Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Plans and Plots Lead to Confusion

Have you ever had an idea, but you weren't sure how to make it work? I mean, I'm not Tim Gunn for goodness sake. I have an idea that really excites me for one of my A to Z posts, but I am worried if the post gets too long when visitors are trying to hop to as many new blogs as possible they will bail before they even get half way through. We all always put a lot of effort into each post and hope at least someone is reading to the end, but this is significantly more effort that I usually invest especially when effort and time are in short supply. If it works it will be awesome and it would make me very happy, but there are so many different ways it could epically flop. What do you do when you encounter this kind of situation? Should I go for it or skip it and focus on my Camp NaNo story?

I am kind of sad to see the last check-in of the first ROW80 round of 2015. It feels like this year is flying by and I am not sure I am really ready for the next phase. I thought about taking a break until stuff starts back up for me on the first day of April, but then I would risk breaking out of the habit of posting. We all know replacing a bad habit with a good one is hard to do, but worth the effort. Why would I want to make it harder on myself, particularly when I have a real knack for procrastination.

ROW80 Rundown:

1. Write 500 words per day on any project
I don't know how many words I put out on Monday or Tuesday individually because I was not feeling well which caused me to sleep and be awake at odd hours. It feels like it has been 4 or 5 days since my last check in. Those mini days are a blur of napping and writing on my phone happened more than my laptop. I made a lot of notes and lists with 2 started posts that are really rambley and need to be gutted until they bleed red ink. I will call this a win because I managed 1163 for the combined total.
Wednesday: 786 on this post and it's still early, but my day is full and I probably won't get to much more than a little brainstorming and planning.

2. Blog at least every Wednesday and Sunday.
So far so good. Since I jumped in I think, don't quote me on this, I only missed one check-in. A few times I even beat the linky.

3. Check out at least 10 posts from each new ROW80 linky before the next one comes out.
HA! I did this and it felt awesome to see what you all were up to. I want to keep this goal a part of my next round. I had to adjust it from 20 blog hops to 10 and still didn't make around to see everyone sometimes, but I will not get down on myself for making the change. Flexibility is what ROW80 is all about. Keeping your goals realistic and achievable then holding yourself accountable and making it happen.

4. Use Twitter at least once per day.
Getting back into Twitter has been a great experience and I have found a lot of interesting posts that have helped me with my battle plan for both The Most Magical Place and A to Z. Now it all comes down to execution.

5. Post on my author Facebook page at least 2 times per week.
I made it through the round feeling successful in this goal even though I did have to adjust it from the original.

6. Read 1 book per week.
It will come as no surprise that I have not been able to keep up with reading 1 book per week if you have been following along. I am not sure how to change this goal so that I can challenge myself and still set a manageable goal that won't leave me constantly frustrated. I type fast, but read really slow. When I start reading it is like I am watching everything, even details that weren't specifically mentioned in the book are filled in by my imagination and the scenes play out in my head. This image kinda becomes an overlay to the words I am reading. I am not sure if that exactly makes since, but it is the best way I can describe the reading experience for me. It is very rich and satisfying, but also slow.


Photo Credit: Pixabay
photo credit: For me too via photopin (license)

8 comments:

  1. I have the opposite problem, I type really slow and I read really fast! I understand what you mean about your imagination overlaying the book though because I do that too :)

    Sounds like a good finish to the round and best for the round to come!

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    1. Yay, now I don't feel alone. Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. My reading has slowed down instead of increasing since I've been serious about my writing (about 4 years now.) I'm working to change that.

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    1. That is exactly how I feel. I read 6 books in January. Then i started focusing on my writing and I have only finished 3 since.

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  3. You did pretty well. I hoped to read three books this round, finished two and lost interest in the candidates for #3. I think I read way too slowly, and always did, and that gives me too much time to ask, "do I really want to read this?" Too often, the answer is "no."

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    1. I know the feeling of getting in the middle of a book and deciding I am not really interested. Hope you find something that sparks your interest soon.

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  4. I don't think I could be 1 book a week, unless it was a short book (and I have), but the current list of books I am working on are either longer or more intricate. Currently working on Good Omens and I equate it to a child with ADD. Lots of words and sudden shifts in POV. I like it and as I am a slower reading (as well), I like to be able to absorb the stories, details, and landscape of the books.

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    1. I love different POVs, but if it isn't clearly marked I get so lost. I also need them to give me a clue that we shifted.

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