
(Got this from Chuck Wendig's terrible minds kick butt blog)
Edit 5 pages a day
If writing is needed--added scene, expand a scene, write 350 words a day

Exercise:
Minimum of 22 minutes a day of one of the following:
Brisk walk
Run
Ice Skate
Stationary bike
Yoga
Pilates

Here I go again...I'm off to check on all of you.

The Lost Check-In

Holy lost check-in Batman! I completely forgot to post (or check-in with other ROWers) on Sunday!

What is up with that?

I don’t know.

Last check-in I decided I needed to change, re-word and re-imagine my goals. Here’s what I came up with:

BUTT IN CHAIR THREE HOURS A WEEK

Not on Facebook, not on Twitter, not on Pinterest

Working on manuscript—some manuscript lurve

I did get some work done this past week, got a couple scenes fleshed out, but I know I can do more. If I just stay in my chair.

Hope everyone had a more productive week than I did! Tell me about it.

Hello Wednesday!

Well now it's Thursday...nearly Friday!

Okay.
Wrote three more pages so far this week. Think I have to re-write my goals, I'm making that one of my goals for the rest of this week: rewrite goals!

That. Is about it.

Except

I'm in the middle of another change. At the beginning of last year I had a huge change--I was promoted and moved to a new library. Writing it makes it sound insignificant, but it wasn't. I had been at my old library for 15 years, I had connections with the patrons and the staff was my family.

Now I've made new connections and I love my "new" library...so, of course, I am gearing up for another change. I've been asked to supervise (circulation staff) two smaller libraries (I co-supervise at a large library right now). So, now two more libraries to get to know, staff and patrons alike.

I am bittersweet. It feels as if I have just found my land legs and now it's back to sea. But I am always up for a challenge and I know how lucky I am to have work--especially work I enjoy. I hope to be able to focus on writing again. Soon.

How's everyone else doing?

ROUND & ROUND & ROUND OF WORDS

Hi Rowers!

A (short) List of Awesome:
Made dinner with youngest, in which a bacon weave was involved!

Filmed dog and youngest in popcorn catching contest!

Goals:
Having a weird time, pulling the proverbial teeth to get anything written. I have a you-know-what storm of happening right now, but I don't think that's it.

I was thinking about this as I folded some laundry--some good ideas can come whilst folding boxers--my characters came to mind and how they might feel about me NOT writing.

Which is when I started asking them questions...
Look, I know that sounds flaky, but it happened, and I went with it.

Here's what they said:
Me: So...what are you guys doing?
Van: What are we doing? What are you doing? Seems like a whole lot of nothing.
Eva: That's harsh. You don't have to be mean Van. Although, he kind of has a point.
Me: Okay, okay I know what you mean. I can't seem to get back in the story.
Eva: What helped you before?
Van: I hope it was the sex.
Eva: Oh, you!
Me: He's kind of right, when I made the big push to finish a lot of it was sex.
Van: Yes!
Me: But I think more than anything I love the banter.
Eva: Yes, I love it too. Never thought I was one for bantering, but he just brings it out in me.
Van: Really, I'd never guess.
Eva: There you have it, and that's why I have to say it to her.
Van: Touche.
Me: Ha! Okay, maybe I can do this now.
Van: Well, I hope so, I really want to get back to the...banter.
Eva: Hahaha...me too!

And then I wrote, now this was pretty late, and I only wrote one page, but it was one page that wasn't written before!

I realized how much I miss these characters, and I want to make their story as rich as I can. So, I'm doing it for them. 

Sunday, Sunday... or Monday

Quick and dirty...and, um, late check-in.

Finally started to do some research, yay!
Did not write a new scene, boo!
Sponsorship, yay!
Life balance/order, yay-ish! This is not so cut and dry--have some soul-searching on this, but feeling confident.

Have been busy getting a guest post together from the lovely and talented Jamie Ayres

Her new YA 18 Things is released and we're celebrating! She'll be here tomorrow Tuesday February, 5th! With a cool 18 Things You Should Know as a Writer post. Check it out tomorrow!

Off to check-up on how you all are doing!

AN AWESOME LIST! AND A CHECK-IN

Okay, totally stealing, er, borrowing this from Karen Rought

{{{LIST OF AWESOME}}}

I know! Right?

Because, sometimes I think our brains latch on to lists of SUCKAGENESS too easily, and we need to stop that. 

Right now.

This minute, this second! 

In fact, not only do I want a list of awesome, I want a box of awesome as well. And, why not? Then, if suckageness scrapes at my door, I can simply look in my box of awesome and be reminded of the pure joy and awesomeness of life.

1. I won an hour of creativity coaching from the awesome Jennifer Blanchard
2. Started watching Downton Abbey! I know. What took me so long?
3. Jamie Ayres is going to visit my blog on Feb. 5th! We'll be celebrating her new release YA 18 Things Jamie's going to be writing about 18 Things You Should Know About Writing--can't wait!
4. Found out my 20,000th day of my life will be August 28th of this year. Seems preeeetttty important. It also happens to be my mom-in-law's birthday. Here's the calculator 20,000 Days
5. I get to see the best sunrises driving my youngest to school.

ROW80

I'm stopping there, for my actual check-in.

I had changed my goals to two simple things:

Write one scene a week Done! Yay!

Research one item a week (from list for manuscript) I didn't do this! And it surprises me, because, usually I'm all over research. So, I will do this today. 

I didn't realize how hard it would be to make actual changes--adding new scenes, etc. to my draft! It was easy to write: this is needed here, more description here, deeper POV etc. but to open the manuscript and start typing was something else entirely.

Inertia had won.

Now, it feels as if I've cracked through something--one thing Jennifer said was: the time is going to pass anyway, you may as well work on something. And I know this! I just didn't think about it in regards to my writing!

Small wins are still wins.

So, how are you doing? Any awesome things for you? Any small wins?

What Just Happened?

So, if my goals had been to get my house sparkling and organized, groceries bought, some meals made and in the freezer and every bit of laundry done, I would have nailed them.

Yay! For my house and family
Boo...For my writing.

And, even though those things needed to be done, preeeetty sure it was resistance nudging me to do them. I was too busy to write, couldn't possibly sit down for a second, I had things to do!

Important things.
Things that have nothing to do with my dreams.

Well, that's not fair to my family. I love having a welcoming home, home-cooked meals (most of which are prepared by my husband) and organized closets--and I love doing these things for and with my family.

I also like being a well rounded, well read,  creative doer. And that's for my family too.
Because, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

I'm recommitting to my goals (re-wording them as well).

• write one new scene a week
• research one item a week (from list for WIP)

That's it. For writing. I have some other goals for other creative endeavors, but these will come first.

Hope everyone else is having a productive ROW!

CONTROL? I DON'T NEED NO STINKING CONTROL

There is a moment of clarity as your car careens sideways across a street that is now a skating rink, right before it jack-rabbits up the curb scooping out snow and packing it in around itself:

Huh, you say to your brain, I have no control!

The next thought is...well, maybe we'll leave that one alone. Suffice it to say, no one was hurt, I met a lovely woman (whose yard my car landed in), I was not the first car in her back yard...nor the last, I had a nice chat (really!) with a city salt/plow driver, he was kind enough to take three passes with the salt truck on that crazy iced-up curve, and I got to stay in my car as the tow truck driver winched my car out and then dragged it out--it was fun. Really.

Life is like this.

And sometimes writing feels this way too. Which isn't altogether a bad thing. When we take our feet off the brakes of our imagination, brainstorms, first draft or fifth, we can end up in unexpected places!

Now, on to my check-in for ROW 80 

First basic pass on manuscript: complete 

Had to add this next step: 

Second pass, making extensive notes in notebook--which big scenes need to be added, what new research is needed, where to really deepen POV: more than halfway

What I'm loving the most about this process (a process I put off and off and off because I didn't know how to start) is I'm finally seeing the book and how it will/could look. I've been writing this book forever--constantly setting it in a corner for unruly behavior and then picking it back up again a year later. I love it that now I can see its potential.

Can't wait to see how everyone else is doing...

ROW80/Red Door(!) Check-In

Aack, I'm late! Probably because I did a dismal job on my writing goals:
1,417 words added. I guess it's not horrible...not horrible is okay.

Still reading both craft books.

Finished painting the entire back of the house -- porch and everything. At one point I was almost in tears -- transitioning from high ladder to porch roof...gah! I don't mind the roof, especially ours, with a nice little pitch -- I was on a high ladder all day and I think my adrenaline got the better of me.

Extra added bonus of a shiny newly painted door -- red! I have always always always wanted a red front door.

But nothing else is painted on the front of the house yet.

I go back to work tomorrow, plan on stocking-up on all the research books I need. Which gets me more excited than I can tell you.

How's everyone else doing?

ROW80 Check-In the Second

Feeling pretty positive about my goals.
Pages/Words: 
Added 2581 words to my first draft (150 pages goal -- knocked off 10+ pages). woot!


Craft Reading:
The War of Art (have been for the last month  (I read and re-read and re-read) by Steven Pressfield. Pressfield is lyrical and persistent. He continually opens my eyes to Resistance.
The War of Art

250 Things You Should Know About Writing by, Chuck Wendig.
Chuck Wendig writes in your face, laugh out loud, reallyreallyreally no holds barred stuff we all need to hear, or read.
 250 Things You Should Know About Writing
Here's a sampling of one of the categories:
25 Things You Should Know About... Writing a Novel
1. Your First And Most Important Goal Is To Finish The Shit That You Started
{{{One of my favorite lines (because I'm so freaking guilty of it:}}}
Your hard drive is not a novel burial ground. {{Okay, two lines}} It's like building your own Frankenstein monster -- robbing a grave, stealing a brain, chopping up a body -- and then giving up before you let lightning tickle that sonofabitch to life.
A link to Chuck Wendig's blog: Terrible Minds

That's about it for now. Hope everyone is doing great.

WHY PAINTING IS LIKE WRITING, PLUS ROW80

It sounds like the start of a bad joke:
Why is painting a room like writing a book?
I don't know, why is painting a room like writing a book?

 I hope you weren't waiting for a punch line -- I'm fresh out of punch lines, too tired from painting.

Okay, okay.

WRITING A BOOK      

What should I write?
Idea!
PREPARE
Research/Brainstorm
GATHER THE RIGHT TOOLS
Notebook, notecards, sticky notes, whiteboard, pens, computer
WRITE
Halfway through your idea changes
Suddenly in a tight corner -- how do you write out of this?
Move things around
Want it done so badly, it's all you do in your spare time
First pass -- done!
Needs fixing
Re-write
Think you're done, until someone else looks at it!
Fix the misses
Done! Still, it never matches what you first envisioned

PAINTING A BIG ROOM


What should I paint?
Chose colors
PREPARE
Tape baseboards, remove wall plates
GATHER THE RIGHT TOOLS
Paint, brushes, tape, rollers, ladder, screwdriver, hammer, cloth, newspaper
PAINT
Halfway through, you realize you have to paint the room 2 different colors
Suddenly in a tight corner -- how do you paint behind the weight machine?
Move things around
Want it done so badly, it's all you do in your spare time
First coat, in certain lights it looks done
Needs second coat
Think you're done until your husband comes in w/ the mega light
Fix the mixes
Done! Hey, it looks better than what you thought it would.

So, here's what I learned. It does eventually get done. If you have the right tools, it's a hell of a lot easier. If you prepare, it goes so much faster (sure it's a pain, but worth it in the long run). It feels damn goodly to be done.

So, yesterday, I loaded Pages on to my iPad -- it's easier to bring to work than the laptop -- I can bring it anywhere. That's part of the right tools. I'm concentrating on the re-write right now. that's part of needs fixing. Plus, the whole thing just made me excited.

That's it -- sort of a check-in.
How are you doing?

HELLO STRANGER...A ROW80 CHECK-IN

Confession: I have missed 3 (three!) check-ins. Yikes!

Mea Culpas are abounding. Of course, it's not because I didn't want to check-in, I just...didn't. Almost worse. Every time I thought I might have time, I'd already be 2 or 3 days late, thus, thinking I'd catch-up the next time.

You can see how well my plan worked. NOT ONE BIT. Hmmm.
I feel as if we (I) need a recap:

When last we left our intrepid (or, rather, procrastinating) heroine, she was bemoaning the fact that she had no time. She has yet to find the time, nor is she done with painting the basement.

She is certain that any day now things will fall into place and she'll be back on schedule.

Not the greatest check-in, I grant you, still, a check-in, none-the-less.
I'm still working on things, editing here and there and writing some new words...here and there. Nothing remotely spectacular or even mediocre.

So, Monday will be my sponsor post. Ha! I promise to be better with the check-ins.

What's your promise this next week?

She Shoots...She Scores! Goooooaaaaaallll!

Wishin' and hopin' and dreamin'...are all good things, but I need something concrete and apparently with an end date attached, and schedules maintained and some kind of measurable GOAL.

Yes, it's that time again, the start of a new round of words in 80 days -- ROW80! Click on the pretty ROW80 pic at top of page and you can find out all you want to know about this fabulous group.

It always feels so good to start fresh, cleansed of all my writerly sins, like: sloth and...sloth.
So this round I'm setting my goals a little differently. Stop your snickering, I am.

Working on two (2, count 'em) manuscripts. The first one is a complete -- ahem -- YA paranormal, BETWIXT, that needs a complete re-write. The other, my YA paranormal historical steampunkish...thing, GODDESS IN THE MECHANICA -- this one still needs some brainstorming and outlining and, you know, the writing of the frakish thing. Parts are written, I just need to understand more of it.

Okay.
Sundays   Anything goes -- if I get stuff done, it's a bonus.
Mondays 8 a.m. edit BETWIXT for 1 hour.
Mondays 9 a.m. brainstorm/outline GODDESS for 1 hour
Tuesdays Lunch break toss-up: either edit or write
Wednesdays Lunch break catch-up on other ROW80ers
Thursdays 8 a.m. edit BETWIXT for 1 hour
Fridays (every other) 9 a.m. brainstorm/outline GODDESS for 1 hour
Saturdays  Anything goes...

Also, weekly:
Ride stationary bike 3x
Write one blog post beside ROW80 posts
Write one blog post for new venture w/ mom and sister: Those Kennedy Women!

I have never been this specific before...let's hope it works for me!
What's gonna work for you this go a round?

FIN.

Not really, just for this ROW80!

How did I do?
Not really sure, had lots of poofy dogs, lots of life and lots of doubts.

However, I have a new understanding of my WIP and what I need to do, and, more importantly, how to do it.
I also realized how to fix a finished manuscript. Figured out what was missing, like, a plot, motvation and mythology.

I was going to take next round off and then I thought, why? Where would I get my motivation, my pats on the back, or my kick in the arse? Right here dummy. At ROW80.

So, I'll see you next round!

Slackerdom...

1. Sung to Silverbells:
   
   Slackerdom….slackerdom, it’s ROW80s push to the last week…bumbumbum. You’re a bum…Such a bum, can’t even write a damn page.
   I was going to go on, but I’m slacking and just don’t feel like it…
   
   I just posted this as a comment over at Jenny Hansen's blog More Cowbell and I realized it summed up my feelings, plus I thought it clever...for a slacker.
   
   I have done some things.
   I wrote 2 pages of new material for my WIP.
   AND started a haphazard outline -- pure slackering.
   
   Yet, I've continued to hold down my full time job and decorate and part-ay. AND Christmas shop. Whoo!
   
   So...how's everyone else doing?

Yikes! A Late Check-in

Life! Lots of life and hardly any writing -- that's about it for my check-in!

I did get 2 hours of brainstorming
I did not get 2 hours of outlining

I did put on a Holiday party
I did get an interview for a higher position
I have gone to several wrestling meets
And a band concert
And a Holiday get-together

My goals for this next week (and I do mean week, now through next Wed.):

Set in Bite Size Pieces, or Fun Size!

Write one page of outline, just one -- a start
Add one page of new writing to ANYthing
Floss every day.

That's it. That. Is. It.
Sheesh!

Okay, now to check on some ROW80 friends...

BACK IN THE SADDLE FOR A ROW80 CHECK-IN, PARDNER

Pretty darn dismal last check-in. Dismal, like Dismal Swamp  -- there is such a place, I kid you not!
Serious dismal-nes here folks. Here's the weird thing: it was on fire for about three months. Still not kidding. If only I were on fire for three months...sorry. Still -- I'm very excited about this next week, I'm revitalized and raring to go. NOW, go now. Okay.

I need to narrow my focus on my WIP, figure out some key elements, so I'll do that by:
Brainstorm for 2 hours
Outline for 2 hours

Anything else is gravy...mmmmmh, gravy.

BTW, I started a YA yeeeeeeaaaaarrrrrssss ago about Dismal Swamp, honestly, how could you not?

How are the goals? Are you gearing up for round 5?

RELUCTANT ROW80 CHECK-IN

I wasn't going to check-in. I thought to myself, self, you kinda are sucking right now at the whole writing thing. You were not gonna give up on nano, and you were doing pretty good. And then Monday came...and that was it.

I think I'm having some kind of end-of-November let down.
Oh, I'm okay, and soon I will have re-Pollyanna'd myself, and start believing in my work again. I just need a step back. I think I'm still a wee bit disappointed in my lack of effort for nano -- I know, I know -- my ROW80 goals were still being hit -- now I'm not doing either. Sheesh.

Okay, I was going to post a music video -- ended-up as it's own post, so, that's it above!

It's all good. How's about you guys?