Two Weeks In

Two weeks ago, I launched a 100 day challenge.  So, by my calculations that means I have 86 days to go.  I’m not exactly close to the home stretch, am I?  

The experiment has already taught me a few things or I’ve remembered them.  The first is that there is time for this.  I’ve always had the time; I just haven’t always had the perseverance.   I’m working on that.  My first step was to complete a workbook with chapter by chapter assignments.  Even though some chapters were laden with additional assignments, and some assignments really made me balk, (or almost puke) and I sincerely wished I could quit, I went to the end.  Writers persevere.

The second lesson is that I don’t have the time.  I know. I know.  That’s the opposite of what I just said.  I’ve found that I’m busier than I realized.  And I’m really, really good at distractions.  And at promises that say I will do this later a.k.a. avoidance.  I’m working on this too.   I repeat to myself – I will be glad later on that I wrote, which handily outweighs the other mantra – I don’t want to.  Writers are focused. 

The third thing I’m learning is about trust.  Trust in the process – it might look like I’m up against a brick wall, but I will write something.  Write around it, or think about one sentence, or write down the difficulty in colored font and go on.  Or write what I think I need to do next.  Or put the keyboard away and read, carefully, watching for the way my words can come forth.  Or I can acknowledge that I’ve written enough for one day and I can wash the damn windows.  Go for a walk.  Bake some muffins.  There is always tomorrow when I will come back to the page.  In fact there are 86 more tomorrows.   How much will I have discovered by the time my 100 day challenge is over?  I want to find out.  Writers are curious. 

100 Day Challenge

It’s begun!  This is day one.  Day one of a 100 Day Challenge, that is.  The idea presented itself a couple of months ago.  And last night at Writer’s Group, three of us outlined our writing goals for our own version of the 100 Day Challenge.

I have given this a bit of thought and here are my goals.  I have committed to writing at least 80 days of the next 100.  At the very least, but my life can take a twist or two where time gets away.  I have decided that I will complete a writing workbook entirely – to combat my tendency to skip assignments.  I have chosen a small collection of short stories to use as models for my next stories.   

I have great faith in the power of accountability.  So while it works for me to set  goals and to track my progress and to work though difficulties, no one knows but me when I slip and slide and suffer.  This will be different.  Just knowing that two other people are on day one, that two other people will put fingers to keyboard, will carve out a segment of their day to write, will be my sisters of the word has enormous power.   And if I falter?  I have two friends to help. 

Day one is good. 

 

 

It's Not Natural

New Story! – New Link! 

It’s Not Natural is at SNReview.  I can’t tell you how pleased I was that this market took a second story from me.  Yahoo!  And as we were travelling when I received the e-mail that it would be published, I am very glad of my laptop.  Also, as luck would have it, I was in a community that had WiFi but only for the previous week to my using it.  We were the Yukon, which is amazing to visit, but quite remote and I wasn't sure what to expect for Internet service. 

It’s Not Natural is a story that I wrote during a winter long self-assignment.  I was reading a book of short stories and for every story I read, I decided what the other author’s story was about.  Then I would write a story about the same thing.  It’s Not Natural, I hope, has other layers but it began as a story about….someone who was unhealthy.  And so that’s part of the story behind the story. 

Enjoy.