ROW80 Check-in 27th April 2014

So. As expected the day job took over this week and I haven't done quite as well as I had hoped. My goals were:
1) Type up draft one.
2) Possibly try another draft in present tense.
3) Edit, revise, mould, burn, cry and repeat.
4) THINK OF A TITLE! (Note: I suck at this!)
5) Check-in on Sunday.

Let's break it down.

1) I have done this! Draft one is 2,138 words long which is well within the competition range of 1,000 to 3,000 words.

2) Decided against trying a draft in present tense. I started but it just didn't feel right at all.

3) Not done this yet. Gulp.

4) Some ideas but still mulling this over.

5) Done!

So not a hideous week but not that great. I need to somehow find a balance when I am at work.

Goals for this week are:

1) Edit, revise, mould, burn, cry and repeat.
2) THINK OF A TITLE!
3) Check-in on Sunday.

I plan to print  my story so I can edit on paper as I find this hard to do on the screen. The deadline of the 7th May is looming so I need to get cracking and then work out what is next writing wise. I hope you have all had wonderful weeks!

E.x

ROW80 Check-in 21st April 2014

I am a day late with this because of Easter family plans but better late than never!

My goals for week 2 were:

1) Research on location.
2) Write first draft.
3) Check-in on Sunday.

Even though I am a day late with the check-in I am pleased to say all goals have been met. Two weeks in a row, who'd have thought it!?

We had a wonderful time in Bruges. It truly is beautiful and so calm and peaceful. I read lots of the guidebook on the way out there and then took notes of things I thought would work in the story. I sat outside a cafe in a gorgeous square for an hour enjoying a hot chocolate and scribbled down most of draft one of my short story. I managed to finish it off on the way back, partly due to a three hour delay, so I have a very messy, handwritten first version. But it is a start!! It features a lot of recapping which I wasn't sure about so I may try and write in the present tense but the word count limit of 1,000 to 3,000 means I need to keep things tight. We'll see.

So, as we go into week three my goals have changed slightly as the short story deadline is now the 7th of May not the 1st. This allows for more editing/revision time. My goals are:

1) Type up draft one.
2) Possibly try another draft in present tense.
3) Edit, revise, mould, burn, cry and repeat.
4) THINK OF A TITLE! (Note: I suck at this!)
5) Check-in on Sunday.

I am hoping for another successful week, I just need to not let the day job take over as it usually does. I hope you have all had great weeks and fingers crossed I'll have more good work to report next week!

E.x

ROW80 Check-in 13th April 2014

So week one of the round 2 has gone well. I am not at work as it is the Easter holidays but I have been busy with lovely things like lunch dates, dinner dates, cinema dates and a massage! In order to meet the tight deadline for the short story competition My goals for week one were:

1) Complete outline and plot short story.
2) Complete character profiles.
3) Check-in on the Sunday.

Happy to say all three goals get a big, fat tick!

I had the loose plot in my head and managed to get it on paper. I have added to it when little sparks have come to mind, usually when I am driving or in the shower, you know, the most awkward times! I am all packed and we leave for our four day trip to Bruges at 6am tomorrow. I have the guidebook and a notebook packed in my handbag so I can research and scribble to my heart's content. My lovely fiancé has been warned!

So, goals for week 2 are:

1) Research on location.
2) Write first draft.
3) Check-in on Sunday

I love the idea of scribbling notes when I am in a cafe by a canal or right after eating a Belgian waffle to capture the exact taste. I hope to start writing when we are away or on the journey back so hopefully I'll meet my week two goals.

I hope everyone has had a good week and here is to a productive week 2!

E.x

ROW80 round 2 Goals!

Let me see if I can remember how to do this whole 'blog post' business. I just read my last post when I was going to join in with the first ROW80 round because on our third attempt we were surely going to get our Internet installed. Surely they would come at the right time on the right day. And then they didn't.

Not having the Internet has held me back and made me feel completely out of the loop. I can get it on my phone but pages won't load and to be honest I could do with a new phone as mine is starting to show signs of old age.

But I am here. And I am excited!! When I have the support of my #row80 friends behind me I do SO MUCH better than when I plod along solo. Now, I just need some goals!

I wasn't sure what to start working on. I am probably a quarter of the way through my chick lit re-write but I haven't looked at that in a whole and the size of the project overwhelms me somewhat. And then, like a writing fairy, my friend Lisa sends me an email telling me the short story competition she entered last year is running again. So I have decided to enter. The only slight issue is the deadline is 1st May so I only have 3 weeks. Therefore my goals for the first 3 weeks of the round will revolve around getting this short story done.

Week one goals:
1) Complete outline and plot short story.
2) Complete character profiles.
3) Check-in on the Sunday.

Week two goals:
1) Research on location (I'm setting it in Bruges where I am going on a mini-break next week! Can't wait! Surely my fiancé will understand...)
2) Write first draft.
3) Check-in on Sunday

Week three goals:
1) Edit, revise, rewrite, mould, burn, cry and repeat until finished.
2) submit the short story.
3) check-in on Sunday.

So, there we have it. I feel excited by this new challenge and feel like I am jumping head first back into this crazy writing game. Good luck I everyone taking part in this round and I look forward to seeing your amazing progress!

E.x