Let me ‘splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

I completely forgot to post last week. I’d love to blame it on having a blast with the family. Sure, that was part of it. I had planned to dazzle y’all with some vacation highlights. Even preloaded all the links.

Of course, it was vacation and NOTHING went as planned, LOL

We lost our upstairs A/C, during 115 days…yeah, not pretty. That Man came down with some kind of stomach thing that laid him low for almost three days. And due to the heat, some of the activities we WANTED to do just weren’t gonna happen.

The biggest shock?

I, known paparazzi mum, took not a single picture!

source

The goal for the week had been to hit some of the things locally we’ve been meaning to since moving here back in 2007. And we did get to Springs Preserve as a part of that. Fabulous. And we in no way saw everything there was to see. Definitely on the must return list.



We also watched a fair amount of movies. Places with A/C were kinda a priority

source

Plus we did some usual summer activities like going to the Outdoor Picture Show. We pack a picnic dinner, stake out our spot on the grass (a rather rare commodity here, LOL), eat and enjoy the carousel while we wait for it to get dark enough to watch the movie.

Mostly…I plum lost track of time. That’s my story for not posting last Sunday and I’m stickin’ to it

Then, this week, what I’ve been itching to have happen, happened.

I’d been importing a story into Scrivener as part of a general Word clean up. These characters never really left me, murmuring in the background, but I KNEW the story needed major work. Possibly an entire rewrite. So, I hadn’t looked at it since I finished it during Joely’s MayNaNo thing two years ago. Actually, that was part of the original Coyote Con. Anyway, a character threw me for a loop. Loved the extra tension it would add to the story but didn’t feel I was at the point to pull it off then. Perhaps I’m still not, but I’ve been sucked back into the story, possibly the first of three stories.

I’ve been so obsessed, I’ve kinda dropped off the face of the Internet. I apologize for not getting around to your blogs or waving at you from Twitter or Facebook. I’m sure it’ll be impossible to catch up on everything y’all have been up to but I will try to at least stop by

Speaking of blogs, I will be over at Maria’s Back to Basics blog on Wednesday. Hope to see you there!

Title Quote: Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride

Round of Words in 80 Days

October…already? Where has this year gone?

Round 4 of ROW80 begins tomorrow.

I won NaNoWriMo last year but in doing so realized it’s not how I want to pursue this writing life.

I’ve taken part in Joely Sue Burkhart’s MayNoWriMo (successful in 2010 with new wordage but not so in 2011 with revisions).

I’ve been following Kait Nolan’s brainchild A Round of Words in 80 Days all year. I didn’t feel I was in a place to set goals for the first round. Between MayNoWriMo and summer, I missed the other two rounds. I’ve been struggling to balance writing, blogging, commenting on other blogs, and somehow get a grip on that beast known as social media. So, I’m jumping on Round 4

My goals:

1. Write 250 words per day, 5 days a week, on fantasy piece.
2. Blog twice a week, not counting ROW80 updates.
3. Comment on 3 blogs per day.
4. Update Twitter and Facebook 3 times a week, not counting new blog posts.

What are your goals for the balance of 2011? Who’s joining NaNoWriMo? What about ROW80?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Eighth weekly update…revision pass uno is done and off to my first reader!  Whee…

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week — This section ended up at 16,399 words.
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week — This section ended up at 16,449 words.
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week — This section was short by quite a bit, ended up at 12,276 words. As I mentioned this was the section that gave me the most trouble and will likely need the most reworking.
• Act Three (16K) the forth week — This section was also short, ended up at 13, 576 words, but feels right despite the fact I’ll likely have to rework it.

I had been aiming for a first draft between 62K-64K and this came in at 58,700.  I’m okay with that.  Now, what to work on next…

How did working toward your goals go this week?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Wishing you a day spent with your loved ones!

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Seventh weekly update…the dog days of summer are here And we’re having fun with the new dog. However, my 5 to 6 am writing time has become dog walking time to beat the heat (we’ve been in triple digits all week). I’ve also fallen behind in commenting on everyone’s blogs though I have been reading through Google reader never fear…I hope I can catch up this week.

On the revision front, I’m calling Act two, part two done for now. I’m still shy of my word count goal but realized I was adding words for the sake of word count rather than improving the story. I’ve moved onto Act three this weekend. :crossing fingers: it goes smoother than this last section!

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week — done (over the 16K goal by about 100 words)
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week — done (shy of the 16K goal by about 600 words)
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Sixth weekly update…the wee beasties are officially out of school for the summer. I’m still plugging away at Act two, part two and while I’m not done with the revisions of this section I am feeling better about it overall. I’m about half way through, working to add layers and words. So I keep on keeping on.

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week — done (over the 16K goal by about 100 words)
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week — done (shy of the 16K goal by about 600 words)
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now, I guess.

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Fifth weekly update…yeah, epic fail.

I knew going in this section needed the most work and sadly I was sidetracked with a lot of family stuff. I know I won’t be finished by Thursday (last day of school for the wee beasties) but I’m keeping on. I’m now crossing fingers that I’ll at least get through Act Two, part two before Thursday

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

Versatile Blogger Award & MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

The Award

Earlier this week Erin Brambilla nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Wow. Thank you Erin!

Here are the rules for The Versatile Blogger Award:
1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

7 random facts about me :taps finger against chin: hmm…

1. Your shoe size really does increase with each pregnancy. Sigh. I went from a petite 6 to an 8.
2. I recycle everything. A very frustrating thing in Vegas where the recycling truck only comes once every two weeks yet we have twice a week garbage pick-up.
3. I have my Aunt Gina’s original recipe for Haggis. The only problem is I don’t have 200-300 people to feed it to if I make it!
4. I was the first child, on both sides of my family, to be born in the States.
5. I can’t watch TV without something to do in my hands. Cross-stitching usually but I’d like to get back into knitting.
6. Living in Vegas is the furthermost I’ve ever lived from an ocean.
7. I love to bake. Can someone wave the magic no calories wand so I can actually enjoy what I bake? Please. Pie trumps cake any day of the week! (And yes, Erin, I think a pie post on National Pie Day is in order.)

My nominations for The Versatile Blogger Award go to…

• Book-Wrym-Knits — I first met Nicole through our mutual friend Joely Sue Burkhart. Knitter extraordinaire, Nicole makes me wish I wore socks! She’s @ca_bookwyrm on Twitter.
• DB Smyth — Deborah offers up thought-provoking blog posts. She even has a cool “I am a writer” button for anyone who needs the extra kick in the pants. She’s @DB_Smyth on Twitter.
• Tiffany A White — Tiffany is a friendly member of Kristen Lamb’s #MyWANA Twibe.  If you’re ever in question about what to watch be sure to check out her Tele-Tuesday posts, she’s got y’all covered. You can find her on Twitter as @Tiffany_A_White.
• Stazia Charles — I met Stazia through Twitter (@StaziaCharles), she’s fun and friendly and I’ve recently started reading her blog.
• SynTAROTis — I met Martie through Twitter (@SynTAROTis) and love the spreads and insight.

The Update

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Forth weekly update…not bad but not as good as I’d hoped. I knew going in this section needed the most work and it’s slow going. I’m not as confident as I was last week that I’ll get this revision pass done before the wee beasties are out of school for the summer. I am, however, pushing onward.

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Third weekly update…not bad. I rounded the MP on Thursday. Considering the crap I wrote one day that I ended up ripping out another I’m pretty happy about the results this week. Still behind and coming into the area I know needs the most work but I feel like I’m on track to getting this revision done before the wee beasties are out of school for the summer. Whoot!

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Second weekly update…not bad. I rounded the corner into Act Two, Part One on Wednesday, so still a bit behind but much more on task.

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

First weekly update…epic fail.  I allowed myself to get distracted this week.  Here’s hoping for a better week :crossing fingers:

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?