ROW80-3 checkin 7/25 - Rain
July 26, 2012
Yes - heat wave has broken, we've had rain, and it's cool out. Good day to stay in and work, so of course I'm heading out to visit grandkids instead.
But first an update. Focus was to be on fitting in time for the course I mentioned, by cutting back on editing (not a sacrifice), and counting reading time in with time already scheduled for that. Do have all the books on my iPad, as epubs so that I can easily add notes while I read. I also moved all my stories from Simplenote to Evernote. It gives me better indexes, and I can add a lot more, like web page clipping for later, and images. Import sort of worked, but resulting notes would not stay synced. Searched, found in a support forum that fix was to edit each note's header in the file to change enml to enml2. I know, sounds cryptic, no idea why it worked - magic I guess. Thank the gods for Google and geeks.
Since last check in:
- blogs - still caught up on reading, and commenting, but still in fits and starts. Recommend a post from a few days ago by Krissy Brady, on several ways to manage your submissions. Will try one or two - the first step of course being to actually make some submissions. Keeping up on Facebook writer groups too, but probably could do more.
- editing - actually added some notes on things to consider based on the above reading.
- Flash Fiction - submitted two. One to Writer Unboxed, and one to Flash Fiction Friday. Have another one due for this Friday, for Terrible Minds, on Time Travel. Have an idea already, a beginning and an end, just need to do a bit of an outline and go.
- reading - fiction - had an ebook from the library to finish before it deleted itself - Running With the Demon, by Terry Brooks. Good one, will get more in the series. As for the course reading? Nope.
- reading - non-fiction - finished and did a review of How to Love Your Job or Find a New One, by Joanna Penn. I recommend it, even if you love your job, even if you're retired.
- Fantasy and Sci-fi course - lots of interaction in the discussion boards on the site, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Skype activity. Students from around the world - no idea how many but the structure scales up well - could be a thousand. Many might not make it, but it's a low risk way to try a course. My challenge will be to balance all these interesting interactions with actually doing the assigned reading and essays!
Focus for the next few days will be on this course mainly. First essay, on the Grimm tales, due Tuesday. Flash Fiction due tomorrow, and some other fiction on the go, as I find time.
Just for reference, my overall objectives for this ROW (which I never expect to meet all at the same time):
- Writer (8) - writing for fun, but also working to become a better writer. Writing every day, editing. Reading about writing, books and blogs, as well as networking.
-
- Editing (1) - this will be a fixed early task. 2 hrs ?? 10 pages/day
- Due North. First pass pencil edit done. Now do online. Approx 315 double-spaced pages, starting at page 81.
- Due North 2 - sequel. About 260 pages. TBD – cleanup scenes synopsis and notes, print, revise, type in.
- Writing (1) - Flash Fiction stories. 2/wk, 3 hrs each, so an hour.
- Publishing (1/2) -nothing like rejection/acceptance to hone your skills
- Short Stories (1/4) – Flash fiction. New, or edit existing. Take from blog while submitting. Use market survey from Flash Fiction Chronicles, aim to send in one a week.
- Fairy Tale Folk (1/4)- pull them together into collection. Start with a spreadsheet – story, characters, their traits, their development, good for ongoing stories too. Edit if time. Not a high priority this round.
- Editing (1) - this will be a fixed early task. 2 hrs ?? 10 pages/day
- Learning/sharing (5 1/2)
- Blogs (1) - maybe too many subscriptions. Track them all for a week and rate them.
- Facebook (1) - ROW80 group, Ottawa Writers, Creative Writing Circle, and NaNoWriMo Ottawa.
- Podcasts (.5) - have set up a few, mostly on writing. Can follow these while walking or cooking.
- Reading (1) - non-fiction, to entertain and learn.
- Reading (0) - fiction, to entertain and learn (part of course now).
- Course –(2) Fantasy and Science Fiction. Reading, writing, critiques, videos
- Health (2 1/2) - not a lot of time, but needs to be a main item.
- Walking (1) - can be an evening activity too. With podcasts. Will aim for 10,000 steps.
- Exercise/sports (1/2) -Short morning yoga session. Floor exercises? Bike?
- Diet – Better food, less alcohol (healthier and cheaper).
- Schedule - hopefully this will be healthy addition too.
- Friends and family (1) - just to make sure don't get stuck inside doing all these tasks
- Chores (2) - the boring stuff. Cleaning, laundry, shopping. And taxes.
- TV (1)
- Total 13.5
Comments