Action Plans and Deadlines

A strategy is an action plan of what you want to achieve and how. It defines where you want to see yourself in the long-term and how you are going to use your resources, skills and competencies to achieve that.
― Pooja Agnihotri

Your action plan is your roadmap. It helps you get the wheels in motion, and it steers you toward long-term success: consistent, intentional practice. This is your path to creating and sustaining healthy habits that fuel you to keep going.
― Melissa Steginus

Dreams without deadlines are dead in the water. Deadlines are really lifelines to achieving our goals.
― Mark Batterson

A few weeks ago I talked about setting goals to “stay in the light” and I think it’s about time I came up with my plan of action for this. An action plan outlines precisely how you’re going to accomplish your goals. And as I’m figuring out my plan of action, I’m realizing that first I’ll need to better define my goals.

Simply put, a goal is a dream with a deadline. Not only is it a vision of the future, it’s a vision that is time-sensitive. And this is one of the things I fall short on. I have all kinds of lists of things I want to accomplish, but none of them have deadlines.

Without a deadline, your work is never over. The power of deadlines leads your work to completion.
― Thomas Vato

I find this is true. I tell myself that I want to edit An Elemental Spirit and get it out there, but because I haven’t set a deadline for it, nothing’s getting done. Look how long it took me to finish Magical Mayhem. There was no deadline, so there was no rush to do it.

Frankly, I’ve always worked better under a deadline, and you’d think I’d know this by now. Have to get my poetry post finished for Wednesday? No problem. Having that deadline helps me make it a priority. The granddaughter’s ball dress needs to be done by Wednesday so she can try it on? All it takes is working at it in stages and it gets done on time.

You know what folks? I think I’m having a epiphany here.

An action plan is useful for anyone who needs a step-by-step planning process. When you create one, you’re detailing exactly what actions you need to take to reach your goal.

Action plan for granddaughter’s dress: 1. Buy fabric. 2. Figure out pattern. 3. Cut material. 4. Sew bodice first. 5. Sew in invisible zipper. 6. Sew skirt. 7. Have granddaughter try on bodice to check fit. 8. Make adjustments. 9. Sew skirt to bodice. Done.

By breaking it down into these steps, I reached my goal. But do all goals need an action plan to accomplish them? I think it depends on the goal. Something like, “Write new poem by Wednesday” can’t be broken down into steps. I just need to sit down and write. But something like, “Edit Elemental Spirit” could, theoretically at least, be broken down into steps: create Ilezie prophecy; figure out journal entries from archival records; re-write beginning; edit the body of the book.

Maybe the steps aren’t as impressive as the action plan for sewing the dress, but they’re steps that need to be taken, and in that order. I’ve just been flitting from one step to another and back again, getting nothing done. I need to sit down with a calendar and figure out my deadlines. For instance, if I want the book finished to be released in the new year, then I have a six month deadline over all, which can be broken up into two month step-by-step deadlines.

While an action plan seems more conducive to big goals than little ones, I still need to start setting deadlines for my smaller goals. And I need to make a weekly writing “to do” list when I write this post because half of the stuff I say I’ll do on here doesn’t get done because I simply forget I was going to do it. Out of sight, out of mind. But a list, especially a list taped to my lap desk, would help me considerably.

So goals, deadlines, and plans of action. Guess we know what I’ll be working on this week.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
I don’t really have a word that describes last week. Roller coaster maybe? It was certainly up and down.

Even though I didn’t get much accomplished writing-wise other than blog posts, it was a fairly busy week. I caught up on a few things and made not one, but two batches of jam – haskap berries that I bought, and raspberries that I picked myself.

I squeezed my poetry post in between a road trip with my stitchery group and an outing with the hubby to go see the new Indiana Jones movie – excellent movie, by the way. And a most satisfying wrap-up to the series.

I spent an entire afternoon deciding which pioneer woman costume to buy from Amazon for another stitchery event at Lang Pioneer Village at the end of August. So many to choose from! My top two favorites were both made from 100% polyester. I wouldn’t have lasted half a day in either of them, what with synthetic, non-breathable fabric and my aversion to heat. But my third choice was a more reasonable 100% cotton and comes with a matching bonnet.

So . . . lots of stuff to keep me busy, but very little of it had to do with writing. Although I did spend an entire day in my office. I guess that’s progress.

NEW WORDS:
1600+879+229+835=3,543
DOWN 176 – words from last week

Still down a bit, but not as much as last week. The only time I felt rushed was for my poetry post because I had to squeeze it into a relatively short space of time.

I’ve been keeping up with my morning pages, but other than getting me into the habit of starting my day with 15 minutes of writing, I’m not sure they’re helping any. I’ve never actually read the book the idea came from, but I think I’m going to. Flipping through it, I see that there are other exercises as well. Couldn’t hurt, could it?

Goals For Next Week:
Get my blog posts written and maybe a few other words as well.

EDITING:
0 hours

So . . . I don’t know what it is with me and the whole editing thing, but I’m not taking it off my list because I will get to it eventually.

Goal For Next Week:
Get to work on Elemental Spirit or some other piece that’s collecting dust.

POETRY:
I did actually have my form picked out early last week, but it was a combination of two other forms I hadn’t done yet, so I wanted to do them first to use as a reference. So I started one of the other two forms, but I was taking too long with the example poem so I switched to the simpler of the two forms. Not only was I able to get it done with time to spare, I really liked my example poem.

Goal For Next Week:
Get the other form ready to share.

CRAFTING:
Getting the baker’s rack set up does not seem to be a priority with me because I never even gave it a thought last week.

My stitchery group met up at a home based needlework supply store last Tuesday where we spent the day sitting around a long table stitching and gossiping. I started working on one of the stitchery kits and ended up quite pleased with my work. I also managed to do a bit more of it during the week.

I left my sewing machine out after finishing the granddaughter’s dress, and I actually have the urge to do a little sewing for myself. Namely, a couple of skirts for the fall. I thought briefly about making my costume for the trip to Lang Pioneer Village, but I don’t think it would have been any cheaper than buying one. For sure it would be less frustrating.

Goal For Next Week:
Continue on my sampler and the kit I started. Maybe check out my patterns and material stash for possibilities.

WHAT I’M READING:
I finally updated my Goodreads and I’m 8 books ahead on my pledge to read a book a week this year. It would have been 10 books ahead, but two of the books I read I read previously – I knew they sounded familiar. ;-)

In tree books I read Legacy, by Nora Roberts, and I’ve made a good start on The Boy in the Rain, by Stephanie Cowell.

On the Kindle, I finished Black List, by Lynn Raye Harris, and I’m halfway through A Hacker, Vampire, and Chimera Walk Into a Bar, by R.K. Munin.

Goal For Next Week:
Keep up the good reading habits.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

I refuse to let myself be ruled by the weather any longer. So no matter what the weather is like in the week ahead, I’m determined to get some writing done. The day I spent in my office last week? It was pouring rain all day. So I’ve proved I can ignore the negative influence of the weather.

As well, I’d really like to at least get a start on some editing. I’ve been dragging my heels over it way too long, but it’s kind of out of sight, out of mind. I don’t have it right in front of me, so my mind just moves on to other things. Maybe I should try printing out at least a section of Elemental Spirit so I can’t ignore it.

This week’s poetry form is actually done, except for the example poem. And oh, gee, the example poem will also double as my poemwork for an upcoming poetry group meeting. Funny how things like that just work out.

But something else I’d like to start thinking about again, as far as poetry goes, is a poetry book. When I was at one of the poetry workshops at Writersfest, I made some notes about themes for a poetry book or two, and I need to look them up and maybe start going through my poems. And I just realized I forgot all about sending my invented form off for consideration. Guess that goes on the list for this week as well.

I tried to limit my Kindle reading to riding the stationary bike, and it mostly worked, but I got impatient to finish the book I’d been plugging away at all week. Then yesterday I wasn’t feeling well, so I started a new book on my Kindle and I was halfway through before I realized it. This week I’d like to slow it down a bit and focus on the tree book I started.

I may not be close to being back on track, but I think I’m at least moving in the right direction.

Stay in the Light

Every day you spend drifting away from your goals is a waste not only of that day, but also of the additional day it takes to regain lost ground.
—Ralph Marston

Without dreams and goals, there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.
—Mark Twain

I believe in the saying, ‘If you aim at nothing, you’re going to hit nothing.’ So if you don’t set goals, then you have nowhere to go.
—Taylor Lautner

It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.
—Benjamin E. Mays

I was on the way home from a therapy appointment after having had a bit of a break-thru, and the radio started playing “Stay in the Light,” by Honeymoon Suite. I took that as a sign – the words: Stay in the light, keep your target in sight really spoke to me. They became a kind of mantra.

I was thinking about this the other day, and then I wondered, what good does staying in the light do if you don’t really have a target? I was thinking, of course of my writing and how I didn’t really have a target, or goal.

Then I started thinking about it some more and I realized that’s not entirely true. I do have goals. I want to finish Elemental Spirit, I want to put out a poetry anthology, I want to write things other than blog posts, I want to finish my unfinished novels . . .

Most impossible goals can be met simply by breaking them down into bite-size chunks, writing them down, believing them, and going full speed ahead as if they were routine.
—Don Lancaster

Well, first of all, I wouldn’t exactly call editing a book an impossible goal. And breaking it down doesn’t exactly work either – I mean, you either edit or you don’t. There’s really nothing else to it.

I don’t know what it is, but for some reason, when I think of “keeping my target in sight” I don’t feel like I have one. So then I thought, maybe I need some help setting some goals.

Let’s start with a definition. A goal is something you want to achieve. Pretty basic, but there it is in a nutshell. It is not an objective, objectives are the steps taken to reach a goal. Nor is it a resolution, resolutions are a decision to do or not do something. The goal is what you want to achieve.

Setting specific, challenging goals leads to increased performance, persistence, and motivation. It helps us take a step back and really understand what’s important. Some would say, it’s the first step towards creating a life full of meaning. It gives you something to aspire to, acknowledging what you want out of life. It puts you in control of your future.

There are many different kinds of goals: 1. Short term – goals that can be achieved quickly – within a few days or weeks. 2. Long term – goals that require more time – months, maybe even years. 3. Personal goals – goals related you a person’s health, relationships, or hobbies. 4. Professional goals – goals related to someone’s career and skill development. 5. Financial goals – goals related to paying off a debt, investing, saving for retirement. 6. Academic goals – goals related to someone’s education, such as learning a new skill 7. Social goals – goals related to making new friends, attending social functions, networking.

Whatever kind of goals you make, they should be meaningful to you and fill you with pride when you meet them. Your personal goals should not be dependent on other people and they shouldn’t be reliant on external forces you have no control over. If your goal is based on something outside of your control, you have no control on whether or not you achieve that goal.

I think where I’ve gone wrong is the fact that all the research I’ve done has shown me that it’s not enough to just have goals or set them, you have to have a plan of action in place for achieving them. You also have to figure out what’s needed to reach your goal, and set a time frame for it.

In other words, I don’t just need goals, I need a plan of action. This is going to require some serious thought, but hopefully it’ll be time well spent. And in the end, I really will be able to stay in the light.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
I can’t think of a word to describe last week. My brain is mush.

I had a strong beginning (like always). After struggling with my Sunday post, when I was writing Monday’s post I had a sudden idea for this Sunday’s (today’s) post. So I had the first half of it written early in the week. Got my poetry post done early too.

However, starting on Wednesday I began house/dog sitting for my daughter while she and her family are in Halifax (Nova Scotia) and I gotta tell you, this is weirder than snake shoes. She only lives a short distance from me and if she only had cats it would just be a matter of going over and feeding them every day. Maybe spend a little time keeping them company.

But the dog needs to be let out, and at night or when no one’s home he stays in his crate. And I suppose technically, because he’d be in the crate anyway, I could have slept at home, but that just wouldn’t feel right to me.

It took a couple of days to settle into a workable routine. Thursday I had a bunch of obligations concerning my father-in-law, and Friday I had to work around grocery shopping (I had to go to four different stores before I found the FIL’s Bud Zero), so those days in particular were a wee bit stressful. But the rest of my time was okay.

The installment for Winter’s Child almost didn’t happen because of my stress level on Thursday, but I think the story is going in the direction I want it to. I got extra reading in – the daughter doesn’t have network TV and I didn’t bother streaming anything until Saturday night. LOL

I also got a little extra stitching in and some journalling. I would have liked to have liked to have got more writing in, but going back and forth between two homes was a little distracting.

But, only three more days and then I can get back to working on a routine. And you want to know something funny? This dividing my time between two households has made me appreciate having a routine more. I’m actually looking forward to buckling down to working one out for every day.

NEW WORDS:
2185+638+339+757=3,919
DOWN 17 – words from last week

Well that’s not bad at all, is it? I may not have added extra words, but I did manage to be a little more consistent. Most of my blog posts were up a few words, but the installment for Winter’s Child was actually down by about 100 words. I do like to try to keep my installments consistent in word counts, but they’re basically a single scene and it is what it is.

I actually did get some office time in on Monday and Tuesday, but those were the only two days. Having no network TV to watch was a little disconcerting because I’m used to having something mindless on when I’m writing in the living room. With the streaming service I’m usually watching something I want to pay attention to, which is fine for stitching, not so much for writing.

I will admit that I found the daughter’s house less distracting to work in than at home. That’s not to say I got any more writing in at her place, but it showed me what I could be doing with my time.

Goals For Next Week:
Find a workable routine to generate more words.

EDITING:
0 hours

Well, I may not have made any progress with actual editing, but I feel like I’m moving closer to it. I think future progress will greatly depend on coming up with that routine I keep talking about, and spending more time in my office.

Goal For Next Week:
Figure out the prophecy; get editing Elemental Spirit.

POETRY:
I picked out last week’s form early to give myself time to do some research on it, and it’s a good thing I did, because information was hard to come by. I had the inventor’s name and the bare bones of the form. Four different sites I checked had the exact same information. Through sheer doggedness, I uncovered the author’s obituary, which offered a little more insight into her life, but nothing else about the form.

I did not make it to the poetry reading last week – see above mention about dog sitting. But this week there is a poetry gathering. It feels like a long time since we’ve been together.

Goal For Next Week:
Find another new poetry form to share. Do poemwork for Wednesday.

CRAFTING:
I finally got my baker’s rack! The father-in-law paid some movers to, well, move it. It took three of them to get that sucker off the truck and up the stairs. It fits perfectly in the space I had for it, just as I knew it would. And the bottom shelves fold up, which makes it handy because the middle shelf is the perfect height if I want to use it as a work table. All I need is a stool to sit on.

Tuesday was the Annual General Meeting for the stitchery group. It was held at a local golf course and included lunch and a stash sale, as well as the meeting. Despite my best intentions, I came away with three (shopping) bags of loot from the stash sale. *sigh*

However, it wasn’t all for me. The granddaughter mentioned she’d like to learn to sew this summer. So one of the things I nabbed was a brand new sewing box. I’m going to fill it with sewing accessories, and if she keeps up with the sewing for the summer, the box will be hers to keep.

AND there were two blanket sized lengths of arctic fleece that ended up in my bags too. All they need is an edging of blanket stitch and they’re perfect for throw blankets. I figured it would be the perfect first sewing project for her. She can take her pick – she can do one, and I’ll do the other.

Not much actual stitching during the week, until I brought my stitchery bag over to the daughter’s. Then I made some progress on my sampler while watching the Witcher.

I’m actually looking forward to going back home and going through my loot from the stash sale, and getting my baker’s rack set up. AND something to look forward to later in the year, I signed up for a stitchery retreat, my first one.

Goal For Next Week:
Continue with my sampler; go to Fabricland for the netting for the granddaughter’s dress.

WHAT I’M READING:
I haven’t made any more progress in One Dark Window, by Rachel Gillig. *shrugs* I left it at home while I’m at the daughter’s, but I did bring my Kindle with me.

I finished Bride Protector SEAL, which is book #2 in the Brotherhood Protector series, by Elle James, and read Montana D-Force, the next one in the series. I must be in a military/lawman frame of mind, because I’ve started Justice for Mackenzie, the first in the Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes series by Susan Stoker.

Goal For Next Week:
Keep up the good reading habits.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

I have three more days of house/dog sitting, and then it’s back home full time. While it will be nice to get back to all my stuff, I have to admit the distractions were fewer here. However, one thing I will NOT miss are the mosquitos. The daughter has a row of giant fir trees along her fence, and apparently mosquitos love pine.

That being said, being outside with the dog so much has given me a better appreciation for the great outdoors. Maybe when I get back home I’ll start spending a couple of hours a day either writing or stitching outside.

My baker’s rack was delivered and it looks beautiful in its designated spot. I even bought some small plastic bins for the craft stuff I’d like to keep on it. So one of the first things on my list for when I get back home is to start sorting out stuff to keep on it. I mean, what’s the point of a massive rack if you can’t fill it with stuff, right?

I fell off the list wagon while at my daughter’s, so that’s another thing I have to get back to. But Monday and Tuesday I sat at my desk in my office to update my journals — maybe that’s something else I should be doing on a regular basis.

Despite the upheaval of being kind of away from home for a week, I actually feel like that track I fell off of is getting a bit closer again. I guess only time will tell.

On the Cusp of the New Beginnings

Just as Friday was the time for recapping last year’s goals (and how I did on them), today is the time for setting new goals for the year ahead.

This year’s goals started out as a list I made in my writing journal. When I was done I looked them over and then grouped them into categories, each category having several goals. Call me crazy, but I think presenting them this way will make it easier for me to follow – I can pick and choose and do a bit at a time at different things instead of doing the whole goal at once.

The one goal that is not included here is to set up a workable writing routine. This is something that’s been my goal for several years now, and every year it’s a fail. A regular routine would be a lovely thing, but it never lasts for more than a week or two, maybe a month, before something comes along and upsets the applecart. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that planning on something invariably leads to disappointment, if not outright disaster.

Without further ado, my goals for 2019:

Publishing
Wandering Wizards should have been out two Christmases ago. That’s the first on my list to get done. And for Christmas 2019 I want to have an anthology of my short stories finished. Also under this category is sending out my short fiction and/or poetry to be published. Friends and fellow writers tell me they enjoy my work, let’s see if magazines do too.

Organizing and indexing
Both my poetry and my fiction files are scattered hither and yon between different computers, USB sticks, and hard copy files. I want to set up a searchable database for my poetry, complete with cross indexing, and have only one hard copy and one electronic copy of each poem. I probably won’t do hard copies of my short fiction (or maybe I’ll do a hard copy when I consider a story finished), but I do need to gather up all my electronic copies of various stories and start deleting the repeats that occurred during my “when in doubt, save every draft” phase. Perhaps I might dedicate a writing journal just for story notes. It wouldn’t hurt to finish moving my files off my old computer and organize my photos too.

Writing
More writing – kinda goes without saying, doesn’t it? Previously I’ve set myself word goals, anywhere from 250 to 1,000 words a day. This year I’m setting myself a time goal of a minimum 30 minutes a day. It’s surprising how much you can do in 30 minutes – or even two sets of 15 minutes. As well as finishing Wandering Wizards and getting an anthology together, I also want to finish at least the first draft of my NaNo novel, Shattered, and I really need to make a start on the final elemental book, An Elemental Spirit.

Lifestyle
Here’s where I remind myself to do more reading and less mindless surfing/socializing/gaming. To spend some time doing things that don’t involve the computer. And to give my health more of a priority. This last one is especially important. I started out last year with my weight down by 10 pounds and my A1C (diabetic glucose level) down a whole point. 2019 is starting out with that 10 pounds back and my A1C back up. My eating habits aren’t to blame, it’s the lack of exercise, which I think is a problem most writer’s face.

So there you have it, my list of goals for the coming year. The betting is now open as to how many of these will be wins. ;-)

Goals Versus Resolutions

Do you set goals for yourself, or make resolutions? As far as I’m concerned, they’re pretty much the same thing. The difference is that you break a resolution, but you fail to achieve a goal. Neither one is a particularly nice word, but at least with goals even if you fail it gives the illusion you at least tried.

As is traditional, we start with a recap of last year’s goals first. I was light on the goals last year, there were only five of them:

Blog more often.
Write every day.
Read every day.
Spend more time on crafts.
Lose more weight.

So how did I do?

The blogging was directed more to this blog, where I noted that over the course of 2015 I’d only posted 14 times. Well, in that respect I really outdid myself. I posted 86 times to this blog over the course of the year. For my other blog I was actually down by 3 posts.

Write every day. Nope, not every day, but enough days to keep me going at least.

Read every day. I may not have read every day, but I read enough to surpass my Goodreads pledge of 52 books by 7. Okay, actually, it was more than seven - I kind of lost track of the books I read in November.

Spend more time on crafts. Well that was a great, big, no. Other than a few crafts for Christmas I really don’t have anything to show here.

Lose some more weight. Oooo *hangs head in shame* Not only did I not lose weight, I actually gained some. During the hot, humid summer I fell right off the healthy eating and exercise habit, and while I’ve been better at watching what I eat, I still haven’t regained the exercise habit.

So...other than blogging and reading, I’d say 2016 was a bit of a failure, goal wise. Which brings us to this year:

1. Keep up with the good reading habits, but include a non-fiction book every once in awhile. I’d like to say once a month, but knowing me it’ll be more like once every other month. ;-)
2. Get back on the healthy life style band wagon. I’m a diabetic, and I also have IBS, and my last check-up showed my cholesterol was higher than it should be. So no matter how much fun it is to lie in the ditch watching the band wagon continue on without me, it’s time to chase that sucker down and climb back on.
3. Get out of the house once a week. And by out of the house I mean something other than babysitting or grocery shopping. It could be a walk, or a movie, or taking in the monthly poetry reading, just so long as it’s something.
4. Less gaming, more crafting. If I want to do something mindless in front of the TV at night, crocheting or knitting is more practical than hidden objects games. Who knows, I could even get a jump start on Christmas gifts - toques for everyone!
5. Find a routine that balances what I need to do with what I have to do. I think that one’s pretty self-explanatory. I like my routines, and I get a lot more accomplished when I have one. But it’s also got to be flexible enough that it can be adjusted when life throws me a curve ball, as it so often does.
6. Write every day. I’m not going to set myself a daily word goal because I’m still trying to find a routine that works. As long as I write something - a sentence, a paragraph, a page... - I’ll be happy.
7. Write a flash fiction or short story once a month; maybe even submit one or two. I used to really love writing short stories - it seems kind of silly not to write them just because I’m writing longer stuff. Why not do both?

So there you have it. Seven achievable goals for the coming year. You’ll notice I don’t have anything there about self-promotion. I’m going to keep writing and keep publishing, but I’ve been fighting with the IRS for an ITIN number (which means I’ll get 2/3 of my royalties instead of 1/3) and until I win this battle I don’t see the point making myself crazy with the promotion stuff.

And also, as seems to be traditional, I’ll be shaking things up a bit posting wise. I’ll probably still do the wordage report, but I’m re-thinking the quotations thing. While the quotes are continually changing, the advice they offer is much the same. And I may, or may not, talk a bit about what I’m reading currently. But NO book reviews! I made that mistake on a different blog and I’m still getting emails from publicists offering me books to read. Thanks anyway, but I’ve got plenty of books to read!

Truth is, I’ve got way too many books to read. Weeding them out is a traumatic experience. And a post best written another day. ;-)

So ... what are your goals/resolutions for the coming year?

Moving Forward

The good news is, I reached my goal. The bad news is, I’m left trying to figure out “what next?”

I’ve finished my transcriptions. There, I said it. They’re done and polished and sent off to the contractor. I can pat myself on the back over the fact I was able to meet my goal (only slightly late, and that was because of something I had no control over). I learned what I’m capable of if I put my mind to it, which is a good thing. But now that the sigh of relief has been let out, I’m left feeling kind of meh.

Surprisingly, this is a pretty common feeling. When you set a goal for yourself you start out with an initial thrill of working towards something, then there’s the euphoria of reaching your goal, and then ... the inevitable emotional letdown. So why does this happen?

Sometimes it happens when we look outside of ourselves for praise. When that praise from others begins to wane, as is only inevitable, so does our validation. And while we should feel proud of ourselves, we just aren’t used to feeling that way, no matter how well we do. But probably the most common cause of emotional let-down is self-doubt. That little voice inside your head that says, “Yeah, it happened this time, but don’t expect it to happen again.”

The best way combat this is to set yourself a new goal immediately. Keep up those good habits self-discipline instilled in you and move on. Learn how to give yourself praise or a pat on the back. Personal goals are just that - personal. While it’s great if someone else recognizes them, that’s not the point. The point is to achieve this for yourself. And never, ever compare yourself to others.

Wordage Report

Blog Posts (not counting this one)
2839 words total
Up by about a thousand words from my last report, and almost twenty-five hundred from last week. While I may have been late with all but one of my posts last week, including this one, at least I got them written, so I have that much going for me at least. :-)

Reading/Reviews
0 words total
I started reading Lord of the Flies while babysitting, and Thursday I spent the entire day reading Inkheart, which was really good. And really long. But I didn’t have time to review it.

Editing
0 pages total
It’s been a while since I looked at An Elemental Earth, but I finally picked it up again this week and I’ve gone over the first 12 chapters. So far I’ve only had a little bit of tweeking to do here and there, but I’m going to take my time and get it right.

New Words
2,372 words total
Okay, so that’s not as impressive as I’d hoped. The transcription project was done Tuesday, the files were sent Wednesday, so technically I had from Wednesday afternoon on to work. So what happened? Well, somewhere along the way I picked up a really, really bad cold. And then Thursday I felt so crappy that I spent the day reading. Friday I was doing other things, so most of those words were done yesterday.

This Week’s Goals:

Continue editing Elemental Earth, reach Chapter 24
More words on Wandering Wizards
Update my Goodreads

My last goal was to make it through the week with my sanity intact, and I’d have to say the jury is still out on whether I achieved that or not. LOL


This week’s excerpt is once again from Wandering Wizards:

Howard woke with a groan. It took a few minutes for his memory to catch up with him and when it did he sat up too quickly.

“Ow, ow, ow!” He held his head as it threatened to explode with pain. “Jesus! Why didn’t anyone warn me about side effects?”

The pain receded slightly and the spots that had been dancing in front of his eyes lessened. It was at that point he realized he wasn’t alone. He was surrounded by a ring of heavily armed elves, all dressed in some kind of dark grey uniform, all with drawn swords pointed at him.

“On your feet, human,” the one with extra decorations on his tunic ordered.

“Okay, okay. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.” The pain in his head seemed to recede a bit as he breathed in and out slowly.

This was not how he pictured arriving in the Magical Realm, although he was grateful that at least that seemed to be where his transferral spell had landed him. A quick glance around showed that he seemed to have landed in someone’s formal garden. In fact, he was quite fortunate that he landed on the path and not in one of the flower beds with their ornate statuary or worse, in the fountain.

The soldiers, he couldn’t think of them as anything else, showed signs of impatience so with a supreme effort he got to his feet. Another quick glance around had him breathing a quiet sigh of relief. There was no sign of Ellen, thank God she hadn’t been close enough to get caught up in his spell - he’d have never heard the end of it.

“I don’t suppose one of you kind gentlemen could tell me exactly where I am?” he asked, a puzzled frown on his face. While he didn’t exactly expect to land at Jessica’s feet, he had hoped to be in her general vicinity. And when he last spoke with her, she and Dominic had been off of Ghren lands, just at the edge of the Darkwood Forest.

“Silence. You will come with us.”

As much as Howard would have liked to protest, he had a feeling it wouldn’t do him any good. The pain in his head receded to hangover strength but he was feeling slightly dizzy, so at first he focused entirely on staying on his feet. Gradually the dizziness passed and he began to look at the passing scenery with interest.

The path through the garden was made from something like flagstone, only this was no dull grey slate, but a white, marble like stone. On either side of the path were flowering shrubs and exotic blossoms, slender trees that bore unfamiliar fruit. They came to a finely wrought gate that appeared to be carved from the same stone as the shimmering white walls surrounding the garden.