Maniac May & Time for Blogathon

The month of May is bringing out the maniac in me. But for good reason...

Although I officially started this blog on January 1, 2011, I didn't focus on it until I joined May 2011's WordCount Blogathon. It was exactly the kickstart I needed, and I will forever be grateful to its leader, Michelle Rafter, and all the wonderful bloggers I met.

It's a year later, and I am thrilled to again participate in WordCount Blogathon 2012! The goal is to post every day in the month of May.

But to further challenge myself before my crazy lovely children invade my home end school in June, I am also doing #writemotivation and BlogHer's NaBloPoMo (theme = Play) this month. This in addition to A Round of Words in 80 Days. For more information on any of these challenges, please click on their links.

Crazy for me, but should be interesting for my readers!

I hope you'll join me this Month to see what I come up with. If you are stopping for the first time from any of these, please say Hi in the comments and I will visit you back.

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Details about #writemotivation, from K.T. Hanna's The Scribble Muse blog:
1. Make a list of realistic goals for the month – and achieve them.
2. Make a Blog Post every week (preferably Monday, but if you don’t post on Mondays just add it to the next day you would normally post ). This is to help us keep tabs on our own progress, and for others to cheer us on if it’s a difficult week. Please link to the post in the #writemotivation hashtag
3. Visit your #writemotivation team mates blogs, and participate in the #writemotivation hashtag to cheer people on

My May Goals
1. Write a minimum of five days a week for a total of 2,500 words on my works in progress.
2. Get current novel, Depression Cookies, up on Smashwords by month's end.
3. Read a book every 10 days, plus at least one craft book in the month of May.

I will do #writemotivation check ins with my ROW80 ones on Sundays.

Will to Write: ROW80 and #writemotivation Updates

I don't need to be encouraged to write, but I do need to be encouraged to write consistently. I worry sometimes that I conditioned myself to write a novel in ten years (that's how long Depression Cookies took from idea to publication). When the desire to write hit, I went with it.

Mom and I want to publish our Depression Cookies follow up by the end of the year. Yesterday I particpated in the Lucky 7 Meme and posted a teaser (only 7 lines) of our WIP. Check it out here.

I copied and pasted the sneak peak directly from our manuscript and proceeded to edit it for an hour. No lie. Then I edited the whole chapter. Couldn't help myself.

Have you seen the commercial below where the guy is beating himself up so he won't touch the temperature on his thermostat? That's how I feel everytime I go near my WIP.



Because Mom and I exchange chapters, I always read my last chapter and hers before I start writing. It's so hard not to edit, but it takes up such valuable time. Going forward, I'm going to take notes of things I fear I'll forget (a new character, a plot point I want to address), so I can avoid going back and reading.

To meet our end-of-year deadline, I'm going to have to write. All the editing in the world won't get me to the finish.

Which is why I'm grateful for my writing community. They keep me motivated and feeling accountable.

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First, A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80). Round 1 finishes up this week, and I want to rock it to the finish. My goal is to write a chapter before the final Round 1 update on Wednesday.

ROW80 Update

Writing: Lots of time, little words. But that's all about to change. I will write a chapter by Wednesday. To meet that goal, I plan to hit a #teamsprinty #row80 wordsprint.

Editing: Not on my WIP, but I am in the final editing phases of a poetry collection and then back to some short story editing and a paranormal piece I've fallen in love with. I can't wait to see that one published!

Social Media: Back to a solid B performance on social media. If I haven't caught up with you, I will.

Reading: Just finishing up one and hope to finish two more this week.

Diet & Exercise: When the sugar train rolls in, it doesn't like to leave. Damn that Hot sign at the Krispy Kreme tonight. I'll give myself a D on Diet and a B on Exercise. Hope to do better this week.

I'm rooting for my fellow ROW80 participants. Rock it to the end! And congratulations to Kait Nolan. Even though Divergent came out on top, Red did amazingly well. So proud of you! (Kait's Red was in the running for DABWAHA - a play on the NCAA tournament: "64 books. 1 champion.")

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Like ROW80, #writemotivation supports writers. This is my first time joining K.T. Hanna's challenge. From her site: Please remember: This isn’t a competition – it’s about setting yourself realistic goals and having people who understand where you’re coming from cheer you along. The only competition is with yourself.

My #writemotivation Update

1. Work on my WIP for an hour every day, except Sunday.
I worked on my WIP, planning and editing, but did take off both Saturday and Sunday.

2. Do client editing work an hour a day, except Sunday.
Again, I took off both Saturday and Sunday. I was feeling, well, overcooked. I needed to step away for the weekend. I'm looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow.

3. Read and review a book every 10 days, minimum.
Finished a book today, but need to write the review (due to be posted Thursday, 3/22). I hope to read two more books this week.

I'm looking forward to getting around to some #writemotivation blogs this week.

Busting My Rut: ROW80 & #writemotivation

I'm training for a half marathon in September to celebrate turning 40. It's something I've always wanted to do. Training, along with writing, has been sidelined by all the sickness and craziness in my life (see Monday's Cat and Mouse post).

But I'm sick, no pun intended, of excuses--no matter how valid they may be. Lately, I've been scouring fitness magazines for tips on running, healthier eating, etc. Earlier today, I ran across an article in my March 2012 Fitness Magazine: Ready for a Change? by Kimberly Goad.

Her advice was to:

Seize the Situation: "How would I feel in five years if I didn't have this in my life?"
Make a Plan
Prepare for Speed Bumps

In the sidebar, she included:

Three Ways to Bust Your Rut
1. Stop Dwelling on the Negative.
2. Don't Make Too Many Changes at Once.
3. Give it Enough Time.

I needed this, and I realized this is why I join writing challenges. So, today I'm seizing the situation, making a plan, and preparing for speed bumps.

First, I joined #writemotivation, spearheaded by the lovely K.T. Hanna at Scribble Muse. It's similar to A Round of Words in 80 Days in that you set realistic goals and report on them. These challenges will work together to keep me on track.

I'm also going to simplify my goals (as part of my plan to prepare for speed bumps). Through rounds of goal-setting exercises, I've realized something about myself--I like to succeed and hit targets. I'd rather set realistic goals and accomplish them than aim for the moon and only get two-thirds of the way there.

My #writemotivation goals (and "test mile" ROW80 goals going forward):
1. Work on my WIP for an hour every day, except Sunday.
2. Do client editing work an hour a day, except Sunday.
3. Read and review a book every 10 days, minimum.

Going forward, I'm going to focus on what I do accomplish (versus what I'm not getting done) and try not to make too many changes without giving it some time.

The only problem with #writemotivation: it suggests Monday check in posts, but I already do Sunday and Wednesday check ins for ROW80. I don't want to do three check in posts per week. Any suggestions?

My ROW80 update

Writing: I joined a #ROW80 wordsprint and wrote 1,085 words in an hour. It just shows what an hour of focus will do (and why I put that as my goal and new "test mile"). Now if I can only make sprints daily!

Blogging: I missed posting last weekend and survived. My goal is to post 4-5 times per week. I also posted a new review on Mom in Love with Fiction.

Editing: Almost done with one project (ready to send to the publisher) and really making headway on the others. Big yeah!

Social Media: And therein lies the rub... I truly appreciate reading writers' blogs, participating in forums, hanging out in Twitterland, but it sucks away my writing time. It can be such a benefit, but quickly lead me astray. I haven't found the answer to this.

Diet & Exercise: Slowly reining it back in. I ran 3 miles today and walked 2 yesterday.

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Happy Leap Year Day everyone!

I am "leaping" for joy to have a new outlook today. PLUS, I realized I got an extra day of being 39. Not a bad year to get an extra day. Take that 40!