How Could I Forget?

I was just about to head upstairs and get ready for bed, when I remembered that it is Wednesday. How could I forget to post to ROW80?

I came home from my writers conference naturally all fired up. I have tried to keep that going, but man, it's Wednesday already and I have no clue where the week is going.

Oh, that's right there's the garden thing. Froze six bags of beans and a bunch of tomatoes last night. Made some tomato sauce the night before. Anybody living in northern Wisconsin want to stop over and pick up some squash? I have no clue what I am going to do with them. And they are simply huge! I told someone the other day they are the size of two microwaves lined up. This person thought that was a rather comical picture. But it's the truth!

So, what have I done in the world of writing? Five out of 17 goals so far this week. I wrote for two hours - but that doesn't seem possible. I know I have been at the computer longer than that this week, and I have totally been going cold turkey on the social network drain, even though I did invite some people to join me on LinkedIn. I also am up to date on posts for my other blog.

It's late and I seem to be rambling, so will head to the kitchen now (it's 9:30) and decide whether or not to do more battling with the garden produce.

How was my week away?

I spent the week at the Green Lake Christian Writers Conference learning lots, making new friends, renewing old friendships and absorbing the serenity of the conference center. Oh, and I wrote some. 

I give myself a ten out of 17 on the goal-a-meter this week. I wrote one post on my other blog (and cheated coz it was about the same thing I posted here. Oops.), I added to my social networks one time only, I wrote on my novel and other various projects for seven hours and most exciting of all, I talked to a publisher who wants me to send him my memoir. So, I really have been mostly re-editing that the last few days.

I don't know how anybody does it. There just are not enough hours in the day. The house needs to be cleaned, clothes need to be washed, and not only does the dog want to be played with, but the cat does too. I thought that's why we had cats - so we wouldn't have to play with them! I won't even mention the day job. 

Writers Feet, 2012. Note that I have not bared my toes in this one. I took this right after I had a great haiku running through my head and had nothing to write it down on. I thought about writing in the sand along the trail and taking a picture of it. Then it dawned on me  - duh - that I could record myself saying it with my camera. That's something which won't be posted any time soon.

Where am I going?

Today I head off to my third annual Christian Writers Conference at Green Lake. I’m so excited to reunite with the friends I have made over the last two years, as well as looking forward to learning lots about the elusive craft of writing. The beautiful grounds of Green Lake Conference Center are also calling to me. I can’t stress enough to anyone living anywhere nearby (less than two hours northwest of Milwaukee) that you need to go spend some time there for exploration and in quiet reflection. And don’t forget your camera.

While at the Conference Center I won’t have a regular internet connection. I know, really? Yes, really. So I won’t be checking my e-mail or social networks as frequently as usual, and won’t be blogging til next weekend. It’s time for me to seriously write.

As far as my goals this past week, I scored a nine out of 16. I wrote three posts for my other blog, I wrote for three hours, I did research on my novel for one hour and I worked on my social networks twice. This coming week, it's going to be all about writing, writing, writing.

I call this picture "Writer's Feet". I took it last year at Green Lake, while I was outside trying to write. Don't look too close for toe-jam. 

Did I have to add another goal right now?

In January of last year, I started writing a book about a young boy living in the Bush of East Africa. In 2006, I spent a week in Kenya working with the tribe that he is from, so being naive, I thought I knew everything I needed to know. Wrong. Oh, so wrong. And then of course to really make it a novel, I had to add a few more plot lines, which has added up to more stuff I don't know.

Needless to say, I have found myself spending more time doing research than on writing this past week. Shouldn't I get some sort of credit for that? So I added another goal, that being I spend an hour a week actually researching my WIP.

This new goal brings my goal-meter for the week to six out of 17. So far this week, I have posted two times to the Dino Chronicles, have worked an hour on my book, researched on my book for more than an hour, worked an hour on a devotion which I am sharing with the attendees at a writer's conference next week, and added to one of my social networks.

It always sounds like so much when I write it like that, but really, those are some poor figures. Then I tell myself that it is only Wednesday. Big sigh. Never give up, never surrender.

The boy second from the right is the boy I am using for my book. Isn't this a great picture? I gotta get back to Africa some day. 

How high do my numbers need to get?

Practically everyone is talking about the need to grow your social network. I understand the rationale for that, the importance of reaching out to others and getting your name and your brand out there, but when does it stop? How many people do I need in my networks?

I have 259 friends of Facebook, 264 followers on Twitter, 77 connections of LinkedIn, 61 friends on Goodreads, 55 followers on Pinterest and somehow I am even on something called SchoolFeeds, which I do not even pursue, but I guess former classmates are finding me. 

I know that those numbers aren't great compared to a lot of people, but really? That all takes time and sometimes I feel like a pest asking strangers to friend me or follow me. I realize it is all about marketing, and I don't know if I told you this, but at one time in college I was working towards some sort of marketing degree. But still sometimes I wonder if it would be time better spent standing on the street corner.  

On the flip side, I am hopeful that the one-thousandth person I befriend on Facebook is going to be that literary agent who falls for me and wants to see everything I write get published. It could happen, right?

In the meantime, this past week, I scored a eight out of 16. I posted three times on my other blog, I researched my book for a couple hours, I wrote on my novel for two hours (that stinks) and I worked on the elusive social networks for two hours. 

Is that momentum still going?

My week got off to a slow start because the hubby insisted we buy me a new vehicle before the old one blew up. I hate it when the car blows up, so I had to agree with the hubby that it was time to go shopping. Needless to say, much of Sunday and Monday were spent in a car buying frenzy.

I still managed to do ok on my goals, scoring a five out of 16. I posted twice to my other blog, did an hour of research on my novel, added to one of my social networks and worked on my novel for one hour. The chapter I wrote last night is one of those scenes pivotal to the entire story, so that was pretty exciting to write.

For the rest of the week, no more taking useless rides in the Dodge and more time with my fingers on the keyboard.

Am I on top of the world?

Well, finally I have made some progress, scoring a ten out of sixteen on my goal-a-meter. This week, I posted three times on my other blog, twice I added to my social networks, I wrote on my novel for three hours, I did research for my novel, and last and most impressive, I submitted a short story to Glimmertrain magazine. It still would appear I have to get down to some serious writing on my novel, but for once I have made progress.

Have I reached the top yet? I sure hope not. There is always more to do

The picture was taken from on top of Brockway Mountain in Michigan's UP while we were camping up there last week. Isn't this a beautiful view of Lake Superior?

Am I finally on a roll?

Or at least if I'm not on a roll, maybe I'm on a muffin or a cookie? I know that I promised I wouldn't post any pictures on this blog, but I just can't help myself. Maybe I should be a photographer instead of a writer.

So have I accomplished any of my goals this week? For mid-week, I score a five out of 16 points. I posted two posts on my other blog, I worked for an hour on my novel, I added to my Linked In contacts and most exciting of all, I submitted a short story to Glimmertrain magazine. I consider that being on a roll for an old lady like me.

(The picture is our purchases last week from the Jampot in Eagle Harbor, Michigan. Yummy.)