So many days all together...

Funny how fast Wednesday gets here when you miss Sunday completely. Yet here I am blogging into the late hours while eating spicy tuna rolls and edamame. It's what I do. Still trying to fully get back on the wagon with my goals. I'm pretty sure Labour Day is a cover for procrastination day.

Feeling a bit more cheered as a found my secondary story plot for Modern Muses, my current WIP. Speaking of which it is also WIPpet Wednesday. More of that in the next paragraph. I really need to change the title, its not what I want, but I am still finding out more about this story as I go. I am pretty excited that this story is probably going to be my NaNoWriMo this year and thus I have a sizable chunk started. Down side is that it is turning into a fantasy story and ultimately going to be longer. Better news is that I am focused on finding and keeping a plot.Time to finally break out of my fear of writing fantasy. The basic premise is muses in modern California battling an enemy. No spoilers here, Sweetie!

WIPpet Wednesday was created by by K.L. Schwengel the brain child and master wordsmith, whereby you take the date and use some form of math to add up to a snippet from your WIP. See, today's date is 9/9 and under this math I can share 9 paragraphs from when Mel meets the Mistress of the House. Melpomene is the muse of Tragedy and friend to Thalos thje muse of Comedy. Thalos is trying to find the library of the Master/Mistress of the House, while Mel is doing this...

Go and visit the other WIPpeteers and see what they are writing.

He could tell the voice had a distinct accent, not anything from his part of the world, nor the new lands that they had settled in. In had been hard for many of the old gods to come to a much different place. Many felt bitter and resentful, but Mel and his ancestors found a place where they could inspire a new generation of poets and playwrights. California was very different than Greece, but after a while, some two hundred years now Mel was almost use to it. It wasn’t just the muses of Greece that move here; he knew there were other clans that had staked a claim here too. The new force was definitely not local. She, at least Mel though it was a she, sounded welsh.

“Okay,” Mel put on his best charm, “Old Country or New?”

The figure laughed, “So you aren’t completely stupid, little muse. Fine, I like a good game. Old country then.”

Mel rubbed the dagger as he thought of his next move, “Male or female?”

The figure moved closer, raising a hand and swiping it across a nearby table. There appeared a tray of meats and cheeses, another of breads, a decanter of a golden liquid, and several cans of soda pop. “Female,” she said, raising her eyebrows seductively, “Want some refreshments?”

“Hmm…” Mel stood up and walked slowly to the table, fingering his dagger, “Sure, as long as you aren’t evil. So, Evil or Good?” He stood at the table and placed his right hand on the table, leaning closer to the figure and still holding the dagger in his left hand.

“Neutral.” The figure who was clothed in a tight fitting silken dress the colour if fire, leaned closer into the table placing both her on the table, “Now you.” Nodding to him.

Mel gazing into her eyes, the brightest green eyes he had ever seen, “Yes.” And pulling the dagger out of his pocket placed it on the table and let go. 

“Yes,” her voice got whispery as the woman leaned in lips brushing against his, “you would do,” kissing him firmly on the mouth.

And now...

This Week:
     *Writing: wrote Monday (ROW80 check-in), Tuesday (1000+ words/Modern Muses), and Today (791 words/Modern Muses).
     *Reading: continuing with Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Douglas Adams) and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie).
      *Social Media: 4 blogs daily and my sponsor duties. Cleaning up my email and promoted my friends kickstarter and fundraising efforts.
      *Blogging: posted one new post on Tuesday.



Today is also WWW Wednesday! To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
    Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. It's a Douglas Adams novels, meaning that it is a weird story, with a lot of computer and physics stuff and a plot that often meanders. But after having read ALL of the Hitchhiker's Guide, I had to try it. The characters are interesting and the plot leaves me wanting more. And because I tend to have at least three (sometimes four) books in process, I'm able to decide what I am in the mood for. Currently it is Douglas Adams.

• What did you recently finish reading?
    Invisible Moon by James A. Owen. His second Mythworld series. Now waiting for book three to be released.

• What do you think you’ll read next?
    Finish The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder Comes Ashore (Julie Anne Lindsey). I seem to be on a mystery kick. :-)

This (upcoming) Week:
      *Reading: see above.
      *Writing: write daily, at least 300 words on Thursday and Friday on Modern Muses.
      *Editing: spend some time working on my The Real Road Trip edits and Scrivener transfer, note taking, outlining, etc.
      *Blogging: set a blogging schedule. Post a blog entry on Thursday.
      *Submissions: work on a schedule and/or plan for this. Report on progress.
      *Theatre Stuff: Props List.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. You see, you set some goal, blog twice a week about them and share your progress with the Blog Hop here.

How are things in your next of the woods, Dear Readers?

Shapoopi Progress

It's been a Shapoopi Weeekend!

This Week:
      *Reading: been spending time earlier in the week on The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie)Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Douglas Adams).
and
      *Editing: I finished my read through and edit of The Real Road Trip. Wahoo!!!
      *Blogging: I managed a new blog post, posted earlier today. Working on getting on a regular blog schedule set up. I feel this will get easier.
      *Social Media: I have at least managed to keep up with my sponsor duties. Not much else this weekend.

It's been a long weekend of auditions and discussions. We had a really nice turn out with so much local talent, and now we have a cast. It feels so good! I have missed this, doing theatre and being part of a show. There something organic about theatre. You start with a story and add actors and a good director and BAM, you have a living breathing show. Of course there is much more that encompasses a show, like costumes, music, sets, and such. After all the rehearsing you have a living essence, something alive.

Theatre makes me feel alive!

Is there something that makes you feel alive, Dear Readers?

This (upcoming) Week:
       *Reading: continue with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder Comes Ashore (Julie Anne Lindsey), Invisible Moon (James A. Owen), Fragile Things (Neil Gaiman), and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
       *Writing: write daily, at 300 words.
       *Editing: begin inputting edits and re-write of The Real Road Trip.
       *Blogging: 1 new non-ROW80 blog. Making my days I blog Tuesdays.
       *Social Media: 4 blogs daily and sponsor duties. Spend more time on twitter.
       *Submissions: 2 new submissions this week.

After this week I can return to a normal schedule. I will have to adjust to the the rehearsal schedule, but I am convinced that is workable and it's what I do.

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 at the Blog Hop.

Today's Music:

Renaissance Faire and Progress

Okay, so I was out and about this weekend and I didn't get much done Friday night until today. But I regret nothing. NOTHING, I SAY!!!

Yesterday was Ren Faire day, she up early and donned the fantastical costumes that Sara made for us, sans wings (we ran out of time). It was a day of turkeys, armoured joists, and bawdy poets and horny monks. I ask you, Dear Readers, if you are from NYS, are you are familiar with the Sterling Renaissance Faire? It's a fun time, but involves A LOT of walking. Daymn!!! The hubs and I took Sara, Ryan, and Kaylara to their first visit. It was a good day!! More pictures to follow...

We be Sexy, Biches!!

This means that nothing got done yesterday, and very little tomorrow. I went to see theatre folk perform Happy Days the Musical. A fun little take of the classic TV show of the same name. Not I am writing this update and completing the long week ahead of me. The evil day job has been keeping me busy during the day. Le sigh!

This Week:

     *Exercise: walked a lot at the Ren Faire on Saturday. I think at about at least 5 to 6 walks. Was very tired by day's end, so I was sufficiently exercised out.
     *House Tending: I am feeling that I am taking better care of the house in the last week. Today I mowed the lawn, finished laundry, and took out the garbage. Also, I trimmed the cat's nails. BONUS POINTS FOR ME!
     *Social Media: visited 4 blogs daily since Wednesday (okay I may have scrunched 8 into today). And I kept up with my sponsor duties. Cpent a little time on twitter.
     *Editing: i may have got to some more pages, but can't remember, so I will leave it alone.
     *Reading: did not finish Murder Comes Shore (Julie Anne Lindsey). I think I am over a third of the way through it though. Spent more time on The Amber Spyglass (Phillip Pullman) and The Festival of Bones (James A. Owen). Festival is a different story than Owen's Imaginarium books, but he has a flare for language and creates some amazing characters. Read most of Thursday away, not a bad choice of the days activities! :-)
      *Writing: wrote my ROW80 post Wednesday. That's it! I feel bad. I want to write 6 days out of the week (at least). Last week was Sunday- ROW80, Monday and Tuesday - Writing blitz and poetry, Wednesday - ROW80. Thursday was recovery from Weird Al, and nothing until today with ROW80. Need to be better on this! Monday through Friday, write, write, WRITE!! Also, need to not be hard on myself!!

This (upcoming) Week:
     *Reading: continue with The Amber Spyglass, The Festival of Bones, and Murder Comes Ashore. I am liking all of these thus far.
     *Writing: write daily, at least 300 words, Monday through Friday. This is my priority and the big focus for the rest of August.
     *Editing: at least 4 pages of The Real Road Trip (NaNoWriMo). I want the first revision done by August 31st. The next biggest goals.
     *Blogging: 1 new Non-ROW80. Need to create a schedule. I think that will help with this.
     *Submission: 2 new submission. Got a rejection a few days after last submission. That bummed me out. Thinking I need to try something different on my approach. Looking for suggestions on submitting, Dear Readers?

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. It's where you set some goals, post them to your blog, and check-in twice a week at the Blog Hop. Come on in for a visit!!

   

Look at All Those Words

Let just jump into it, eh?

This week:

      *Reading: I got to part 2 of Windhaven by George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle. It's a good story, but there are times when I think the story is bogged down by itself, if that makes any sense. I have not read any of the Game of Thrones series. I am on my second go of Windhaven and hoping that this time I can at least finish it. Also been working my way through Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. It's an anthology of short stories and a bit of poetry. His stories are so different and not what I expect, but I still like them and find them intriguing. Hoping to finish Trigger Warning by week's end. READ TOTAL: about 60+ pages.

     *Blogging: posted a short blog about some of my favourite poets, the ones that inspire me. Read it here. WORD TOTAL: 369 words.

     *Novel: I revised 10 pages of the manuscript (The Real Road Trip). I ended up doing more than the small fixes. Some spot just needed drastic help. The plan is to revise 10 pages each day that I set to editing. Going to try to refrain from major edits, but sometimes the plot needs major surgery. I end up fixing it then and there. Probably not the best thing to do. EDIT TOTAL: 10 pages.

      *Social Media/Visiting: I have not missed a day this week (since Sunday). Holding steady at 4 visits/comments per day.

      *Theatre Stuffs: have more sound/music for The Mousetrap. Rehearsals are going well, now if the weather will co-operate on Sunday nights/Monday mornings. Have a TV interview lined up to promote the show, and a couple of places to submit press releases to. Poster is done and beginning to make appearances around town. Isn't it sexy?

This Week (to do):

      *Writing: have a flash fiction challenge to write for, due by 2/27 for the Google page #writestuff (see here). And there the Doctor Who fan-fiction I started and see what can be done with it. I forgot to print it up and thus it became buried.

      *Novel: edit 10 pages a day, at least twice before Sunday (if possible). Valentine's Day is Saturday and the Hubs asked what I wanted to do. I told him if we see a movie, it should be Paddington. Because!

      *Bogging: 1 a week. Technically I am done for the week, but that was a small post so I am working on new blog ideas.

      *Submitting: at least 1 before Sunday.

      *Reading: finish Trigger Warning (Gaiman)

I've just had an idea! Lightening! Brilliance!

To help my goals be SMART goals (see below), I am going to link to the journals I submit to, tally word counts, pages read. It might be lofty, but I think that will help my goal become SMART.

Specific–- target a specific area for improvement.

Measurable - quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.

Achievable - specify goals that are reachable.

Realistic - state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.

Time-related - specify when the result(s) can be achieved.

A Round of Words in 80 Days, a blog challenge that know you have a life. Stop into the Blog Hop, "I wrote this, here's some cheesecake!" (~Tamara)

Also, WIPpet Wednesday is today and since I fully started my revision process I am sharing a bit of The Real Road Trip. Today's date is 2/11 so let's do 13 lines (2 + 11 = 13). Go and visit the other WIPeteers here. They have muffins! :-)

“I don’t want to,” Selynee said in a hushed and garbled voice.

“Excuse me? What did you say?” Seylnee's mother crouched down and grabbed her daughter by the shoulder. “That is your Father’s Boss’s Daughter out there, young lady! She has no friends in town, just moved here and needs a friend. Your father is looking to get a promotion! You be a gracious host, right now, to His Boss’s daughter.” She pulled Selynee off the couch, looking disgusted. “You will not ruin this, young lady.”

“I don’t wanna, Mom.”

“Don’t start with me,” threatened her mother. Selynee looked at her mother standing by the couch.

Okay, that it for now, Dear Readers. What have you been up to? How are your goals? Are you surviving the winter? Been fighting the Winter Blues bad this week. It's sunny today and above 30 degrees, yet it will not last. Due to be 6 degrees on Friday. Sheesh!! Have an awesome rest of the week, Dear Readers!

Something for any of us in the midst of Winter! I started listening to my Hawaiian CD today. :-)