WHY PAINTING IS LIKE WRITING, PLUS ROW80

It sounds like the start of a bad joke:
Why is painting a room like writing a book?
I don't know, why is painting a room like writing a book?

 I hope you weren't waiting for a punch line -- I'm fresh out of punch lines, too tired from painting.

Okay, okay.

WRITING A BOOK      

What should I write?
Idea!
PREPARE
Research/Brainstorm
GATHER THE RIGHT TOOLS
Notebook, notecards, sticky notes, whiteboard, pens, computer
WRITE
Halfway through your idea changes
Suddenly in a tight corner -- how do you write out of this?
Move things around
Want it done so badly, it's all you do in your spare time
First pass -- done!
Needs fixing
Re-write
Think you're done, until someone else looks at it!
Fix the misses
Done! Still, it never matches what you first envisioned

PAINTING A BIG ROOM


What should I paint?
Chose colors
PREPARE
Tape baseboards, remove wall plates
GATHER THE RIGHT TOOLS
Paint, brushes, tape, rollers, ladder, screwdriver, hammer, cloth, newspaper
PAINT
Halfway through, you realize you have to paint the room 2 different colors
Suddenly in a tight corner -- how do you paint behind the weight machine?
Move things around
Want it done so badly, it's all you do in your spare time
First coat, in certain lights it looks done
Needs second coat
Think you're done until your husband comes in w/ the mega light
Fix the mixes
Done! Hey, it looks better than what you thought it would.

So, here's what I learned. It does eventually get done. If you have the right tools, it's a hell of a lot easier. If you prepare, it goes so much faster (sure it's a pain, but worth it in the long run). It feels damn goodly to be done.

So, yesterday, I loaded Pages on to my iPad -- it's easier to bring to work than the laptop -- I can bring it anywhere. That's part of the right tools. I'm concentrating on the re-write right now. that's part of needs fixing. Plus, the whole thing just made me excited.

That's it -- sort of a check-in.
How are you doing?

HELLO STRANGER...A ROW80 CHECK-IN

Confession: I have missed 3 (three!) check-ins. Yikes!

Mea Culpas are abounding. Of course, it's not because I didn't want to check-in, I just...didn't. Almost worse. Every time I thought I might have time, I'd already be 2 or 3 days late, thus, thinking I'd catch-up the next time.

You can see how well my plan worked. NOT ONE BIT. Hmmm.
I feel as if we (I) need a recap:

When last we left our intrepid (or, rather, procrastinating) heroine, she was bemoaning the fact that she had no time. She has yet to find the time, nor is she done with painting the basement.

She is certain that any day now things will fall into place and she'll be back on schedule.

Not the greatest check-in, I grant you, still, a check-in, none-the-less.
I'm still working on things, editing here and there and writing some new words...here and there. Nothing remotely spectacular or even mediocre.

So, Monday will be my sponsor post. Ha! I promise to be better with the check-ins.

What's your promise this next week?

SUNDAY, SUNDAY...OR, ER, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY

January, 25

So, I forgot to attach this post to Sunday's linky...I don't know why. So, I'm recycling it for today
Alrighty then.
Weren't we just here? I was.

So, first, I copied Ryan King and changed the colors of my blog -- I do love to redecorate.

Second, not yet settled into this new schedule, so will change my goals.

Third, not only did I change the color of my blog, but today I painted the two doors in our foyer (more coats needed...yay?) and will start the basement this next week and weekend. It's something that I've wanted to do for awhile, and it's being done.

I think this might force me to find time during the day, like that newly forgotten "lunch" I seem to remember. 

Things I did:
Wrote 2 new scenes for BETWIXT.
Reading a couple books on mythology and monsters (not part of my goals, but it felt productive)
Started The 90 Day Novel...I try not to read too many craft books -- just stick with my faces -- this one, I don't know, it's pulled me in and made me look at things, so I'm going to try the method. We'll see.

New Goals:
Continue 90 day method, check in with where I am on that.
Continue to brainstorm for Goddess.
That's all folks... How's everyone else doing?

Time to Make the Check-In...

Wow. Time is moving at an incredible rate -- it do move quickly.

Tuesday was my fist day at new library/new position. After retrieving all the brain matter strewn about, I think it'll be good (a lot to learn). BUT, I now am the proud owner of my very own office, with a door, and a name plate, and everything. Big time.


Ha!


Sunday: checked-in, wrote some new words and had another plot epiphany on BETWIXT. Readied posts for tKw
Monday: Posted on tKw. Had granddaughter all day, but did check in with other ROWers late that evening.
Tuesday: {{{brain fry}}}.
Wednesday: check-in. Very late. Posted tKw article.

Really did not know my brain would be this fried -- and no writing over lunch for a while. Still stepping like a baby, but that's okay.

I need to step back and figure out where I have some wiggle room -- I might be a weekend novelist for awhile!

How are you all doing?

A ROW...ND ABOUT CHECK-IN

Last week was pretty much a no go on anything. And that's okay, not beating myself up -- just really did not know I would need this much time. Still have other issues as well, and without going into too much information, these, too will take time and energy...and prayers. I'll take my goals one week at a time -- starting the new position at the new library on Tuesday (nervous, excited). NEW GOALS: Today -- post goals. Get posting ready for Those Kennedy Women Monday -- check in w/ other ROW80 folk. Edit or brainstorm/write, either BETWIXT or GODDESS IN THE MECHANICA. Tuesday -- I'm not scheduling anything -- brain might be reeling from too much new info! Wednesday -- ROW80 check-in and check-in w/others Thursday -- evening writing 7:00--8:00 Friday -- Another day off... Saturday -- prepare postings for tKw Sunday -- check-in That's it -- nothing stunning or glorious -- baby steps, right? Just a little aside, if I weren't a part of this ROW80 community, I'm pretty sure I would not be doing anything toward my goals. The writing would stop completely -- which wouldn't be good, because writing can be so therapeutic. So I am very happy to be a part of this. Thanks. How are you all doing?

ROW WITH A SHOT OF LIFE

Wow. I've been hit. Kind of hard.

A dear, dear friend of the family (my mother's best friend for 60+ years) passed away Sunday afternoon, funeral is tomorrow.
This is my last week at this library, which I've been at for 15 years, plus, it was my library -- took my older kids to Storytime here, before I even worked here.
A big adult child crisis, is hopefully coming to a head today.

I am mourning everything.

Yet, life goes on.
SO:
Monday: did my hour of editing BETWIXT and my hour of brainstorming GODDESS
Tuesday: got an hour of brainstorming in at night on GODDESS

Today, I'm checking in, but I won't be able to get to other ROWers check-ins until much later...sorry.

Thursday: is the funeral, I'm not going to push the writing -- probably re-do my goals now that I'll have a different schedule too.
Hope everyone else is doing just fine.

A Sunday Kind of Check-In

Very happy with the specificity thing. I've noticed (and I realize it's only the first week) that even if something comes up, I never forget that I owe myself an hour of editing or a blog post. It's like starting work an hour late -- you have to make up that hour somehow.

So...when last we left our ROWer, she'd checked-in on Wednesday and checked-out a bunch of other awesome ROWers. Which was her goal for that day. Oh, and posted at Those Kennedy Women


Thursday: 8:00a.m. edited BETWIXT for over an hour. Extra added bonus of lunch-time check-ins. Brainstormed GODDESS for an hour and a half  from 7:30p.m. - 9:00p.m. -- because I knew I couldn't do it Friday morning. And I did get out the BIG wall post-it paper for cool brainstorm mapping.


Friday: Posted my mom's piece at Those Kennedy Women, facebooked and tweeted it. Then, family stuff.

Saturday: Managed to brainstorm  GODDESS for about 1/2 hour.

The only thing I didn't get to (well I have a rough draft done-ish) was my non-ROW post on living at the parapsychology study center, Harmony. Maybe, I'm over-thinking it.


On a newsy note, I'll be moving to a new library with a new position (promotion -- yay!), so, I'll have to re-do my  goals -- different schedule.

How did everyone else do?