Tuesday Tally: wandering muse

Last week’s goals:

• simple goal: 250 words/day
• clean virtual space (folders/documents)
• enter Friends of Acadia contest

Goals for this week:

• clean physical space (corner bedroom)
• write something

 

It’s been very hard to focus on TC this past week. My other projects have been calling. Enticing me to wander. Like yesterday - I read through all sixty pages of the unfinished Rt100D. It was my first time reading any of it since writing it during NaNoWriMo, and I was surprised at how well it held my interest.

Then there’s Sienna’s Story. It’s the least structured of my novels so far. I have a clear conflict, but don’t know where the story will take me. I want to know what happens next. With the family focus (MC is a mom of two, separated from her crazy husband), it has such a different dynamic from anything else I’ve done.

I don’t know if I need an official break from TC, or need to focus that much more. Maybe my self-imposed pressure is getting to me. Maybe it’s the dreaded mid-story block. I open the document and feel uninspired. Uninterested. I could jump ahead to a more exciting scene, or allow myself to dabble in a different story. Either way, I need to get my fingers moving over that keyboard.

Tuesday Tally: surviving April

Last week’s goals:

• TC – write five scenes
• submit revised poems
• write a color poem  
• clean physical space (shelves/desk)
• write and/or revise nature poems for Friends of Arcadia contest

 

Goals for this week:

• simple goal: 250 words/day
• clean virtual space (folders/documents)
• enter Friends of Arcadia contest

 

I had forgotten how crippling my Spring allergies are here. Sneeze, wipe watery eyes, sniffle, blow. Even with allergy medicine. We have a nice HEPA air purifier, which I crank up to high after being outside. I think the sinus headaches are the worst. Even when the other symptoms subside, that sinus pressure keeps pounding.

I didn’t get all my scenes in, but did make progress. Keeping my expectations low this week. Hoping the storm later this week will lessen the pollen in the air, so I can be more functional.

Kittens!

Meet the newest members of our family. 7 week old Topher and Priya.

The black one is Topher. The tortoishell is Priya.

And a second photo, just because.

Priya is our little princess. Once she got used to us, she loves lap time. Try to put her down before she’s ready, and she doesn’t hesitate before turning around and climbing back up. She’s also quite the explorer. All dusty from excavating behind computers and under couches. Climbing as high as she can, and discovering all available cubby holes. When not getting attention or exploring, she is napping on top of her brother.

Topher is mellow. He needs his sister. When they were first exploring the house, he would start meowing if he realized Priya had wandered into a different room without him. Always looking for her. If they both want to play with a toy or box, he defers to her, waiting his turn. He likes attention, but doesn’t demand it as much as Priya.

These two were the last of a litter. We had already talked about getting two kittens this time around, and instantly fell in love when we saw them. The family we bought them from was surprised when we said we wanted them both. If we hadn’t taken them, they likely would have been separated. Priya would have been fine on her own, but I think Topher would have had a much more difficult time adjusting.

Thursday’s Tale: Reflections

This is a poem I wrote in high school. One of my favorites from those years. It was inspired by a prompt where you swap around common adjective/noun combinations to create unique descriptions.

 

Reflections

Red sneakers exchanged for red galoshes,

I wander in the hungry rain.

The green clouds in the stormy sky

Light the lazy edge of the sidewalk

And my dog a dusty wolf

Stalks the myriad puddles,

Hesitating when he finds himself

In the depths of their dim waters.

But I, in my new galoshes,

Lose myself in the worn rain.

mid-April Tuesday Tally

Last week’s goals:

• TC – write every weekday; create goal timeline
• revise 3 poems
• write another color poem – started, not complete 
• clean virtual space (bookmarks)

 

Goals for this week:

• TC – write five scenes
• submit revised poems
• write a color poem  
• clean physical space (shelves/desk)
• write and/or revise nature poems for Friends of Arcadia contest

 

Three and a half of the four goals complete. Not bad.

Scary how many of those bookmarks were for pages that don’t even exist anymore. Took a long time going through them all, but now that it’s trimmed down to what works, and what I’ll actually revisit, it looks so much cleaner! Maybe I’ll actually visit the bookmarks I have left.

If I average one scene a day in Trinity Coven during the weekdays, I should be on track. I’ve got a new writing routine which seems to be working. I’ll blog about that another time.

Another thing I need to do is clean house! One of my sisters is coming up Friday to hang out. Looking forward to it!

Is there anything you’re looking forward to this week?

Uber Awesome Blog Contest to Check Out!

Sarah Wylie is celebrating a publishing contract for her novel All These Lives. Multiple prizes, and multiple winners. With partial critiques, query letter critiques, a survival guide with books and other goodies, and even a chance to win a lunch date with two agents, there’s something for everyone!

So what are you waiting for? Go enter now! Deadline is Sunday April 25.

New Look

I’ve got my new blog look up. May do a little tweaking, add another tab or two, but nothing major. Thank you to everyone who gave feedback. Background, Twitter button, and header image came from ShabbyBlogs.com. All the coding and editing was done by me. Headache, but I learned a lot. And I’m really happy with the result. It’s more me, rather than going with a premade layout.