News. Reviews. Previews.

This was a happening week on this little blog guy, but I'm nowhere near finished. If you're reading this at marjilaine.blogspot.com, know that I have moved and will continue to move to marjilaine.wordpress.com. There's a little follow button at the top of the screen. You would make my day if you clicked it.

And though the circumstances of this week jolted up and down, I'm satisfied with what I accomplished. In this weekender, you'll get the chance to see:

• Some amazing articles, hand-picked by me. 
• The articles you might have missed from last week.
• My ROW80 writing challenge update.
• The articles you'll get to see this week.

NEWS

I'm still working on this feature, though because some of my favorite blogs, like KeliGwyn.wordpress.com, RachelleGardner.com, and likeachildforJesus.wordpress.com, aren't showing up. I could add SteveLaube.com and others to that list as well. I'll stay with it.

REVIEWS

I was so pleased with the move to my new blog last week. Right away I started getting more visits at Wordpress than I did at Blogger. But then maybe that's because of the content on Monday when I compared Wordpress and Blogger. (A hard contest!) On Tuesday, I filled my docket with some inspiration from Ephesians. Wednesday, I added my ROW80 update to another observation about Wordpress. We're working through things. So on Thursday, I discussed the things I'm learning about myself and how they compare to the characters I set up. An author review with Fay Lamb rounded out the week on Friday.

ROW80

The requirements of some volunteer work I do intensified this week. Unable to write the first half of the week, I kept struggling to get to it the second-half but found myself out of practice. How can I get out of practice in only a few weeks. I mean I never REALLY stop writing, just stop working on the WIP. But then that's the issue. This isn't a non-fiction book that I can write a section at a time. A novel flows without stopping places - making placing a bookmark or putting the story down very difficult. So in taking a break from it, I really need to carve out a great chunk of time to settle back into the story world again. 

Along with a new goal of writing 1000 words every day, I'm toying with breaking my blog into chunks as well. Not many bloggers set up brand new articles every day, but I don't think I'm giving these articles my best effort because I have to churn them out, usually at night, with little time for inspiration or even editing. (I hate finding the mistakes!)

So as much as I'd like to continue with some of the daily plans I have, like my cool A2Z blog hop, (Second time through the alphabet!) I think I need to find a tighter niche for my writing. No big changes yet, but I'm looking for inspiration. I could use prayer for that!

PREVIEWS

Like I said, nothing really changes this week. On Monday, I'll be highlighting the Clash of the Titles winner from this week. Such a great way to get a chewy morsel from a book, like a sample off a cookie tray, to see if it resonates! Tuesday will be my regular A2Z article, but this one is extraordinary. I literally shed tears over it. Definitely a must-see. On Wednesday, I'll share another update and take you along on my journey for a bit. Thursday's offering will likely be linked to Social Media as it is beginning to consume every spare moment. And on Friday, I hope to have a new author interview to share with you.

So what are your plans for this weekend?

News, Reviews, Previews

What a great week full of HOPE and joy!
My weekender has stories about:

• Articles of inspiration and writing
• A review of last week's blog articles at Faith-Driven Fiction
• My Sunday ROW80 Update
• A preview of articles and specials coming next week

News and Update for ROW 80 - Special Words

THE END

Typing never felt so good! Getting into the last third of my novel stuck spurs in me an inch deep. I barely made myself stop when I dozed over my keyboard. 

Sleep is highly overrated!

My intensity made my schedule imperative. There's a lot more to my life than writing in any given day! (Teaching, homeschooling–no, not always the same thing–house decorating, meal planning, not to mention

Putting it Together

They look like they're a little bummed though - or maybe that's their game faces?

In keeping with my recent articles about goal-setting and winning, I'm going to draw them together today.

Did I mention that the Angel volleyball season is over. Can I just say:

YEA!

Thanks, had to get that out of my system! Sixty-nine matches, seven tournaments, two months and over 8000 pictures. Yep, I'm good for another year.

But I want to share just a little about my precious redhead's team. Most of these girls played together last year. 

The team as a whole never

What's Going On In There?

I'm not sure if I'm doing the ROW80 (A Round of Words in 80 Days) correctly, but I sure am enjoying the challenge of keeping up with my goals. My blog continues to have some pretty good fodder and my WIP (work in progress) is whirling along!

Doing revision on what I'm writing hasn't happened as much as I'd like it to, but I'm looking forward to some long and intense weeding when I get to the end of my WIP. Sweet hubby even encouraged me to get away, go up to his parent's home, without distractions or wireless internet or volleyball, to chew off a big hunk of my task. I

Round of Words in 80 Days

I know, it sounds crazy. How can making a word count goal actually produce halfway-decent writing? Just because the number of words increases doesn't mean that they are really worthy of any notice.

I admit, when I started the ROW80 program back in July, I was more than a little skeptical. But I knew