ROW80 Check-In 10/19/11...NaNoWriMo Bound!

I am terrible at these twice a week check-ins! In fact, it seems I have trouble checking in at all.  I guess I feel like if I have nothing to report, then who cares....but, I have to learn that checking in is an accountability step so I vow to at least check-in once a week.  Maybe I can handle that!

I haven't been doing much that I planned for my original goals.  I've been reading a lot of review books and that has been taking up my time.  Here was what my original plan:


--2 hours daily for research and planning
--1-2 hours daily for reading on the craft
--1/2 hour daily for journaling (preferably in the morning)

Okay, so I have not done any of what I planned.  However, I'm going to do a temporary goal list until NaNoWriMo starts.  Then we know what that daily goal is...yikes!

--I'm participating in two read-a-thons this weekend, starting Friday so I plan to make reading books on the craft a big part of that.  This will be Friday through Sunday.
--Next week, starting Monday and going through Thursday, I will be going to the library every day while the kids are at school to read and research.  I figure this will give me about 4-5 hours, if I go at 10 every day when the library opens.
--Monday, October 31...not sure if I'll get library time in due to kids' school Halloween parties, but we'll see.  Might be able to squeeze in a couple of hours of last minute planning.


On a side note, I had another inspiration today for a story idea so I will be deciding which one will be more feasible to run with for NaNoWriMo.  I have some books here in my home library that can get me started so I can hopefully decide before I hit the library.

Also, I did do some writing recently.  I wrote a guest post for my friend's blog, Midnyte Reader.  It's a real-life account of a horrific experience I had.  You can read it HERE.

On a final note, for those of you who are doing NaNoWriMo this year, I have created a group on the NaNo forums in NaNo Groups in the Writing Groups and Clubs section.  The ROW80 Writers can be found HERE.  AND Lena Corazon has created a NaNo support group, Fun Not Fear! Thanks, Lena! Check it out HERE.

ROW80: Goals for round 4

This post is serving as my wrap-up, my round 4 sign-up, and my round 4 goals post.  Yes, I'm into streamlining these days. *L*  I looked back and my last round 3 check-in was on August 28 so I really dropped the ball last round.  I had a lot going on in August.  I was on vacation for two weeks and then I launched a new blog.  The launch of said blog ended up taking up a lot of time.  I know that it shouldn't be an excuse for not writing because if I really want to write, I'll just do it, but time just gets away from me.  I've got to figure out a way to structure writing into my schedule and keep it there.  I have also slacked off on my daily journaling, which was really helping me with the creativity so I need to get back into that again.  I had mentioned that I have finally settled on an idea that I'm going to run with and I find myself having less doubts then before.

So, I have a plan for October that is going to set the stage for November and I bet you know what I'm talking about in November.  Yes, NaNoWriMo.  This will be my third time signing up and I think the third time will be the charm! I'm going to spend October preparing:  doing research, reading books on the craft, and working out some kind of basic outline (even if it's just detailed notes).  I'm also going to devote a daily block of time for my daily journaling.

Here's the breakdown:
--2 hours daily for research and planning
--1-2 hours daily for reading on the craft
--1/2 hour daily for journaling (preferably in the morning)

We will see how it goes!

Good luck to all the other participants.  If anyone else is doing NaNoWriMo, let me know.  Maybe we can give mutual moral support. =O)

I leave you with this wonderful quote from Truman Capote:

'Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.'

ROW80 Check-In 8/28/11 and Journaling...Re-read

First of all, I would like to thank the lovely people who stopped by and commented last week.  It really meant a lot and was so encouraging.  =O)  I actually have some good news.  One of my ideas that I had originally decided to scrap has found new life again! My research has given me a clear direction and I may actually get words on paper this week, or at least work out some kind of plot structure.  A new beginning...yay! Also, I have started keeping up with my journaling again.  I'm going to tweak my goals a bit today.

Goals:

--Continue research and work on story structure for revamped idea.
--daily journaling (see today's entry below)
--reading books on the craft:  one hour daily 
--going to try to work on one, maybe two, short stories for a couple of contests I'm thinking of entering.

Today's One-Minute Writer prompt is:  Re-read--Write about a book you've read that you would like to read again.


I'm a fan of re-reading.  There are actually several books I have read more than once.  I was just talking to someone about Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches trilogy.  Great books, especially the first one.  I am thinking that I need to re-read them.

Journaling...Six Word Saturday

On The One-Minute Writer today it's Six Word Saturday.  Here's what C. Beth says about it:  Six Word Saturdays is a weekly series over at Call Me Cate's funny blog, Show My Face. We do Six Word Saturdays monthly(ish) at The One-Minute Writer, but feel free to participate on your own every week--click the button below for more info! Have fun!

I love reading all day long!

Journaling: Friday Fiction...Pepper

Today is Friday Fiction at The One-Minute Writer.  The prompt is Write a brief bit of fiction using the prompt "Pepper."  From C. Beth...Friday Fiction is your opportunity to write a short (short, short, short) story. Many participants use more than one minute for Friday Fiction prompts, and I open up the One-Minute Writing of the Day contest to entries of various lengths.


Pepper ducked into the alley and pressed her back against the brick wall.  Peering around the corner, she saw the dark figure still approaching.  Whoever it was, he had been following her for blocks.  "He's probably one of my previous customers," she thought, but she didn't feel very confident about that.  She began searching the alley for something she could use as a weapon.  Finding a liquor bottle with its end broke off, she picked it up and went back to the wall to await her stalker.  She heard the footsteps begin to slow as he approached the alley.  She was ready.  As the figure cleared the wall, she jumped out and jabbed up at him with all her strength.  The man made a choking sound and fell to the ground.  Pepper gasped in astonishment.  Lying there, the broken bottle sticking out of his throat, was her pimp, Johnny.

Journaling...Forgot

Today's One-Minute Writer prompt is:  Forgot--Write about something you forgot.


I forgot to turn the water off while filling up the tub.  Pretty soon there was water everywhere.  We had to row out in a canoe!


True or False?

ROW80 Check-In 8/24/11 and Journaling....Book/Movie

Quick update:  Nothing accomplished in the past week...no updates, only journaled once, did not work on novel, did not work on a short story.  How's that for honesty?  *Hangs head in shame*  Once again, I'm sticking with the same goals list.  Not a difficult list unless you're a time-wasting procrastinator like me.  Must keep asking myself, "Do you want this, or not?"  Answer:  yes.  Reply:  "Okay, then, get off sit on your ass and write, damn it!"

Goals:

--I'm going to do research, but I'm also going to start writing and research as I go.  I'm starting with a very small word count of 500 words per week.
--daily journaling (see today's entry below)
--I'm also going to work on one, maybe two, short stories for a couple of contests I'm going to enter.

Today's One-Minute Writer prompt is:  Book/Movie--Reflect on a book you've read and a movie that was based on it.


My favorite book , Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice--which I have read four times--was absolutely massacred by its film adaptation.  In my opinion, the best book of Rice's Vampire Chronicles because of its rich telling of the history and origin of her vampires, it did not deserve such a poorly written film.  Honestly, the only redeeming quality of the movie was the soundtrack and, perhaps, Stuart Townsend, who not too shabbily portrayed Lestat--the best vampire character of all time (again, in my opinion).