Late Check In

So I'm late checking in this week.  I had a pretty busy, but also really good weekend.  It was, however, largely filled with non-writing activities - and I am so tired now!  Please forgive me if this post seems a little disjointed.  I know I haven't been very good about responding to comments - I'm going to try to do better - but I want you all to know that I really appreciate your encouragement and support.  My foot is all better, and I've also recovered from the allergic reaction caused by the antibiotics.  Yay! 

Better than that, though, is that for the first time in months I actually feel motivated.  For the last three months or so, it has been like swimming uphill through molasses to do anything other than read a book or watch TV.  Even making plans to hang out with my friends has felt like work, nevermind tackling anything on my to do list.  But that's finally over.  I don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to enjoy it. :)

Without further ado, my updates:

1) Write 25,000 words
Since my last check-in, I have written 1619 words, for a total of 9179 so far this round.  I'm pretty pleased with this, although I haven't actually done the math to see if that's on track for hitting my target.

2) Post on Blog once a week - besides check-in posts
This didn't get done this week.  I have my list of links all ready to go - I just have to add commentary and post.  I'm not really unhappy about that - there were a lot of other things I got done this weekend that I've been putting off for a while, so missing a blog post doesn't feel like a big deal.  I'll probably have it up by tomorrow at the latest.

3) Write first draft of short story
I still haven't done any actual writing on this project, but I did spend a little time thinking about what I want to do with it.  The concept came from a writing prompt that turned out kind of cool, but I'm not sure how it ends or where exactly it's going.  I do have a couple more ideas though.

4) Make progress on Last Words
Most of my words this week were spent on getting to know my main character better.  This novel was my NaNoWriMo project last November, and although I did spend about a month plotting and figuring things out beforehand, it wasn't enough to make it through a whole book, and I ended up feeling like my main character was kind of flat.  So this week, I've been doing a lot of brainstorming about her background and what makes her tick, and also just writing random scenes from her life.  It's been kind of fun.

That's all folks!  I hope you're all having a great writing week so far!

Goals 2010

I've been thinking (and reading) a lot about goals this month. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but I do want to make some changes in my life and I like the idea of goals, and plans for achieving goals.  I didn't come up with goals in time for the new year, but today is my birthday, the start of MY new year and it seems like a pretty good day to start the rest of my life.  So here are my big picture goals.  I've already broken down some of these into smaller pieces and started trying to create habits to make them a reality.  I'll talk more about that later, but I wanted to get these posted now.

1) Get Healthier/Have More Energy

I work a full time job and attend graduate school.  I also participate in several theatrical productions every year in conjunction with our local community theater, the university, and most recently, a newly formed professional theater company.  I get sick a lot, and don't have time for that (who does, right?).  I hope that developing a healthier lifestyle will help me avoid illness better and have more energy to cope with my hectic schedule.  I'd also really like to lose a little weight.

2) Unclutter My House/Life

My house is a mess.  I have way too much stuff and I can't find things I need.  Also, I know that I'm happier when things are clean and organized.  But the physical clutter is only part of the problem, so I want to unclutter my life as well.  Obviously, this is a really big goal, so I want to set several smaller goals and I won't beat myself up if it's not complete at the end of the year, as long as I can make continuous progress.

3) Start a Happiness Project

I've been reading Gretchen Rubin's blog The Happiness Project and I've decided I'd like to have one of my own.  To that end, I've signed up for her 2010 Happiness Challenge and I plan to pick up her book for my eReader.  I think the first two goals I've set will feed into this one as well.