Grab a cuppa and a comfy seat, and let’s chat a while.
It’s Monday again – time for Coffee and Conversation.
When I was six, myfamilywas driving on a highway late at night. Streaks of headlights and taillights painted the dark. For the first time, I realized that each car held people living lives as important to them as mine was to me.
I wanted to know what those lives were, and to share my own...
So, what about that ROW80 thing, anyway?
A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80), is the creation of Kait Nolan. It’s “the writing challenge that knows you have a life”. Rather than an intensive writing marathon with rigid rules, ROW80 divides the year into four 80 day segments, with breaks between. Each writer devises their own personal goals, then gives an accounting once or twice a week. If the goals aren’t working, they can be changed at any time.
It’s an idea that’s brilliant in its simplicity and flexibility. Through it, I have learned a great deal about myself- as a writer, and as a person. More, I’ve found a supportive community of fellow writers at all levels – I can learn from those who are further along the road than I, and offer support and advice to others, as well.
It’s break time now; Round 2 is over, and Round 3 begins on July 7. So, it’s a good time for me to take account of where I stand, in order to get a sense of what I’d like to do in the next round.
For 2014, I’ve set annual goals; each round, I make steps toward these in the form of smaller, incremental goals. Some of these goals will be somewhat altered for the next session, since I have a better idea of what I can accomplish at the midpoint of the year than I did at the beginning.
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So, without further ado, here are the goals I addressed in Round 2, and their status:
2014 Blogging:
Focus on layout and design aspects of my Blogging Action Plan.
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Mostly, I set this aside, for this round.
Build positive blogging habits – post regularly, build queues, answer comments, and share diversely.
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I did fairly well with regular posting, and with answering comments.
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As far as queues and sharing, not so much.
Brainstorm what I want in a website; move The Unfettered Life to a spiffy new home.
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I have a better idea of what my eventual website will look like.
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As for The Unfettered Life, it will be incorporated, in some form, into that website.
2014 Writing:
Complete rough drafts of To Be or Not to Be, The Stars Are Fire, and Perchance to Dream.
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TBONTB complete.
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TSAF nearly complete at 138K (it’ll need some cutting in the edits, for sure!)
Draft two more novels in the Trueborn double series, as NaNo projects.
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I’ve got some extensive basic notes on one character’s story arc for one story.
Explore my gestating Star Trek: Enterprise fan fiction novel concept, as well as the Last House story collection concept, in the form of short pieces or flash fiction, during April and May. (Overstrike; completed!)
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The Last House concept was renamedKifo Island Chronicles, and will be developed as a series of novellas.
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The Enterprise fan fiction project was named The IDIC Romance, and will be offered freely online as a serial project.
2014 Editing:
Complete first revision passes for Chameleon’s Dish and Bounded by a Nutshell; make pre-revision notes for Blood and Breath.
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Chameleon’s Dish in revision; set aside for most of this writing round.
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Pre-planning notes for Bounded are complete.
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Blood and Breath has had a read-through.
2014 Hometending:
Continue physical and virtual hometending plans – resetting rooms, cleaning files, and inhabiting my study.
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Progress made in resetting rooms (but a slow process!) and in the study.
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File cleaning was more organic; with the introduction of a snazzy new computer.
2014 Lifetending:
Stretch and find new ways to blend the facets of my life with intention and awareness.
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I got together with some friends I hadn’t seen in longer than I wanted.
Seek out playful new ways to move and challenge my body.
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More thought being given to fitness and related goals.
Do you set long-term goals? Do you enjoy moving toward them as part of a group, or are you more of a soloist in that regard? Or, like me, do you prefer a blend of personal attention and group accountability? Please pull up a seat, and I’ll pour you a fresh cuppa while we chat!
