2016 kick off

It's 2016, Dear Readers! Can you believe it?

Somewhere the time keeps on ticking and then a whole year passes. I am not really surprised by this as I prefer to be busy. When  one is busy, one tends to not see the time passing and I like my days full. This doesn't mean that I miss out on life because I am in the middle of something else.  I am more aware of the world around me because of this. I live with open eyes and am actually happy.

I'm sitting here think that I hadn't blogged about anything since Round 4 of A Round of Words in 80 Days, which is a blog challenge that  allows you to set goals and report of those same goals. It gives you a level of accountability that wasn't there before. And I did this for two years? Three? I don't even know now. (Well, I could look back at my post to see when I started, if I wanted to). I learned to set measurable goals and to how myself accountable for those goals. I met a lot of fun writer folk and learned a number of things. It's 2016 and I haven't post to the new Round 1. Not sure if I want to. It's not that I am above the purpose of ROW80, hells bells I need that accountability, but I feel that I need to do ROW80 for the right reasons. What reasons are you asking, Dear Readers?

I have a different set of goals for this year. a different plan for what I want and maybe I need to not be held to posting twice a week on my progress. Maybe! I know I need goals. That's a given.

Coffee in hand and bagel in my stomach I am thinking that I should blog about something. Goals are an obvious blog post. What are my goals for 2016? So far, I have these...

        *Pull completed stories and work of revisions. When ready, send them to my Betas. Continue to
revise and edit until the stories are ready.
        *Submit completed, revised stories for publication. This also means looking into places I can submit to such as online journals, contests, and even self-publishing.
        *Submit poetry for publication.
        *Learn to use Adobe Photoshop. I want to make poetry books of my collections of poetry: sonnets, pantoums, OctPoWriMo poems, and NaPoWriMo poems.
        *Work on my children's stories, edits and getting test art. Look into where to submit the complete work with and without art. Get Little Lost Sheep published by 2017. I already have about 8 artists making test panel for Little Lost Sheep.
         *Finish major edits of The Real Road Trip (NaNoWriMo 2014).
         *Complete my first Channillo series (6 month series).
         *Write!

Yeah, that seems like a lot and maybe it is, but this year I am a bit more focused on specific projects and getting them launched. I will try to come up with a more detailed plan for these goals and report on my progress in the coming months.

Auditions for McBeth are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Bath, NU. I love doing Shakespeare and having a group that does it every other year and does it so well gives me shivers of excitement. I want a serious role this time. After having played Bottom and Trinculo, I want to stretch my muscles. So I am going for Lady McBeth. Will be happy with whatever I get though, because Shakespeare.

This year is going to be filled with awesome and a number of changes. Something that I am ready for, okay, maybe not completely ready, but feeling like I will be when the time comes. This year is starting out good so far, and I can't really complain about 2015 as 2015 was really good to me too. But a new year is always exciting, isn't it?

I am ready, are you, Dear Readers for 2016?

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge, come and visit the Blog Hop and see what everyone else is up to. I also decided to participate, but I am not going to stress about goals and just report on the basics. I also miss the community of writers. so, gang, I'm back! Stress-light version of me.

On a side note, the first movie I saw in 2016 was The Good Dinosaur. 'Twas cute. Pixar and Disney really are a good team. More of this is a later post.

What are you doing for goals in the New Year? Seen any good movie, Dear Readers?

Much Progress

Today is a mass of hysteria and confusion as I sort out everything I need to do. Bear with me, Dear Readers. I am trying to get caught up on stuff, so this is getting posted on the late side.

This Week:
      *Reading: making slow work of Inkheart (Cornelia Funke). It a good novel and I need to soak it in. I have forgotten much of it since my last read of it.
      *Writing: wrote my OctPoWriMo poems daily (about 100 words each), Tuesday Writing Blitz (700+ words), Wednesday Writing Blitz (713 words), ROW80 post (863 words), and some NaNoWriMo prep work (its coming too fast).
      *Editing: Didn't get to editing Tuesday, but managed to get about an hour on some edits tonight. I wrote this so out of order that getting these edits and re-writes into the script is really going to take a while. But on the upside I feel I am getting a clearer story out of The Real Road Trip. Its becoming a stronger story. I have chapters now, but they feel more like sections while I sort this story out. We will see after I finish with this re-write draft.
      *Theatre Stuffs: scanned the my script (so I can print of a Lighting and Sound Technical Script tomorrow). Making sing-up sheets for make-up, and help for box office and parental guard duty. Typed up stage notes for Act 1. Much more to come....less than three weeks now!
      *House Tending: got plumber to fix leaky pipe in basement, getting a quote on a new furnace (joys of home ownership) as it appears that the furnace is shot, keeping up with laundry. Most of the dishes are now done.
      *Social Media: spending tine on Twitter, visiting 4 blogs daily from ROW80 and OctPoWriMo (at 4 for each since Sunday), and keeping up with my sponsor duties.

This (upcoming) Week:
       *Reading: continue reading Inkheart, read Murder Comes Ashore (Julie Anne Lindsey), and start Mrs. McGinty's Body (Agatha Christie). Update my Goodreads Reading Challenge.
       *Writing: write daily, at least 300 words. Hoping to make this happen in the latter part of the week this week. Spend a little time getting character sketches done and finish a mock outline for Modern Muses for NaNoWriMo, because that starts on Sunday.
       *Editing: Spend 1 day between now and Sunday editing The Real Road Trip for an hour.
       *Blogging: post Thursday.
       *Social Media:  4 blogs daily, sponsor duties, spend time on Twitter.
       *Theatre Stuffs: report.
       *House Tending: report.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come and see what the other ROW80-ers are writing about at the Blog Hop.

HOw are your goals coming? Who is doing NaNoWriMo? Ready for November?

So much stuff and now time for a little WIPpet Wednesday!

The creation of K.L. Schwengel, where writers post a bit of their WIP on Wednesday to a Blog Hop (CLICK HERE) to visit the other WIPpeteers. By using today's date you share a snippet and give a little background on the piece. Today is 10/28 so lets do 2 + 8 = 10 paragraphs from the beginning of Modern Muses (working title). Here we meet Thalos and what was doing at the top of the novel and a little bit of Teri.

A man bounced a tennis ball against the ground as he heard shouts from the field. “That’s fifteen – love, mate.” The guy on the further end of the courts called to his partner. 

“Okay, my serve then,” and he reach up just in time to miss the ball and as he ran to catch it his laces which were now loose and sprawled out across the court. He did a tuck and roll, but still managed to bang his head on the fence.

“You okay mate?” his friend called.

“Yeah, just cracked my head that’s all.” Everyone else on the nearby courts eyes the event unfolding, some even chuckle a bit, but most turned back to what they were doing when the young man slowly stood up.

They were supposed to laugh, Thalos thought. Why didn’t they? He thought it was funny.

What people didn’t see was that the man, Thalos was laughing and moving his pointer finger as the young man had skidded into the concrete, dropping his racket as the ball went out of bounds and bumping his head. Thalos wiped tears of mirth from his eyes, “Oh that’s good…” as he mentally checked off points about the young man’s fall.

“I thought you were in charge of inspiring the lighter side of poetry, comedy, and mirth.”

“I am,” said Thalos who now stood, dropping the tennis ball into his draw string bag. “I am just sitting here minding my own business. Doing some research for one of my…um, charges.”

“Right….Thalos. You think I was born yesterday.” The voice belonged to a short and thin girl, who looked much younger than Thalos. She was certainly clean in appearance. “You’re a bum, Talo.”

He hated that nickname. It made him think of candle, “What’s it to you, Teri?” Thalos said ignoring Teri and walking past a girl who was wearing black yoga pants and a purple spaghetti strap top with some brand name store across her meager chest.

OctPoWriMo: Choices in Between (and everything else)

It's Wednesday and here we are again. So much to talk about and so much to report on, where to begin. Well I am excited about my Modern Muses story, so I will present my WIPpet for Wednesday. WIPpet Wednesday is the creation of K. L. Schwengel, a writer, philosopher, and guru of things writing. Go and check out her site, Dear Readers. WIPpeteers share a bit of their current WIP, using the day's date to pluck a snippet out of the everything on Wednesday.

Using today's date: 10/14/15, in whatever way I see fit. Let's see... let's do 14 lines from today's writing blitz. This is a little more from Teri's part of the story. She's has just angry someone or something and finds herself in a strange place and alone. Or is she?

There was no sign she was in her body. “Never mind,” she said to herself. “Did she say that out loud?” She wasn’t even sure. A sigh escaping her lip at her random musings in the darkness. This was turning into a mess. Nothing that Della had said had made any sense, nor has she learned anything since coming to this place. Wherever she was. What was she going to do?

First, she reckoned was to find out if she was still in her body.

“Are you looking for it?” a voice echoed in her head. Maybe she was dreaming, some sort of after effect of the Dream State, after whatever it was that attacked her in Mel’s room. “Are you looking to see if you still have a body?” the voice called again. She was sure that she heard that and that is was an actual voice.

Mostly likely I will share more of this part of the story next week. There is a lot to cover here. In the mean time go and visit with my fellow WIPpeteers and the Linky Hop List Thing, here.

Next: to play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
      Dead Before Dark (Wendy Corsi Staub). It's a modern day murder/suspense story. I love mysteries, but when I read Agatha Christie I don't get scared. They are almost full of whimsy, with murder thrown in. While with Dead Before Dark I find to be scary and puts me a little more on edge. It's a good story and keeping very engaged. But what a ride in the mean time. Also, started re-reading Inkheart (Cornelia Funke). I need a good light fantasy to offset the darker Dead Before Dark. I am also planning on watching the movie, which I have never watched. And for funsies and because I like to compare the different media forms.

• What did you recently finish reading?
     Nothing new here. The last book I did finish was Deep Time: The Glamour Chronicles (Trevor Baxendale) a doctor 12 and Clara adventure.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
    Likely I will continue with Inkspell (Funke) and maybe another Agatha Christie mystery. I have a nice sized collection of her books to read from my local Salvation Army stores.


Okay, Rounding off we have OctPoWriMo's post about choices, crossing bridges, and the what might have been, or never will be. Think of all those time you wanted to return to he past, maybe relive a memories, have a do-over. How would you feel if you had the chance? Would you?

Write for ten minutes focusing on that question.
A memory. A thin line that connects the past to the future. It's like a half formed thought the wafts through your brain. Can be stronger when the memories are strong. You can feel like to want to cross the bridge to reclaim your memories. But like anything insubstantial, is it wise to tempt fate or your memories. Are the memories better kept as memories, or should they be relived? That I am not sure of. I do know that things like spaghettios are better left a memory years later. but what of an old love? Would it best to bring up old feelings, memories? Step into them like soft slippers, wrap up in them like an old warm blanket, or would they make you fall through the cracks in the bridge, into the cold icy creek and freeze your heart to anything
new? Would you burn yourself again? Would you try for something new?

Poetry Prompt: What is on the bridge between yesterday and tomorrow?

Word Prompts: Connections, Burning Bridges, Between

Choices In between

A memory

a line thin between 

the past and the present,

much like a bridge

that carries you from

one place

to another.

Time is the same,

it is a path

a way that we travel,

carrying us from one place to another

even when we want to stay

in the comfortable

in the now

where we feel safe.

They are fickle

and

flighty.

But what of

future?

Can we stay in the past?

What if the bridge we cross

is one we can return to

a simpler time,

of happiness

and peace. 

Would you risk it?

Travel backward 

across the bridge

that once look strong and sturdy,

in a glen of light and love.

But now is marred of the encroaching darkness.

Would you risk the chance to live

for one more moment of bliss,

a chance to relive his kiss,

to ask her the question,

to feel alive? 

Would you

cross the bridge between the present and the past,

forgo the future for desires long given up?

Memory?

A fickle mistress

lay across the bridge of time

calling to us,

but is it worth it.

To give up the chance to meet Mister Right

for Mister Right Now?

Would you?

No more would you pass that up,

doomed to be lost in the past

in the dark,

when you know that the future

in all its mystery is far more exciting,

with new bridges to cross,

adventures to be had,

and lives to live.

Memory,

like a old photograph,

dusty and faded,

fine to remember, but 

really worth it to relive

the memories of the past?

What would you do?

Take the path

travel over mountains,

bridges,

and vales.

Or cross the bridge to the past

risk what you have already gained?

Finally the ROW80 check in. How did I do this week?

This week:

     *Reading:  almost half way through Dead Before Dark and started Inkheart.

     *Writing: wrote daily poems for OctPoWriMo since Sunday (about 150 word daily), ROW80 post today (about 1313 words), writing blitz today (1092 words).

     *Editing: made more progress on The Real Road Trip, 1 hour yesterday. Finally stating to get the story in the right order and clean up more of the sloppy writing from last year's NaNoWriMo. Edited and submitted my sponsor post for Round 4. A little behind, but am please with it overall.

     *Social Media: 4 blogs daily, check. Actually I did 4 ROW80 and 4 OctPoWriMo, and 4 WIPpeteers yesterday. Kept up with my sponsor duties.

     *Theatre Stuffs: got a response for the interview, two dates to ask if the director and two of the actors can be there; got my spike tape; figured out what I need for my stage manager box, mailed 50 sponsor letter yesterday.

    *House tending: did dishes, laundry, and cat litter.

This (upcoming) Week:

    *Reading: finish Dead Before Dark by next week.

    *Writing: write daily, at least 300 words.

    *Blogging: post Thursday.

    *Editing: spend time editing some of The Real Road Trip on Saturday.

    *Theatre Stuffs: report on progress.

    *Social Media: visit 4 blogs daily and sponsor duties.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come visit the Blog Hop and see what the others are up to.

How are your goals coming? Seen any new movies lately? What is your favourite number and why? Mines 42! :-) 

Also, I applaud you for swimming through this post...I need to revise how I post to all TEH things!

Round 4 Goals...STAT!!!

Round 4 has totally snuck up on me. After a very good Round 3, I feel like I am ill-prepared for the next 80 days. As I am in the middle of rehearsals for Music Man, and the evil day job is keeping me busy, i am not sure what I what to do, or how I want to proceed.

My plan over the summer worked really well because I have very little conflicts, as I wasn't doing a show. I could come home and write or edit and managed to get a lot done. Now that I am stage managing a show I am spending more in the theatre and less time writing. Currently I still have days that I can write, so I am here to tweak. I think I can make this Round productive. Actually, I will make this Round productive.

This month is OctPoWriMo, so I am already posting daily. It's gonna take work, and here is why.....

 Revised Schedule for Round 4:
             *Mondays: Music Man rehearsal 6-9 pm. Write for an hour after coming home. (This will stay the same).
             *Tuesdays: Poetry Corner posts. Will post a recent or archival poem from my collection. I have a lot of poems. Write for 30 minutes. Input edits/Work on re-writes on The Real Road Trip.
             *Wednesdays: Post ROW80 check-in, WIPpet Wednesday, and WWW Wednesday. Write 30 minutes.
             *Thursdays: Music Man rehearsal 6-9 pm. Post to blog.
             *Fridays: Write for 30 minutes sometime before bed.
             *Saturdays: Unplugged day, unless I choose to write or blog, edit or read. This is generally my hang out day, where I can go and do stuff with friends. Now that it is fall and the weather will start to change, I will have more days to inside and write, edit, read, etc.
              *Sundays: Post ROW80 check-in.  Write and edit in the morning. Music Man music rehearsals 4 - 8.

Note: when Tech Week (Hell Week) starts, the goals go on hold.

Specific Goals: 
          *Social Media: visit 4 blogs daily (from ROW80, WIPpet, OctPoWriMo, etc)
          *Editing: Input all edits and re-writes for The Real Road Trip (hopefully). This way I can hand it to my CP to see how well the novel can hold up to someone not me.
          *Reading: read 4 books this month (October).
          *Outline NaNo Novel for this year. At least get more organized for NaNoWriMo than last year
          *Theatre Stuffs: report of progress of the show.

Daily Goals:
          *Writing: write daily, at least 300 words.
          *Reading: read daily.

Maybe this are a little lofty, but I am seriously determined to finish The Real Road Trip revision before NaNoWriMo. 2015. I got a new story that wants to be a novel, Modern Muses. And I want to be prepared this year. AS they say, one day at a time. And what I try to remember, "If you really want to do something; one one can stop you. If you really don't want to do something; no one can help you." ~James A. Owen. Also I am going to refer to this post in every ROW80 check-in.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come and visit the Blog Hop and see what everyone else is up to.

This is what I want....I am going for it.

Final thoughts on Round 2 - 2015

Thoughts on ROW80 Round 2!

Just a little post to get me thinking about the last 80 days. I have spend a goodly number of days on various
projects and stuff. I am aware that I need to have a running totally of my goals at each check-in so I can refer back to it. I think it  would help me focus on some of the goals that get passed over each week. Also, I noticed that by having smaller goals, ones that I can add to helps keep me productive and more or less on track.

This is the first Round that I felt like I was part of something greater than myself. I learned some better habits and connected with my fellows on a deeper level.

I am thought about being a Sponsor for ROW80, but I am not sure if I am up to the level of sponsorhood. I mean, I know how ROW80 work, but I also feel not adequate enough to give writing advise. I don't know. What you you think, Dear Readers? Should I consider it? Do I have enough words to inspire my fellow writer? I am not as seasoned as some, but I have discovered a few things? Share me some incite and should I do it?

Quick Summary of my Goals this Round:
     *Reading: I have read a lot this Round. I currently have three books that travel with me and in various states of being read. A quick guesstimate I have read about 12 to 15 books since before this Round.
     *Writing: writing about 3 new pieces and 2 to a complete revision. Although I could wrote more, might end up writing more. I kind of like some of these characters.
     *Editing: completed at least two complete revisions of pieces.
     *Submissions: have submitted to maybe about 5 or 6 in this round and got twosmall poems picked for next years Friends of the Chemung Watershed calendar.
   

Those are the biggies. I have gotten more attentive with my house, focused on the decidedly sucky job of being an adult, paying bills, etc. Have made plans and managed to find myself a write, with all the joys and frustrations that come with it.

I have a number of things planned that are non-ROW80. HAve even considered started a second blog for my ROW80, but I kind of feel that I wouldn't be able to keepm up with two blogs. I like my Here, There be a Writer blog. It's me to a T, a little cluttered and full of a bit of everything. Maybe down the road I will expand, but for now I will enjoy what I have, Dear Readers. I hope you stick around and see what havong coming up the rest of this year, definitely more blog posts about books, adventures, and life, and also writing.

Peace~
Cindy

Round 2 at a Close

Round 2 is done! I finished on a high note and feeling really good. I will post a final thoughts tomorrow but today, a short check-in on progress.

This week:
     *Reading: Over half way through Wicked (Gregory Maguire). I found my reason for reading it. The story Murder of the Orient Express (Agatha Christie). It's not a long book, but I haven't given it proper time to soak in to my little grey cells.
is unique and brilliant in part, but at least a third of the time I find Maguire's writing either dry or over my head. Writing novels should not always be about writing so people can't understand, but writing so people can understand. I am determined to finish it, but not enjoying his writing style. Another chapter down in
     *Writing: wrote 1200+ words Monday on the Top Secret Project (using writing blitzes). Nothing Tuesday. ROW80 check-in today.
      *Social Media: 4+ blogs daily. I finished visiting all of Sundays posters. This won't always happen, so I am enjoying the fact I  manages to visit everyone this time around.

I feel that I slacked with the editing goals for Sunday and my submissions. Not that it is bad, but I feel I could have used some time more effectively. Last night was the first night in months that I had an improv practice. In a way my brain understood this and can expect that I missed a chance to get some editing done. That's the goal I feel bad about missing the most.

Onto next week...

This (upcoming) Week:
      *Reading: continue with Wicked and Murder on the Orient Express. Try to start The Subtle Knife (Phillip Pullman), maybe a chapter here and chapter there.
       *Writing: write daily. Finish Golden Compass Review and post it. Spend time on the Top Secret Project. Finish and post my #writestuff challenge.
         *Editing: Look at The Real Road Trip. Work on edits of  a 2 page minimum by Saturday. With the end of the Round I am not set specific goals throughout the break, but enough to keep me busy during that time.
         *Social Media: 4 blogs daily and keep up with blogs that I am following.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Check out the Blog Hop and see what everyone else is up to.

I am thinking of trying some new challenge, so that I have picked up from here. More on this in my reflections tomorrow.  How are your goals coming along, Dear Readers? Have a splendid day!

Reflection on January and the Super Bowl

I am pretty proud of myself this month. I pushed myself and made quite a bit of progress in 30 days. Granted I have quite a ways to go and not all goals were that productive, but I did manage to make a sizable dent. Here's a summation of January:

from MorgueFile

      *Read 7 books in January.
      *Blog at least once a week, mostly. I might have missed one week early on.
      *Edited 2 pieces, 1 being a full re-write. Both are pieces that I can call 1st draft pieces. Will still work and do a second major revision, but they are readable and share-able
      *Discovered a critique partner and we have plans to start working together after my show is done in March.
      *Actually read my NaNoWriMo novel and begun revisions (Okay, just started the revision now, but still...).

There are still some goals that I really need to push myself on, but there's still plenty of Round left to work on them. Feeling good. Today is a day off from the day job. Mousetrap rehearsal tonight. Been trying to work on various Mousetrap related tasks this afternoon  and chores that were piling up (dishes and laundry). Funny, Dear Readers, how that kind of stuff gets away from you even when you are trying to keep up with it.

Okay, I have to comment because this year was my first Super Bowl that I sat through. I am NOT a sports person. I mean, I like watching the Olympics and certain sports (Ice Skating, Gymnastics, Horse Jumping), but not American Football. I usually avoid the TV, ignore the tweets, and hope it passes fast. Often I will catch the ads the next day via the internet, YouTube, Facebook, etc.

from MorgueFile

This year was different. I got invited to come over to hang with friends to watch the whole Kit and Kaboodle. And man, was I surprised. Okay, Dear Readers, American Football is not my favourite sport, but with commentary I enjoy watching the Patriots and Seahawks. I was rooting for the Seahawks, solidarity for my Washington Peeps. It was a good game, even with the bonehead move at the end, a good game. I don't support players starting fights, but it was a good game. I even walked away understanding American Football more, well almost understand it.

The halftime show was okay. Katie Perry is NOT my favourite artist currently. I do not like her newest album, but  do like some of her stuff. It was an entertaining show and the GIANT ASS puppet tiger (lion) was the best part.

Then there are the commercial,s, they were very full of feels and/or montages for the most part. A highly emotional group of adverts.. That not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't like the Nationwide Ad, even with the reasons they cited after the fact. Read the article is here. Much too depressing, even if they were trying to facilitate the discussion about childhood accidents and being protected. There were a number of ads that I did enjoy and my top 3 are as follows:

#3:

#2:

#1: