Blog it July! What do you want to be remembered for?

My husband talks about this a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. He seems to be concerned that he'll never be a James Taylor, remembered for iconic music or an Albert Einstein remembered for genius and beauty--and even though he talks about it (a lot) I never really thought about it specifically. And I guess, when I think of being remembered, I think of my family and friends.

How would they remember me?

This is what I care about. What do I want to be remembered for by the people who matter most to me?

I want to be remembered for being the best me I could be. For laughing too loud and making other people laugh too loud. For not succumbing to suffering when faced with immeasurable sadness. For loving life. For having style (whether I do or not, I want people to remember me for that), for listening, for loving them.



Now, if I were to consider people I don't know, well, I'd like to be remembered for writing a heartbreaking work of staggering genius, wait...no, that's not right, there is no staggering genius dying to be let out of my noggin. And I don't actually write heartbreaking anything.

There is, however, some paranormalish teen romantical stuff that likes to come out to play. So, you know, it might be cool to be remembered for writing pretty darn okay books...that were made into kick-ass movies, that made people laugh and made me incredibly rich.

Okay. My dream after (or while) writing pretty darn okay books is to develop some kind of art space(s) for at risk kids and young adults--a safe place to come together, create art whether that's painting, poetry, photography, mixed media, quilting, handcrafting--anything. A place to create and heal. That would be cool to accomplish (and be remembered for).

And I think my family and friends would agree.

Apparently, I lied. I guess I have thought about this!

So...what about you, what do you want to be remembered for?

Here's a link to the creator/dreamer-upper of Blog It July, Heather Wambach at Write.Sew.Drink.Repeat



  

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.