ROW80 2020 - R3 Goals

I struggled with whether or not I wanted to participate this round. It didn't go so well for me in the last one. I mean, I perhaps got onto the right path with my novel, but I didn't get far into the edits. Not as far as I would've liked to have at any rate. But I realized I didn't really set proper goals to attain. They weren't manageable.

During the break, I took a look at the plan I made during school. It was the plan for spending my time as a writer once school was done. The problem with it is that I don't have the amount of time I thought I might. Maybe I will once my bathroom is done, but I'm living in the present.

Anyway, the plan was useful in that it gave me an idea. I also looked at the schedule we used to use for how many pages to write for a screenplay each week to get a first draft done in a semester. We did 6-10 pages each week, but had other assignments. I wasn't working during school, so that amount is too much right now. But it helped me develop some targets.

EXERCISE

1. Exercise 4-5 times/week for at least 30 mins

FRENCH

1. Duolingo for 15 mins/day

HOME

1. Bathroom Reno

2. Declutter: 15 mins/day

MUSIC

1. Play for 15 mins/day

2. Do 30 mins of theory each week

WRITING

1. The Mockumentary: Write 3-5 pages/week

2. Sparks: Edit 1-2 chapters/week

3. Skills: Spend 30 mins/week on skill development

2020 Vision

Mostly, I’ve been planning for the new year, but I discovered I know Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It was a recollection under the influence that brought this to light. I also discovered I still suck at drawing, but I’m okay with that. I used to think I had to be good at everything, and I’ve realized that’s just not so. Some friends and I recently hit up a local board game pub. It was a pretty fun night. The first game was Balderdash and I was terrible at it. Because I was the writer in the group, some of my friends thought I should be more embarrassed about it and hide the fact that I don’t spend all my free time learning advanced vocabulary. But I’m not upset about it. Why? Two reasons: 1. I now know what I don’t know. 2. If one takes a close look at the top selling novels on the market, the level of the language used is not the level of many of the words in Balderdash. Not that I’m comparing my own work to those, but audience is what matters in writing. To me, it is far better to e...

Fortifying Friday - Rejection

Yesterday, I received my first rejection from an agent. It stung. It wasn't that it was bad. It was worded in a way that it may have even been personally written. Regardless, rejection never feels good unless you were secretly hoping to stay home and do nothing when a friend made plans with you. Then it feels great! I might be an introvert ;) Anyway, it hurts a bit extra when you have other things going on. Between the worries of the state of the world and being unemployed, it felt much like being kicked while I was already down. The agent said she couldn't connect with my book though she really wanted to. She also said not to take her rejection as any kind of sign that I should give up. It was nice as far as rejections go. So, I lay there for a bit. Then I let my friends know via social media. Several said that I had hit a milestone and I should try to collect as many as possible this year. Rejections, they said, were a badge of honour awarded for putting myself out there. See...

Thoughtful Thursday - Dental Access

I haven't made use of it yet as I discovered it only this week, but there are free dental screenings in Ottawa for people who have a low income. I'm not sure what happens at these things, but I imagine they're rather like the once or twice yearly visits we had in grade school from the health unit where they checked our teeth. Anyway, I thought I'd mention that in case anyone is in need. There is a schedule with the locations listed and I'm guessing it's hard to get there early enough to get seen, but I'll check it out soon. I've been using dental products that are supposed to repair and whiten. I'm unsure they are working, but I figured they were worth a try. Also, I hear if you add activated charcoal to your toothbrush before the toothpaste, it helps whiten too. It makes a hell of a mess, but I tried it. I think it might take a while to whiten, but my teeth are definitely cleaner, so I think it really does help with plaque. Activated charcoal is als...

Rae Roy

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