January 8, 2019 – Write From Karen

Writing goals – gads, just writing those words out makes my heart nearly beat out of my chest.

Here’s the thing, I love writing, but writing is HARD, ya’ll. No joke. It’s not so much the ideas, I can sit down with a general idea and a few characters and my imagination just sort of … takes over. It’s weird. The characters come to life and just start … talking in my head.

But finding the motivation, summoning the energy, THAT’S my problem.

But dad gum, I’m not getting any younger (and if writing dad gum it doesn’t indicate I’m freaking OLD, I don’t know what will).

The question is – when to write?

Personally, I like challenges. I REALLY like Nanowrimo and the spin off Camp Nanowrimo (though I’ve yet to actually participate in it because I FORGET!)

So. Let’s make some writing goals for this year. Brace yourself, they are LOFTY goals.

January: Gather Ideas for future writing projects.

February: Getting to know your characters / putting your characters in situations

March: Flash Fiction – fiction under 250 words – Prepare for 1st Writing Camp

April: Camp NaNoWriMo

May: Vacation / Breathe

June: Blog-a-thon – write/publish something every hour for 24 hours on your blog. Also, prepare for your next writing camp

July: Camp NaNoWriMo #2

August: Flash Fiction – fiction under 250 words

September: Journal a character’s life for one month

October: Prepare for NaNoWriMo

November: NaNoWriMo

December: Enjoy the holidays

Can we do it? Can I do it? I’m certainly going to try.

My office at work is literally a storage closet they “converted” into an office. It sounds terrible, but it’s really not. In fact, I love it BECAUSE it’s so isolated and quiet.

Anyway, I think I’m going to keep my laptop in my office and then after work, just work on writing. It’s away from home, quiet, of course, private and I’m not tempted to just chock the whole thing and take a nap. (Though I guess I still could do that!)

I have a writing blog. It’s old, and has old stuff on there, so I apologize in advance but I think it’ll be easier on me to have someplace to post my work other than here. Separate my fiction life from my “real” life. I know, yet another blog, *eye roll* but I’m trying to make this as easy on me as possible though I suspect it may not be easy for you.

Anyway, I’ll be posting my fiction stories on that blog. I hope you follow along and participate if you wish!

2019 is the year of writing!

I’m attempting to force myself to write in my blog every day. I’ve gotten SO BAD at keeping up these past several years and someday I’ll be dead and then what?

I’ll be gone but hopefully not forgotten. (Feel free to use these prompts for your own writing).

Today’s prompt(s):

What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?

Any day I’m not working is a lazy day. And speaking of lazy, I HAVE been lately. Well honestly, ever since the boys moved out three, almost four (!), years ago. I mean, Kevin and I don’t really mess anything up. Other than the weekly floors, laundry and bi-weekly bathroom cleans, what is there? We both clean up after ourselves in the kitchen and we’ll ignore the layer of dust all over my house.

It’s been quite the adjustment for me since the boys moved out. I’ve not only missed them, I’ve missed their presence. The background noise, the periodic invasion of my space as one of them walks by. The occasional sneeze/cough, the “clack-clack” of keys on a keyboard.

I’ve always been a slug – I’m not big on housekeeping so wait until we can’t ignore it anymore to DO it, but now? It’s worse. All I want to do is zone out in front of the computer and/or staring at my Kindle and that’s the extent of my energy.

I’ve lived the past few years on automatic and you know? I’m sort of done with that. Life HAS to be more than just go to work, eat, sleep, poop and do it all over again the next day.

Right?

OF COURSE my favorite way to spend a lazy (i.e. every day) is to read. I need to find a way to get paid to read, THAT would be my dream job. It wouldn’t be very challenging and I’m not sure it would be very satisfying, which my current job is, but I WOULD LOVE IT.

(And out of curiosity, I just Googled “how to get paid to read books” and this site popped up. You know, I should legit try this. In fact, that was on my bucket list of things to do this year – write book reviews. I could write my reviews them submit them to one of these sites and see what happens ………………….. hhmm ……………………………….)

Another lazy day / fun thing for me is to people watch. If I’m forced to go anywhere and I’m not on a mission to get in/out of wherever I’m going, I like to sit and just … watch. (Sounds sort of creepy when I write it out like that). People are fascinating to me. I like to pretend I know what is going on in their lives by judging their body language and facial expressions. I’m hard up for entertainment, I guess.

Or, if we want to get really crazy, I love sitting on the beach alternating between watching the waves and reading a book. Filling my lungs with salty, fresh air.

Paradise.

Every day is a lazy day for me. But I feel like I appreciate life a bit more living like that. I’m forcing myself to take the time to ENJOY the little things in life.