ROW80.. Here I Come!!

So I've been following some blogs recently that are participating i the ROW80 Writing Challenge, (Round of Words in 80 days), and I wanted to get involved, but I missed the last entry, which started April 2nd.

However they allow you to jump in whenever, so I've decided to take the plunge and jump in now because it coincides almost perfectly with a major live upheaval for my family.. (more on that later)

So I'll be starting my 80 days on this coming Monday, April 16th.. which will put me finishing in Early-July.
(July 5th).. which is almost perfect for me.

So.. to start the ROW80 Challenge, you've got to identify and clearly state what your goals are for the 80 days of the challenge for not only writing, but just your general goals.. so here they are, and they're going to be aggressive because as Robert Browning said, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp".. so I'm going to be reaching on these goals, but that will help provide me with some motivation.


  1. Write at least 7000 words a week towards my WIP.
    1. That will have me finishing my rough draft before the end of the Challenge, which is.. again.. perfect as I'll have to take some time off after I write, and then I can come back to it and edit.
      1. No excuses about needing to research or outline.. this is actual words on page.
         
  2. Stick to my Diet & Exercise plan. (Goal: I'd like to lose 20% of my bodyweight.)
    1. Diet: I'm using the Online Weight Watchers program and I've had good success with it in the past, but I need to stick to it and record all my food, as well as my workouts.
      1. Stick to menu and daily schedule.  
    2. Exercise: I need to be exercising at least 5 times a week, preferably 6 times.
      1. Alternate between walking, jogging, and Insanity tapes.
    3. Sleep: I function on 2 sleep cycles, 8 hours and 6 hours. Anything more or less, I've found, is disruptive.
      1. So I need to be in bed, not reading, ready for sleep by midnight.  Which means writing done by 11pm.
         
  3. Find 3 more Beta Readers or Critique Partners
    1. Given my soon to be location, it's impossible for me to connect with a writing group that meets on a regular basis here in Utah, (unless it's through skype).. and I already have 2 very good internet based beta readers.. but I'd like to find 3 more for more of an internet based writing group.
       
  4. Have something *nearly* ready to submit to Writers of the Future by the end of the challenge.
    1. Not that I have to submit during this ROW80, but have something that is close.. so that I can spend some time cleaning it up before I submit it.
    2. This will obviously be a variation of my current WIP, so that I don't have conflicting WIP's.
       
  5. No video games.  Period.
    1. This actually used to be a real problem for me. About a year ago I was pretty close to what I'd consider a Video Game addict. World of Warcraft was my drug for about 5 years.. from late 2006 until late 2011. To say it held me back both professionally and personally is a gross understatement.  However I feel I've finally reached a point where I have moved past gaming. I've been Warcraft free for 11 of the past 14 months, and even lately, when I found myself spending time playing Civilization, I decided it was too much and deleted it from my computer. I've found I have much more time and focus for my writing, and my family without the spectre of 'leveling up my character' looming.








Comments

  1. I need to do ALL of those things. Except the video games, because I never play them anyway, but I need to get BACK to my diet and BACK to exercising and BACK to writing. You go, girl! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!

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  2. AND OH NO! As soon as I hit publish I realized I had said "you go, girl"....
    ARGGGGGHHHH! Sorry, Kevin. I hope you have a sense of humour.
    *slinks away, tail firmly between my legs*

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    Replies
    1. I like to think I have a good sense of humor.. so not a problem in the least. Thanks for the kind words either way. :)

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  3. All very good goals. SOmetimes we need that added pressure to get us going. I'm glad I read your post. I feel motivated.

    Good luck on reaching your goals.

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  4. I came to visit because of Cathy's public apology for calling you a girl - so one more reader! Good luck on your goals.

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  5. I had to visit because of Cathy, too. She called herself an a$$. Nice to meetcha, Kevin!

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  6. Those are good goals. :) What do you mean, you won't be able to find a writing group? I live in Utah and am a part of TWO of them. They're super-awesome.

    Although, internet betas can be more subjective, I guess. I hear lots of good things about those groups from other bloggers, so...

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