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YABootCamp Update: The Juggle

Usually, this is me:

 
 

But, this me at the end of the school year with four kids in school:

 

 

Now, this is me with all that plus drafting:

 

This is the kind of stuff baby books don't prep you for. They don't mention that after the round-the-clock nursing, the never-getting-sleep phase, the changing of diapers and the endless decisions of carseats, strollers, soft shoes, cloth diapers, there would be MORE. Much more. The much more of balancing multiple children in various activities, of encouraging passions yet teaching them to compromise. The daily reinforcement of values but the allowance for each child to seek their own path.

 

And to think, my eldest is only thirteen.

 

Mothering is an amazing, fantastic journey, but during the month of May, it is pure madness. It is the month of recitals, field trips, school testing. It is also the same month the children begin to hanker for summer and they drag their feet through everything. It is the season of Spring when allergies begin and the sun doesn't set until nine, and no one wants to sleep.

 

And then there's me. My schedule. My agenda. Because it's important too.

 

I wrote the first 10K of my WIP, a sweet young romance between a couple of broken characters, in more ways than one. I've got a very loose outline this time, and I am doing my own version of pansting. It is both thrilling and downright scary.

 

So the pantsing and the schedule wrangling is pushing this Virgo's organization skills. I'm admittedly feeling out of my element. I am muddling my way through. I'm seeing the light at the end the tunnel into summer and into a plot that I think is making sense. But the last couple of weeks?  I was in the thick of it all, slashing my way through my schedule-jungle with a machete, taking it one stalk at a time. One word at a time. I ended each night hoping I didn't miss some kind of deadline, the worrywart I am. First world problems, I know, but still...

 

So, my goals for this month...

- Make it to the summer.

- End May with at least 20K.

- Calm my mojo. 

- Sleep on time.

 

I hope that you all have had a great May thus far! And thank you for listening. :D

YA Bootcamp Check-In: Something had to give.

 

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

I haven't blogged in two weeks. I had every intention to check in last week. Had the post all organized in my head. Sat down to blog at least three times, pictures all edited and ready to upload.

But I revised instead.

I covered phenomenal ground the last two weeks. Mind-boggling for the kind of schedule I had, that I even suprised myself. Somehow, I even made dinner most nights, and didn't lose my mind.

But I didn't blog and barely checked in on social media. I jumped in and out of Scrivener every chance my children let me. I worked through that middle, made it sweet with more smoochies. (that's descriptive, right?) I'm now in the last .2 miles of this revision, all downhill. Almost done and I'm so happy.

So--goals: let's talk about them.

Writing:

• Finish this revision before Easter break. Take a few days off, and do a final read. YAY! As a writer, I doubt everything I put on paper. One day I love what I've written and the next, I think I can write it better. But I know without a lick of doubt that I have made this manuscript better. I'm so proud of the work I've put in.
• While on Easter break: choose my next project. Work on my nano-completed draft? Plot the manuscript that's been tugging at me?
• Finish the final read for my manuscript before the end of the month.

Non-Writing:

• Finish THE FIFTH WAVE (love!). Start JUST ONE DAY.
• Get on that treadmill!
• Write some much needed thank you cards for my daughter's birthday and for a school event.
• Plan Easter!

Lessons Learned this week: I can't do everything or be everywhere. I'm not sure why I continue to think I can, but I do. Then, weeks like these happen and I drop a ball or two. And I realize the world doesn't implode. It moves on with or without me, and as much as it appreciates my help, it doesn't count on it for survival.

So that just all means that I can say no, even be a little selfish. Because something always gives and it can't always be at my expense.

I hope you all have a great week! I have three chapters to go! See you soon!

Writer's Bootcamp Monday Check In

 

It's my version of late. 9:47 pm. By the time I press "publish" it will be well past ten because I would have been interrupted at least three times. But I'm intent on getting an update before the clock turns the day over to Tuesday, and the week swoops in and takes me away.

Which is what happened last week.

I know you've had those weeks. When the only thing that keeps you straight is your to-d0 list. When you have to write REVISE TODAY, EXERCISE TODAY all underlined and highlighted because otherwise, you might not do it. If I didn't have children to remind me, I would've added COOK and EAT to the list. Maybe even SLEEP because why do we have to do that anyway? 

 

The thing I did well last week was revise. I checked in mornings with #5amwritersclub and nights with my #GirlsWriteNight and #TeamDefiance. Tackled my chapters. Discussed plot issues with one CP, received a crit from another. I'm moving forward, there's no doubt about it, and my story is getting better, still. 

Thank goodness. I know you writers understand the fear of changing something to the point that it's not your vision or voice, and at least, for now this fear is unfounded. 

 

Goals for this week:

Revise five chapters.

Write every morning and every night. 

Read one book this week.

Write another blog post this week.

Cross-stitch the last bit of a present I need to send out.

Prepare for my youngest's 4th birthday. 

 

I'm sweating just looking at ALL THE GOALS. But I've got to try! 

I hope you all have a great week!  

And, here's to the rest of my team! Visit them!

• Sara Biren - team leader!
• Adrianne Russell
• Patrice Caldwell
• Liz Parker
• Alison Miller
• Helen Jain
• Tracey Neithercott

Updates and keeping up

 

Do you love that banner or what?

It kicks butt. And it makes me want to kick butt. (Thank you Tracey!)

It's the perfect sentiment of where my mind is at the moment. Where my motivations lie, where I want to be. The winter brought me challenges. Although I got up every morning at five and logged in my hours, and although I toiled within the ifs, ands, justs, and towards in my manuscript, it was purely out of my obligation it. Out of habit (because I am, by nature a habitual person).

Then, sometime after the last snowstorm and when the temps rose above 30 degrees, and somewhere between a forced complete revision and handing it over to my critique partners, I started to want to kick butt.

No more nice writer.

DEFIANT.

I set goals last week--to bring the first fifty pages of my manuscript to another level of bootcamp shoe-shine, and I did it. In addition, I tackled this bohemeth:

  

Do you have one of these stacks? Stuff you don't want to deal with. Things that take a process to complete. I destroyed it last week too. I'm down to five measly little papers.

DEFIANT.

Goals for this week:

Shine up the next 75 pages.

Wrap up some IRL work I'm ready to hand off.

No more nice writer.

I hope you bootcampers had a great week! Dont forget to visit the rest of my team:

• Sara Biren - team leader!
• Adrianne Russell
• Patrice Caldwell
• Liz Parker
• Alison Miller
• Helen Jain
• Tracey Neithercott

Spring Writer's Bootcamp Goal-Setting Post

Call this cross-fit for the aspiring writer. Three months of practice, of consistence, and of teams of writers cheering one another on. 

I have decided to rise up. Woman up. And I'm going to kick some manuscript-butt. 

Read more about YA Buccaneer's Spring Writer's Bootcamp HERE.

First things first: THE GOALS. Every Monday hereafter, I'll post an update in my progress, and I'll adjust my goals as needed.

-----

MARCH:

Starting tomorrow! - Embark on the polishing-pass on my current manuscript. Shine shine shine till I can see my face in it.

By the end of the week 3/17 - Edit at least 50 pages.

 

APRIL:

First week: Finish up.

Second week-end of month: Let manuscript fly. Work on my last November's NaNo manuscript.

 

May: 

End of May: Finish up revision of NaNo manuscript.

 

------

Now, I'm not doing all of this alone. I'm also part of an accountability team! Check out my fellow writers-at-arms who'll be flexing their muscles with me. 

• Sara Biren - team leader!
• Adrianne Russell
• Patrice Caldwell
• Liz Parker
• Alison Miller
• Helen Jain
• Tracey Neithercott

Here we go! Now or never!