I did something today I never thought I would do: I bought Scholastic books!
The book fairs were always too expensive for us, so I ended up getting a lot of trinkets and having a good time window shopping. However, the other day a friend of mine posted to facebook that the Scholastic Book warehouse in our metro area (didn't even know we had one, honestly) was having a BOGO sale. HMA had the day off, and HMS was up early enough to go out and do things. They had the idea to go garage saleing, and I said "Let's make it a threesome."
Our garage sales were a bit of a bust, but I remembered the Scholastic sale, so we went there and made BANK! It spurred a renaissance of reading for me. I want to plow through the books with markers currently in them so that I can get to some of the amazing ones that I bought today. Still need to add them to my goodreads and shelve them.
2019-05-18
2019-05-11
Reading/Writing Journal
I've been reading more at home, and plan on reading more in the mornings. Parking sucks at work, so I arrive about 15 minutes early and sit in the car. I have been going on list challenges or facebook, but reading a book might be better. I wonder if I could do scriptures. I probably should.
Although I haven't since Saturday, the weather has been more appropriate for reading walks than it has the last few months. My plan is to use Thursdays as a day to plan my Sunday lessons, since that's my day off. Once I get my room a little more organized and can find a purse sized notebook (that I know I have at least one of somewhere) I'll work on some poetry. Being outside and reading books unleashes the poet in me, and those are both in the plans to do more often.
Saturday nights will be devoted to typing them up and journaling, important to fishing out the feelings that I'm feeling and observing.
Although I haven't since Saturday, the weather has been more appropriate for reading walks than it has the last few months. My plan is to use Thursdays as a day to plan my Sunday lessons, since that's my day off. Once I get my room a little more organized and can find a purse sized notebook (that I know I have at least one of somewhere) I'll work on some poetry. Being outside and reading books unleashes the poet in me, and those are both in the plans to do more often.
Saturday nights will be devoted to typing them up and journaling, important to fishing out the feelings that I'm feeling and observing.
2019-05-04
Reading/Writing Journal
I had the most successful Camp NaNo experience I've ever had. I made it about half way to my word count goal. I started getting the slumpy slumps. I'm starting to wonder if NaNo has served it's purpose for me. The focus on quantity has me not worrying one bit about quality. Like, it's not even a blip on my radar. Which means I know that every other sentence I write is craptastic. I think subconsciously...I end up disconnecting with my story because I become hyper focused on quantity. Not sure how to go about fixing that.
Probably working on writing quality pieces during non-NaNo peaks, I guess.
My reading game slumped a little bit, but it's picked up. I'm still focusing on Main Street, and it is so applicable one hundred years later. I need to hurry up and finish it, though. My cover is falling apart.
Probably working on writing quality pieces during non-NaNo peaks, I guess.
My reading game slumped a little bit, but it's picked up. I'm still focusing on Main Street, and it is so applicable one hundred years later. I need to hurry up and finish it, though. My cover is falling apart.
2019-04-30
Writing Journal
If I'm truly to finish this Camp project on time, I'll have to have a 12k word day today. I doubt that's going to happen, but I think I can get to 25k by the time I start my new job on the 6th. I have about an hour here, then I'm off to lunch with a friend. Then I'll go home and alternate between NaNo and crocheting until it's time to go to the temple. (Which reminds me, I need to call my new employer and ask if they know yet which day will be my day off so I can let the temple know because I won't be able to make it next Tuesday, unless that's my day off, but I doubt it. I don't know...I'm trying not to spiral into anxiety about it, but I have a headache, so focusing is hard and not focusing leads to spiraling which leads to depression, which leads to anxiety....trust in God.)
After the temple tonight, I'll go back to crocheting and writing in spurts.
Okay, now I'm off to write!
Update: I'm back, after about 300+ words. The headache has beaten me. I have to leave in about 20 minutes to meet a friend for lunch. I'll just surf the net, maybe journal until then.
After the temple tonight, I'll go back to crocheting and writing in spurts.
Okay, now I'm off to write!
Update: I'm back, after about 300+ words. The headache has beaten me. I have to leave in about 20 minutes to meet a friend for lunch. I'll just surf the net, maybe journal until then.
2019-04-27
Writing Journal
I need a plan for the day. I also need to pee.
Now that that's been taken care of....
I wish that the Word Sprints Twitter account was more consistent with their operation hours. Although, lately, the tweets I have been seeing after the fact have all been for thirty minute sprints. Um, those are not sprints. Those are races. So they probably wouldn't be very effective for me, anyway. Oh, well.
My plan for today is to do twenty minute sprints of my own. I'm getting bored...no, that's not the right word. German is probably the only language with a word for the feeling I'm about to describe. Trunky comes close. I want the story to continue, but I also don't want it to end. I want to get to the next scene, but don't want to leave the one I'm in.
So, twenty minute chunks of time until I either hit the halfway point or my sister lets me know she's close to being in town.
9:00 to 9:20 -- write
9:20 to 9:40 -- play
9:40 to 10:00 -- write
So on and so forth.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Update: I did pretty good at sticking to the twenty minute time slots. Did some research and am less pantsy about my story now. I did get to about halfway, though, so I'm gonna call it a morning. Go home and crochet/watch things and do a little bit of laundry and lesson planning until I get a call from my sister to meet her and her husband as they cross the country.
Now that that's been taken care of....
I wish that the Word Sprints Twitter account was more consistent with their operation hours. Although, lately, the tweets I have been seeing after the fact have all been for thirty minute sprints. Um, those are not sprints. Those are races. So they probably wouldn't be very effective for me, anyway. Oh, well.
My plan for today is to do twenty minute sprints of my own. I'm getting bored...no, that's not the right word. German is probably the only language with a word for the feeling I'm about to describe. Trunky comes close. I want the story to continue, but I also don't want it to end. I want to get to the next scene, but don't want to leave the one I'm in.
So, twenty minute chunks of time until I either hit the halfway point or my sister lets me know she's close to being in town.
9:00 to 9:20 -- write
9:20 to 9:40 -- play
9:40 to 10:00 -- write
So on and so forth.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Update: I did pretty good at sticking to the twenty minute time slots. Did some research and am less pantsy about my story now. I did get to about halfway, though, so I'm gonna call it a morning. Go home and crochet/watch things and do a little bit of laundry and lesson planning until I get a call from my sister to meet her and her husband as they cross the country.
2019-04-26
Reading/Writing Journal
In my gallivanting about town lately, I noticed a recreational trail that I hadn't seen the last time I lived here. Today, I checked it out and took Main Street with me. Amazing how well so much of that still applies to politics and the socioeconomic situation today. Well, in the first hundred pages, anyway. That's all the farther I've been able to get.
I'm allowing myself fifteen minutes to get settled at this Panera before I hunker in to my short story. That's enough time to finish this up, refill my cup, and empty my bladder. My goal is to be half way through by the end of tomorrow. I'm secretly hoping it will be before NaNo tomorrow, but that's the stretch goal. I have a free breakfast item that expires on Sunday, which means tomorrow it's tomorrow or lost.
My goal during this week's staycation is to do something that would qualify as an update for this blog every day, even if I don't actually go through the effort of updating.
I'm allowing myself fifteen minutes to get settled at this Panera before I hunker in to my short story. That's enough time to finish this up, refill my cup, and empty my bladder. My goal is to be half way through by the end of tomorrow. I'm secretly hoping it will be before NaNo tomorrow, but that's the stretch goal. I have a free breakfast item that expires on Sunday, which means tomorrow it's tomorrow or lost.
My goal during this week's staycation is to do something that would qualify as an update for this blog every day, even if I don't actually go through the effort of updating.
2019-04-19
Writing Journal
I've been at this Panera for about two hours and this is the first thing I've written. My NaNo is still at 8040/25k after last night's write-in. It might have been more productive if I didn't have to get some eggs for an Easter basket exchange and veggie tray for a potluck at work today, and if I wasn't mentally preparing for an interview that I had after work. If that turns out the way that I would like it to, I plan to regularly stop at this Panera for breakfast since it's close and traffic in this direction sucks. If I work at 8, I would need to pack up at 7:30, which means if I'm here by 6:30, I can get in some good words.
In all reality, I would probably journal. Which would be okay, too. And I would probably stop often after work to get some writing done. It kind of stinks because the prices have gone up while the food selection has gone down. In terms of what I like, anyway. Hopefully it doesn't drain the wallet. But I'm also closer to HPB, like I could easily drive past it every day.
Anyway, I'm going to run to the restroom, then type for a few more minutes and see if I can break 10k tonight. May have to switch the Rob Thomas Pandora in favor of my YouTube playlist. (And maybe add his new song to it.) Yep. Definitely needing to switch to the
In all reality, I would probably journal. Which would be okay, too. And I would probably stop often after work to get some writing done. It kind of stinks because the prices have gone up while the food selection has gone down. In terms of what I like, anyway. Hopefully it doesn't drain the wallet. But I'm also closer to HPB, like I could easily drive past it every day.
Anyway, I'm going to run to the restroom, then type for a few more minutes and see if I can break 10k tonight. May have to switch the Rob Thomas Pandora in favor of my YouTube playlist. (And maybe add his new song to it.) Yep. Definitely needing to switch to the
2019-04-11
Writing Journal
I'm listening to a new friend tell me about one of her NaNo stories, and it inspired me about an idea for November: Merry Band of Roommates, but from the POV of the seven cats in our home.
Right now, I'm still kind of working on the dream one for April. I'm at 1602 words after two sessions. Not doing so hot, there. I'll have to average 12-1300 words a day in order to meet my 25k goal. I'm still in the first scene of the dream, but we're about to do another word war after everyone's potty breaks.
Right now, I'm still kind of working on the dream one for April. I'm at 1602 words after two sessions. Not doing so hot, there. I'll have to average 12-1300 words a day in order to meet my 25k goal. I'm still in the first scene of the dream, but we're about to do another word war after everyone's potty breaks.
2019-03-16
Reading/Writing Journal
I have two immediate coworkers. One has started reading more often, and as such has spread the fire to me and our other coworker. So far, I've only read one book that they've both read. It was called "The Woman in the Window." I enjoyed it well enough, although I don't think I would have chosen it as a book to read on my own. Like the other gal pals of mine, I found the plot twists surprising, but the writing of the final twist felt a little rushed. I felt like it could have been written with language that was a little more parallel to the set up.
The personal resurgence in reading has motivated me to fall back into utilizing my "Something Old, Something New, Something Random, Something True" routine. The book previously mentioned was published in 2018 and I happened to be rereading The Mill on the Floss. I next picked up a copy of Ender's Game (a second copy, unbeknownst to myself until I started reading, but it was $1 and my other copy was/is still packed away) and the other night I put away some of my nonfiction books from the boxes from a year ago, so I chose a book my mom got me for my birthday a few years ago. It's on par with other books my mom has gifted/loaned me: subpar.
Tonight, I have begun to come back to my writing group. Just in time for Camp NaNo next month. And, like so many other months, I've got an idea! I'm going to do some autobiographical humorous stories/essays. In the next few days, once this flooding news has come down a bit, I'm going to pose a question to my facebook friends and ask which is their favorite of the stories that I tell. I think. I may make those decisions on my own. Perhaps, I should do that, anyway.
Definitely going to include when my roommate bought a couch and we tried carrying it in the trunk of a car. Also needing to include the story of my golden birthday turning into a spontaneous moving party for a stranger. (Well, technically a coworker of one my friends, but she was the only one who knew the person.) Will need to also include an essay on each of my vehicles: Clarence, the T-bird that my friend backed into in her driveway when she was taking me out to teach me stick shift; Casey the Cutlass, the grandma car I ended up driving around with one and half spinners; Pamela the Pontiac, who went through two timing chains and was paid off on my birthday; Lucille the minivan I bought for $500 on my birthday and drove for three years; LuAnn, my current van that I bought with $100 and my tax return. That ought to keep me busy enough for the month of April. I'll need to save something for July and November!
The personal resurgence in reading has motivated me to fall back into utilizing my "Something Old, Something New, Something Random, Something True" routine. The book previously mentioned was published in 2018 and I happened to be rereading The Mill on the Floss. I next picked up a copy of Ender's Game (a second copy, unbeknownst to myself until I started reading, but it was $1 and my other copy was/is still packed away) and the other night I put away some of my nonfiction books from the boxes from a year ago, so I chose a book my mom got me for my birthday a few years ago. It's on par with other books my mom has gifted/loaned me: subpar.
Tonight, I have begun to come back to my writing group. Just in time for Camp NaNo next month. And, like so many other months, I've got an idea! I'm going to do some autobiographical humorous stories/essays. In the next few days, once this flooding news has come down a bit, I'm going to pose a question to my facebook friends and ask which is their favorite of the stories that I tell. I think. I may make those decisions on my own. Perhaps, I should do that, anyway.
Definitely going to include when my roommate bought a couch and we tried carrying it in the trunk of a car. Also needing to include the story of my golden birthday turning into a spontaneous moving party for a stranger. (Well, technically a coworker of one my friends, but she was the only one who knew the person.) Will need to also include an essay on each of my vehicles: Clarence, the T-bird that my friend backed into in her driveway when she was taking me out to teach me stick shift; Casey the Cutlass, the grandma car I ended up driving around with one and half spinners; Pamela the Pontiac, who went through two timing chains and was paid off on my birthday; Lucille the minivan I bought for $500 on my birthday and drove for three years; LuAnn, my current van that I bought with $100 and my tax return. That ought to keep me busy enough for the month of April. I'll need to save something for July and November!
2019-01-26
Writing Journal
Thought of something on the way home yesterday.
To name the characters in MBR after our vehicles! Which could be tricky since HMJ and his bff both drive Bruce.
Admittedly, haven't done much writing this week. Need to get on that, don't I? Well, I've got all day. I even woke up early. Really need to stop pulling the laptop into my lap while it's plugged, though. That keeps me in the chair for hours!!
To name the characters in MBR after our vehicles! Which could be tricky since HMJ and his bff both drive Bruce.
Admittedly, haven't done much writing this week. Need to get on that, don't I? Well, I've got all day. I even woke up early. Really need to stop pulling the laptop into my lap while it's plugged, though. That keeps me in the chair for hours!!
2019-01-18
Writing Journal
This week has been more productive in terms of writing than any week since NaNo, and even more than some of those. I started a short story that I have decided I will end up incorporating into a series of them called "Merry Band of Roommates," based mostly off my current set and including some from the past. I'm going to transplant my grandparent's five bedroom farmhouse to the edge of the metro we currently live, which will give us more space and remove some of the personal tension and allow me to fantasize a little bit more.
Perhaps just as importantly, I've perfected a YouTube playlist for writing. It's about an hour long, and is generic enough for me to apply to just about any project I'm writing on. Prose, anyway. Poetry for me is more of an out of doors experience. Which reminds me, my aunt's favorite contemporary poet recently passed and one of my college professors shared a poem of hers about geese that I should share on my aunt's wall.
But, first, my playlist, for any who are wondering.
"Write Like the Wind (George R.R. Martin)" by Geek & Sundry
"Storytime" by Nightwish (official music video by Nuclear Blast Records)
"Write Like the Wind (George R.R. Martin)" by Geek & Sundry (will likely reposition)
"Don't Think Just Run (Official Lyric Video)" by Beth J Crowley
"The Dance of Cossack Girl with a Sword..." by jagan kurra
"Moondance" by Nightwish (video by Jaysong14)
"Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" by The Avett Brothers
"Bohemian Rhapsody (piano accompaniment)" by Antonality
"Wither (official music video)" by Dream Theater
"In Me Lyrics" by Casting Crowns (video by Dance74Him)
"Brave (Lyric Video)" by Sara Bareiles
"The Answer Lies Within" by Dream Theater (lyrics video by countrymusicluver32(
"Somedays You Write the Song" by Guy Clark (video by disgrymmness)
"Feel It Turn (Video)" by Great Big Sea
"Something Beautiful" by Great Big Sea (video by Tom F)
Update: I'm listening to the playlist, and realizing I don't want to write. I've been reading some old poems of mine. I also just realized that the "shuffle" option on YouTube plays each song more than once because "Write Like the Wind" just showed up for a third time. (I know it's on there twice.) Which means that I ought to go through and randomize it a little bit so that it sounds like a variety to my ears. And, as much as I like the lyrics of Guy Clark's contribution, I'm not a fan of the song in general. Doesn't work well as a writing soundtrack.
It feels good to move my fingers on the keyboard, so at least I have that going for me. But the brain, the imagination part, doesn't want to work right now. Perhaps the next Givling hour, I ought to try and take a short walk. Partly to get my body up and moving, since I have not done much of that the past few days. But also, and perhaps just as importantly, to get my imagination going. There's a scene I want to play out. Maybe I'll start a different MBR story because I'm feeling a little stuck on the one I started. I'll try that for the rest of the soundtrack. Problem is, which one.....just kidding...I know.
Perhaps just as importantly, I've perfected a YouTube playlist for writing. It's about an hour long, and is generic enough for me to apply to just about any project I'm writing on. Prose, anyway. Poetry for me is more of an out of doors experience. Which reminds me, my aunt's favorite contemporary poet recently passed and one of my college professors shared a poem of hers about geese that I should share on my aunt's wall.
But, first, my playlist, for any who are wondering.
"Write Like the Wind (George R.R. Martin)" by Geek & Sundry
"Storytime" by Nightwish (official music video by Nuclear Blast Records)
"Write Like the Wind (George R.R. Martin)" by Geek & Sundry (will likely reposition)
"Don't Think Just Run (Official Lyric Video)" by Beth J Crowley
"The Dance of Cossack Girl with a Sword..." by jagan kurra
"Moondance" by Nightwish (video by Jaysong14)
"Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" by The Avett Brothers
"Bohemian Rhapsody (piano accompaniment)" by Antonality
"Wither (official music video)" by Dream Theater
"In Me Lyrics" by Casting Crowns (video by Dance74Him)
"Brave (Lyric Video)" by Sara Bareiles
"The Answer Lies Within" by Dream Theater (lyrics video by countrymusicluver32(
"Somedays You Write the Song" by Guy Clark (video by disgrymmness)
"Feel It Turn (Video)" by Great Big Sea
"Something Beautiful" by Great Big Sea (video by Tom F)
Update: I'm listening to the playlist, and realizing I don't want to write. I've been reading some old poems of mine. I also just realized that the "shuffle" option on YouTube plays each song more than once because "Write Like the Wind" just showed up for a third time. (I know it's on there twice.) Which means that I ought to go through and randomize it a little bit so that it sounds like a variety to my ears. And, as much as I like the lyrics of Guy Clark's contribution, I'm not a fan of the song in general. Doesn't work well as a writing soundtrack.
It feels good to move my fingers on the keyboard, so at least I have that going for me. But the brain, the imagination part, doesn't want to work right now. Perhaps the next Givling hour, I ought to try and take a short walk. Partly to get my body up and moving, since I have not done much of that the past few days. But also, and perhaps just as importantly, to get my imagination going. There's a scene I want to play out. Maybe I'll start a different MBR story because I'm feeling a little stuck on the one I started. I'll try that for the rest of the soundtrack. Problem is, which one.....just kidding...I know.
2019-01-16
Writing Journal
This is me coming to dedicate myself to more creative writing in 2019.
As I mentioned in my personal blog, the creative side in me has died a little bit, and I think it's due to the full time desk work. I miss the conservative hippie me. The one who would wear something other than jeans or sweats and t-shirts as casual wear. The one who would write poems, or just always have a writing utensil and surface to jot lines. The one who would read stories and poems to hear trends and ideas. The one who would listen to music instead of just staring at a screen. Good music, varied music. The one who would sometimes create music.
I miss her.
And I am bound and determined to get her back. God needs her for something, and He needs her skills honed for whatever that may be. Time's a wasting.
So, this is me, dedicating myself to typing at least one hour a day, and spending time not just looking for literary magazines, but reading them. Spending time at the library.
This means finding stable PT work that can support me, and leaving FT work for one employer in the dust. I cannot for the life of me find the Utah Philips quote I am searching for, but it's one that essentially says "The life of my brain is the only life I have, and why would I hand that life over to someone else for eight hours a day on the expectation that they would return it to me in an unmutilated condition?"
Anyway, that's motivating the life change I'm being secretive about until it's too late for anyone to give me advice I wouldn't take even if it was good.
As I mentioned in my personal blog, the creative side in me has died a little bit, and I think it's due to the full time desk work. I miss the conservative hippie me. The one who would wear something other than jeans or sweats and t-shirts as casual wear. The one who would write poems, or just always have a writing utensil and surface to jot lines. The one who would read stories and poems to hear trends and ideas. The one who would listen to music instead of just staring at a screen. Good music, varied music. The one who would sometimes create music.
I miss her.
And I am bound and determined to get her back. God needs her for something, and He needs her skills honed for whatever that may be. Time's a wasting.
So, this is me, dedicating myself to typing at least one hour a day, and spending time not just looking for literary magazines, but reading them. Spending time at the library.
This means finding stable PT work that can support me, and leaving FT work for one employer in the dust. I cannot for the life of me find the Utah Philips quote I am searching for, but it's one that essentially says "The life of my brain is the only life I have, and why would I hand that life over to someone else for eight hours a day on the expectation that they would return it to me in an unmutilated condition?"
Anyway, that's motivating the life change I'm being secretive about until it's too late for anyone to give me advice I wouldn't take even if it was good.
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