Well, it’s been a long busy summer and the last challenge about did me in! I jumped in at the very last possible minute, completely unprepared, and scrambled through it, always feeling about 3 steps behind as I limped forward. Never again! While it was great to get into the habit of posting on a regular basis, daily is definitely not workable for me. I have a day job, edits on my first novel to complete and three more stories chomping at their bits.

And, Chuck Wendig hasn’t shared his time-stopping elixir recipe. How else can someone produce as much as he does, post constantly on his own Terrible Minds blog, twitter, and many other social media sites, attend and present at conferences, signings etc., and co-raise a tiny toddler-tornado? I can’t keep up with reading all that he publishes (I think 4 have come out in as many months), let alone write that much.

I’m trying, though.

I am ready to commit to this:
• I will catch up on my book reviews.
• I have two right now for Delilah S. Dawson, another incredible and talented outputter and favorite tweeter with small children. I think Chuck slipped her the Elixir recipe. Or she distracted him with her bludbunnies and stole it.
• I will blog weekly.
• I will Tweet daily. (I tend to be a lurker & retweeter, absorbing all the tweety goodness but don’t feel I have a lot of pertinent stuff to add, being a newbie. I’m getting over that)
• I will finish my last round of edits and submit. For real this time.
• I will continue to tweak and add onto my blog, sharing the links of the things that help, amuse, and/or inspire me.
I hope you’ll bear with me, and prod me with a stick if I’m slacking off.
We’re all in this together, one way or another.

is for….

Planning. As you can see from this challenge, planning has been an epic fail. In my defense, I stumbled upon the challenge 2 days before and signed up 12 hours before it began. If I do the challenge again (and I probably will just to prove to myself that I can do it RIGHT), I’ll prewrite, preplan and auto post as much as possible.

I’m a “pantser” at heart with my writing. I’m trying to break this habit, or at least tweak it so that it serves me better. I like the organics of letting the story and characters write themselves, but I’ve written myself into too many corners. I WIP2 that I’m working on has evolved in fits and starts. I write scenes or chapters, but they aren’t flowing together the way I want. Probably because most of them were written out of order, just a series of smash cuts flashing forward, backwards and sideways. I’m  happy with the individual scenes, but it’s much more difficult to spackle them together when even I’m not sure of the order.

This is not a productive use of my time.  I haven’t been able to murder my darlings yet, but I’m afraid there might have to be a serial killing spree for the greater good.

Are you a planner or pantser, and how is that working for you? I’d love for you to share some of your tips and techniques!

is for…

Queen of Denial.

Boy! This has been a tough challenge! I now know that with the dreaded Day Job plus regular life challenges, daily posting is just not feasible for me. So here it is, Cheat- the Sequel!

I had the best of intentions. After the original Cheat, I was going to write two posts a day, banking the extras so I could auto post them on their appropriate days. That obviously didn’t happen. But, that’s still my goal. Both kids are in town this weekend, which rarely happens., so I doubt I’ll get much, if any, writing done. Maybe they’ll leave early enough on Sunday so I can get a jump on next week’s posts—or at least Monday’s…

I guess I’m not quite ready to abdicate my throne…

What are your areas of denial? It’s always comforting to know we’re not alone!

is for…

Revision.

I have managed to sqeeze in a little work on my primary project—the Revision That Just Won’t End. But I’m really getting anxious to work on WIP2—the pantsing nightmare. I’ve tied my hands, refusing to work on #2 until I finish and send off #1. And #3 is chomping at the bit. I think my muse has ADD.

Here’s another goal for me: If I can’t get this revision done properly this time, I’m going to take a long weekend, lock myself in and do a power editing extravaganza!

Dragging this out by squeezing in lunch time and evening edits is just not working. By the time I get to the end, it just seems like it’s time to begin again. I’ve dragged this out for far too long.

What are your favorite (and most productive) techniques for revision?

is for Imagination.

Writing is one of the few vocations that encourages us to actually plunge into a fantasy world of our own creation and live there, creating its every inhabitant and vista

Most Day Jobs (at least most that I have had and still have) tend to suck the creativity and creationism out of its employees. We have a tiny little corner of someone else’s world to maintain and keep functioning while drowning under the fluorescent lights that make us feel as green as the wilting plant gasping in the corner.

But when I leave, I get to submerge myself in a world of sunshine and thunderstorms, with beautiful heroines and heart-melting heroes, curious characters and terrifying villains. You get to kill off those that displease, sacrifice darlings for the greater good, embark on quests, adventures and new frontiers. You can create the world you want, or want to destroy, and ride off into the sunset on a unicorn, or starship, merman…wait…that’s a different kind of story.

And we can do it anywhere we please, as long as there’s a power source for our laptop or a enough light for our notebook.

It truly is a wonderful life, if we create it that way.

What’s the dream world you’re working on right now? I’d love to visit, if you’ll let me.

     is for Excuses.

Don’t make excuses and Don’t talk about it. Do it.
Melvyn Douglas

It’s very easy to come up with excuses as to why you couldn’t write today. TV, pets, family, social media, day job, meals, shopping, exhaustion.  Everyone wants or needs a piece of you and your time. It’s up to you to decide what’s really important to you.

If writing (or anything else) is your dream and you’re ready to go after it, make it a priority. Yes, food, shelter, the day job that pays for said food and shelter, family are all important. But you needn’t feel guilty about stealing moments to do what feeds you.

Our instincts tend to be to help others first, make sure they’re safe and cared for, that their dreams are being nurtured and chased. Airline attendants always say, for safety, “put your own oxygen mask on first.”  The reasoning behind it is that by taking care of yourself, you can better take care of others. You’ll be happier, healthier, more fulfilled and energetic. And then you’ll be able to better help those you care for. And they’ll learn from you to chase their own dreams instead of someone elses.

Steal moments at lunchtime, during kids’ practice, during the game when your kid isn’t on the field, 30 minutes before or after the Day Job, waiting for appointments, waiting in line.

It took me decades to learn this lesson. But then again, I’ve always been a late bloomer.

                        Where do you steal your moments?

T’was the night before NaNo, and all through the world
Ghosties and goblins and writers are heard
Moaning and groaning at the frightening sight
Of blank screens and notebooks, no ideas in sight.

The WriMos were pacing, their hearts were sinking
50,000 words? What was I thinking?
They heard the haunting “tick, tick, tick, tock”
And picked up the stapler to throw at the clock.

They walked to the cabinet and pulled out the brandy
Then to the counter to feast on the candy
Chocolate and peanut butter. To hell with this diet!
Then outside the front door it sounded like a riot.

They stomped to the entry, ready to fight
And throw open the door, such a grizzly sight.
The drink spilled over and they looked out with a glare
Crumbs on their shirts, Cheetos in their hair.

The moon shined down on the assembling crowds
Dimmed by the shadow of gathering dark clouds
But what on the front porch did they hear with a fright
“Trick or Treat!” yell the kiddies. It’s All Hallows night!

A vampire! A princess! A pirate! A ghost!
A zombie with brains he snacks on the most!
A kitten! A monkey! Super heros and thieves!
One brat hits another with a big bag of leaves!

Ideas are soaring! Inspiration abounds!
Quick! Where’s a pencil, some paper, a wall?
The kids scream for candy but now there’s no time
The door slams in their faces, they coat it with slime.

New charactes and plots, settings and scenes
As hopse for best sellers sneak into our dreams.
The witching hour comes with the chimes for midnight.
Happy NaNo’s Eve to all, and to all a good write!

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ROW 80 Round 3 Goals

So, this first ROW80 is off to a roaring start! I’ve been without power all day, and, stupid me, I didn’t plug in my laptop last night (not to mention I don’t have battery powered internet either). So, I’m working at the coffice today. And, this post is much later than I had planned.

Here are my goals for this round.

1. Writing

a. 750+ words a day on MS 2 (after completing outline by this Friday.)

b. Final FINAL edit on MS 1.

c. Write query and synopsis for MS 1 by Sunday.

d. Send out MS 1 queries to agents (YIKES!)

2. Blogging

I’d like to come up with weekly theme days—1 or 2 to start

a. 1 Blog post per week while I figure out the format of my blog

b. Comment on 5+ blogs per week

c. Create blog format (i.e. Manic Mondays, Twirly Tuesdays…)

3. Reading/Reviewing

a. 1 Book review per week, until I get caught up. (Then, it’s at the mercy of how  fast I can read.)

b. Read fiction each night before bed.

c. Read (and review) at least 1 craft book per month.

4. Health

I’m currently off from my day job to recover and regain my health. My allergies and chemical sensitivities have been getting progressively worse and my immune system is going haywire. A big part of this is severe exhaustion, progressing muscle weakness and severe environmental sensitivity.

At first, I was planning to make the best of a bad situation and focus on my writing. You can just sit in a comfy chair with the lap top and go to town. Well, I spent most of the first month off sleeping, or fighting insomnia. On the occasional “good” day, I’d try to catch up on the little things I had to let slip (like laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning…) and be virtually bedridden for the next 3-4 days. There’s a very fine line between increasing stamina through activity and exercise and total debilitation. I’m walking that tight rope every day.

a. Increase stamina and muscle tone.

i.   Treadmill in small increments throughout the day.

Start with 10 minutes per hour as tolerated.

ii.   Light weights during commercials (when not writing) as tolerated.

b. Really focus on eating properly. This means I have to prep my meals and    snacks. I tend to get too tired to fix something nutritious, especially later in the day, so I eat whatever is grab and go on hand.

c.  Continue with doctor’s orders.

So, 90 days to an improved life. I’m in!