November 6, 2011

Dr. Seuss, Cheerleaders, and Writing: ROW 80 Check In

Looking for encouraging words for a new cheer for my ROW80 NaNo buddies, actually for all who are writing, I found this:

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"
~ Dr. Seuss
 
I've been a fan of Dr. Seuss for years, so I'm glad he's cheering us all on. My big bat is ready, so may no troubles deter your writing, or mine, this week.
 
I've also recruited two super cute cheerleaders to Team NaNo:
 

 
Go, Team, Go!
 
My progress this week:
 
Writing: Slow but steady. I worked several hours on both novels, but each needed outlining and tweaking work more than words. It still felt like progress, but adding words always feels better. My goal this week: write! The framework is there, so it's time.
 
Fellow writers, especially those participating in NaNo: please share your best tip for staying in writing mode.
 
Blogging: Thanks to NaBloPoMo, I'm posting daily. I even posted twice a couple of days. Plus, I've fallen into a nice 3 posts a week groove on Mom in Love with Fiction. Goal this week: Post my Henrietta Lacks review and finish Turning Point to review.
 
Miscellaneous: Ditching Becoming a Writer for now to join Nicole Basaraba in reading Stephen King's On Writing. I'm excited to read it and pick the brain of a fellow writer.
 
Exercise: I met my minimum of 4 days a week for 45 minutes. Same goals for this week. I've also given up sugar. Only two days in, and so far the cravings have been manageable. My Dr. Seuss bat is prepared in case sugar needs rear their ugly head. But, we'll see how it goes.
 
Check out the other A Round of Words in 80 Days participants here.

12 comments:

Ghenet Myrthil said...

I love that Seuss quote! It sounds like you're doing well.

I really want to read Stephen King's On Writing so maybe I'll join you too. :)

Julie Glover said...

Staying in writing mode? Sometimes that means I have to leave the house, set up in a coffee shop, put in earphones, and determine to write or else. What often keeps me from writing is distraction.

Love your Dr. Seuss quotation. There must be a Seussian saying for any occasion, don't you think? Good luck with the writing!

Tia Bach said...

Ghenet, Please do!!

Julie, I need to leave my house more... it's such a distraction. Sometimes the thought of gathering to leave seems like such work, but if it gets me in the mindset... hmmm.

Thanks for stopping by! I love the ROW80 encouragement.

L.S. Engler said...

Ha! What a great quote there! It definitely gets you ready and raring to encounter whatever you have ahead of you with confidence and determination. I love it!

I have to admit, my writing moods seem to come and go at an absolutely whim, but I found if I've been reading something really good or watching a completely captivating movie or show, that really gets me craving writing, so when I start to feel a little bogged down, I just recharge with someone else to inspire me.

In nicer weather, there's always a walk to help, too!

Best of luck with the rest of your week, Tia!

Liz said...

Wow, cheerleaders with uniforms and everything! Awesome!

About the writing. Just sit down and do it. The biggest thing for me is to turn off the inner critic. Just get the words on the page. You can worry about whether they make sense later. Just write.

Kerry Meacham said...

I like word sprints on Twitter. I did two yesterday, for an hour each, and added almost 4,000 words in two hours. Go to #ROW80 and if no one is doing one, just start one by saying, "#ROW80 word sprint at 10am Central Time. Who's in?". Chances are you'll get a few peeps that'll join. Then you just start at the prescribed time, and check back in once you're finished. It can also be for any amount of time you want, i.e. 10, 15, 30 minutes. I hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Aww. Hang in there. It's okay to be slow. Just keep at it Tia. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Love the Seuss quote! And the cheerleaders are uber cute. Glad they're cheering for us NaNo'ers. The support is much, much appreciated. Your goals sound great too, a few I should adopt as well, like the exercise and sugar...sigh.

Tia Bach said...

Thanks for the comments and encouragment! I'm looking forward to trying my first sprint this week.

Dr. Suess and cheerleading... too much fun!

alberta ross said...

great cheer leeders there - appreciate them very much - haven't tried a sprint yet

all the best for this week

Carrie Green, www.CarrieGreenBooks.com said...

Congrats on removing sugar from your diet. I've managed to greatly reduce the amount of sugar in mine for several months now (aiming for no more than 15 grams a day). Once you look, you'll be amazed at how much sugar is in food products.

The new zero calorie, sugar-free, sodas have been a great resource when I have a strong sugar craving--love the diet versions of A&W, Verner's Ginger Ale, Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, Dr. Pepper and Pepsi (which is funny, because I prefer Coke, normally).

I've also discovered that Walmart has a very reasonably priced selection of sugar-free cookies and ice cream treats. Breyer's makes a wonderful sugar-free Vanilla ice cream that I use for A&W root beer floats. Yummy!

Tia Bach said...

Carrie, Thanks for the great, and yummy-sounding, suggestions. I'll have to try some!

Alberta, You are so sweet. I intended to try a sprint this week, but my sick kids and two half-day parent-teacher days took over. *sigh* Soon, though!

Thanks for stopping by!