Ideas are Flowing

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just have to write something down?

That has been happening to me constantly week. Story ideas, marketing thoughts, blog posts. They've been coming in a waterfall breaking over the rocks of reality.

Seriously, I drove out to the mid-cities on Saturday and thankfully had my IPad in the seat next to me. One of my apps is a recorder with a big red button on it. I gave it a push and started spewing out the scene that had been rumbling through my head since I woke up. Does it count as writing if it isn't down on paper? Maybe half-credit? LOL!

The same thing happened a few nights ago with a picture I found at Pinterest. (Have I mentioned that I LOVE Pinterest?) Tons of ideas spewed out of that one. I'm even featuring it in tomorrow's blog so come back!

But much of the droplets have fallen on the stone cold reality of my busy schedule. I tell folks that I homeschool and I think images of eating chocolates on a lounger float across their minds. Ha! Shows what they know - it's chocolate cake on my couch. So there!

No really, I know everyone has their own flavor of craziness. I've always been told in ministry to give jobs to busy people because they know how to get them done. I'm probably a fair example of that, but I have learned to use the word no when necessary. Still, this week has started out with the arrow pointing near overload on my busy-ness gauge, so while ideas have been flowing, only short notes and scratched out hints have been written.

But the ideas are flowing - woohoo! And I do have notes and scratched-out hints when life slows down again - and it will. Prom is 5 weeks away. I've done it for six years now. Life comes to a screeching halt when it ends and I get some of my best writing done! Can't wait!

All-in-all, as this first round of ROW80 2012 nears finality, I'm not nearly as far down my writing road as I wished. I didn't complete a novel like I did last time, but that one is taking on a whole new path with my revisions. And I expected to be able to complete those revisions, however, that expectation came before inspiration. No argument there. Can't say that I'm really disappointed about anything except my lack of exercise. Will continue to work on that, though.

One more week to go!

Highs and Lows

Okay, you non-race fans. Bear with me. There really is a point to this! I was watching an interview with last year's Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne. In only his second Sprint Cup start, the 20-year-old (same as my Dear Boy) won the equivalent of the Super Bowl.

He was so green he had trouble finding Victory Lane. "I don't even know where to go," came over

his radio after his burn-out.

Only a few weeks later, his career lay in jeopardy by a mysterious illness. Five weeks, he was forced to watch, mostly from a hospital bed, his car race without him.

Thankfully, the man recovered and has qualified for his second Daytona 500 race coming this Sunday.

High highs and low lows. They're just part of life, whether you're a race car driver, a parent, an accountant, or a writer.

The highs inspire us. Carry us. And the hope of them drive us forward in anticipation. It's that hope that gives us our strongest motivation and propels us through most of our daily days. Reaching the highs is spectacular for a moment. Resting on it for too long can drag us down, but that element of reaching the high and the memory of it provide the fuel that creates our dreams in the first place.

If the highs inspire us, the lows direct us. As a teacher, misbehavior always resulted in redirecting. Not only did the word sound better than punishment, it was a more accurate description of what happened. I didn't want to stifle the creativity or the spirit of my students. I just wanted to funnel it into an appropriate area.

Our failures treat us to the same instruction. Like a mouse in a maze reaching a dead end, we have to pick up and turn our enthusiasm to a different path. The lows threaten to rob us of hope and a positive attitude, but they don't have to.

In fact, they really don't have the power to do that. Dead ends only look like they stop us, but it depends on how we react to them. We can allow them to stop us, sit on our hineys and whine. Or we can pull a u-ee and try another possibility. (There are always other possibilities.)

Now this article isn't an explanation of me making a drastic change. On the contrary, I'm riding on hope right now with my new story idea and am writing more than I have in months. But I have to be ready for set-backs: passes from agents, strong critiques, even poor reviews. I don't expect them, but I have to be prepared for them so that when they come I can use them for growth instead of wrapping my emotions around them into a fetal position.

All of my goals, including reading, visiting other blogs, even my exercise, are on an upswing. It hasn't been that way the whole time, but I've been able to find something to be pleased about with every update, even on weeks when I topple big.

Where are you this week? What's spurring you on, or what's holding you back?

News. Previews. Reviews. And God is GOOD!

What an awesome week! I feel like a new woman. Seriously! After coughing my head off for a solid week, I get by with only about one to two coughs per hour and I'm finally able to sleep all night without interruption. Yippee! (Little things tickle the tar out of me!)

But there is more to cheer about. God is so good! His faithfulness never quits! I'm in awe. Several connections, family members and family of friends have had intensive situations, surgeries or illnesses. In every case, God not only gave His blessings but showered exceeding abundant on the families. I love it when I can see His intentions and watch Him work in the lives of people I love.

What a great week!

This weekender has:

• Awesome articles of faith and writing all hand-picked.
• A review of my blogs from the week.
• A preview of next week's articles.
• My ROW80 update.

NEWS

I love being able to put together this newspaper. I collect and search through hundreds of posts to find the ones I like the best for my headlines. Check them out!

REVIEWS

Inspired by other blogs and my F post I started my week with a post explaining what Faith-Driven Fiction means to me. I followed it up on Tuesday with a post about my family - they're what I'm mostly about. On Wednesday, I continued my Monday post with an article on Purpose along with my ROW80 mid-week review. Thursday I skewed from my normal writing tip and posted about Holiness. The song by Sonic Flood has been churning through my head for days! Then I rounded out the week with an interview with a debut novelist from Saint Lucia who writes Christian Thrillers.

ROW80 UPDATE

I'm so excited! I got a brand new idea last night and have been tapping away at the keyboard all day. Do writers really have to sleep? This new story pumps me up and drives me to my keyboard at every opportunity. Needless to say, I'm blasting my ROW80 writing goals off the charts. 

Surprisingly, I'm also keeping my balance well. In fact, I'm able to spend more and more time with my sweet hubby and kids. (Can't wait to go watch my boy in a Rugby match this weekend. Pictures to come!) The only thing I'm still working on is visiting other blogs. I'm visiting weekly, but not often seeking out new blogs to read. Oh, and now that my cough is subsiding, I need to get back to my exercise.

I'm adding a new goal. I have several books that I wanted to read before their debut. I WILL find a way to get those read. (Four in all) I want to have at least one of those read before March 1st. 

PREVIEWS

Monday's post will hold the latest winners for Almost Kiss at Clash of the Titles. What a fiery excerpt! On Tuesday, is my post for Patty Wysong's A2Z blog hop. This week the letter is G, and my post is ... well ... unique to say the least. My ROW80 update will detail where I am on my writing goals on Wednesday. Synopsis writing earns the highlight on Thursday. I'm told that is the hardest writing I'll do. On Friday, I'll be hosting author and founder of Submission Ministries, Zeke Lam. This guy is amazing! By all means come back next week!

So what did you do this week and what are you looking forward to?

News, Reviews, Previews

In my Weekender, find:

• Some awesome articles
• A blog review of the week
• My ROW80 update
• Next week's article run-down

Blogger Updates!

Woohoo! You know I've really been envious of the cool way that Wordpress blogs offer direct replies for their articles. If you haven't seen them, I could describe them. Oh, but I don't have to! Cause now Blogger has them, too!

Yea!

So when you leave a comment, you can either leave a general one or you can reply to someone else's comment, and I can reply back to them as well, instead of just doing a laundry list reply when I'm away from the computer. Ooooo - gonna love this!

News, Reviews, and Previews

This week swept by on a dust devil called "Class in Session"! I'm sure I've been grading essays for hundreds of years at this point, yet still more arrive in my email box. I must admit, through my weariness, that many are quite good and I'm thankful that they actually grasped the techniques I taught them last fall.

And yet, the task has left me precious little revising time, though my critique group did approve of my next chapter. Woohoo! And as I write this, I'm in anticipation of something. The chances are just

Wow, That was FAST!

Wow, this update is a quick one. I posted my goals on Monday and I can tell you that I have revised 15 pages on Cat’s Eyes. I’m enjoying the polishing stage of my writing because I finish a section and like the way it sounds. I feel like I’ve really completed it.

I’ve exercised once since making my goals and I’ll be playing volleyball tomorrow so I should still need one more 30 minute section before

Final ROW 80

Thanks so much to the folks below for giving me such consistent encouragement! I will definitely be back for the next ROW80 starting on January 2! Already have a story in mind once I get past these nasty revisions. Look forward to seeing all of ya'll again!

Ryan King Amy Kennedy Sharon Howard Alberta Ross L.S. Engler Juliana Haygert Komal Jennifer M Eaton Liz Rebecca J. Fleming Kerry Meacham Julie Glover Katy Bennet

Angela Orlowski-Peart Elizabeth Mitchell Natalia Gortova Natalie Hartford Nicole Basaraba Raelyn Barcley Kathryn Stripling Byer Jenn Jaleh D Cheryl Linn Martin Tracy Krauss Nancy J. Nicholson RantRaveWrite

Melanie Kim Switzer Tia Bach Stacy Green Laura Parish Camille LaGuire Gina Carey Nellie Batz Ennis P.

Hope your Christmas is amazing and your New Year leaves you in happy anticipation!

Last Week - Yes a New Goal!

I can't believe we're almost done with this round! I also can't believe I've completed another full novel in less than two months! Would never have been able to do it without the ROW80 goals and the encouragement from folks stopping by. That means so much!

As far as my goals are concerned, I've been able to

ROW80 Update

I don't usually separate my ROW80 Update from my News page over the weekend. I actually like just adding the update onto the bottom of my news, but today I couldn't help but share one of my favorite Christmas songs. If you want to check out the news feed and my plans for next week, scroll down a bit to yesterday's post.

But before I get to the update, a little entertainment:

Back in the Swing of Things

News and ROW 80 Update!

For my Row 80, I did NOT keep up with my goals over this week. I really thought I had it all under control, but my goal of revising a chapter per day isn't working out. I find I work through a section then go back through it again at least once. My first pass is on paper with a blue pen. After I shift all of the notes to my computer, I go through the pages again. Taking the pages to a critique group provides another level of rips and shreds. But the first chapter that they tore into, they actually liked! Yea!

I've only completed two chapters this way and I'm not convinced that I'm actually done with the second one. Hopefully I'll get faster as I get more practice in tightening.

As for my exercise goal, I've failed miserably, first pulling something in my calf and then having my back go out on Thanksgiving. I've spent two full days on a vibrating heat pad and am beginning to feel the difference. Hope to get back to that workout on Monday.

My schedule IS working though! I'm able to spend more time with my kids: decorating, planning, baking, and shopping! Woohoo!

Hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving! What's working for you?

News and Updates

At this point, I'm in the homestretch of my story. The last 30k word (or so) included the most exciting sections, the climax of the romance, the dark moments. I would say that it's my favorite part of the story - the words in the separate scenes certainly flow quickly. But it's also the part of the story where I have to make sure the two ends of the circle match up as I draw them to a close. I added 14k to my story this week. Wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it would be since I'm liking it so much!  Can't wait to finish.

I still have the goal of having it done by the end of November and am really looking forward to the revisions and polishing that I get to do during December on my first novel.