I am indeed on fire

Edit number 3 done and dusted.

Forget that weekly update...

... because it all went terribly pear-shaped.

However, that rotten edit of 'Hiding Behind The Couch' is finally done. Edit number 3 coming up.

As for the rest of my goals, no comment is perhaps the best action to take for now.

Progress Report: Week 4-5

I decided today that I am going to include de-blog and livejournal posts in my word count. I thought about it for a while, as I'd convinced myself this would be 'cheating', but actually it's not. However, it would be if I included these posts too, so I won't be doing that.

The editing of 'Hiding Behind The Couch' got a bit further before coming to an abrupt halt last Wednesday, on account of paid website work to be done. This is a poor excuse, considering the objective of all this is to make a living as a writer, NOT as a web designer. Still, it may come in handy as a means of adding to my measly earnings from writing, if I ever manage to make anything at all.

As for the rest of it... I'm managing to post to de-blog frequently, livejournal not so much. The Mills & Boon fiasco strives onwards, getting on my nerves and generally failing to inspire me in any way at all.

Flute practice? Hmmm.

1. To edit my first NanoNovel and send it off to agents / publishers.
2. To really work at making a career out of writing instead of just wishing for it. Agent? Please?.
3. To play semi-quavers on my flute without tripping over them. !!!!
4. To post to my blogs and livejournal at least once a week.
5. To write my family recipe book.

Progress Report: Week 3.5

Yes, so that's the state of play. I should have posted before the weekend, but I've been busy doing birthday related stuff. Dreadful excuse that is part reason, it means I've missed 2 days of writing. Even if I'm still ahead on my NaNoWriYe word count it somewhat subtracts from my achievement of goal number 2. I have emailed an agent today though and the editing of 'Hiding Behind The Couch' is coming along.

1. To edit my first NanoNovel and send it off to agents / publishers.
2. To really work at making a career out of writing instead of just wishing for it. I still really really need an agent.
3. To play semi-quavers on my flute without tripping over them. Ahem - moving on then...
4. To post to my blogs and livejournal at least once a week.
5. To write my family recipe book.

Progress Report: Week 2

Well, at least I manage two steps forward and one step back. There's been no flute practicing, although I'm getting rather adept at Guitar Hero III - this probably isn't something to be proud of.

I'm also still ahead of the game with my NaNoWriYe projects. The Mills and Boon adventure is coming on, not that I'm enjoying it very much. I did momentarily get inspired by the characters yesterday, but that moment passed quickly. I've also started the introductory section to the recipe book, with a small rant entitled 'Too Busy To Cook?'.

I finally did some editing of 'Hiding Behind The Couch' today and got as far as Chapter 12, with no massive problems detected so far, so this is good, I hope.

And I've managed to post to de-blog three times since my last progress report.

Ticking along then I suppose is what I'm doing.

1. To edit my first NanoNovel and send it off to agents / publishers.
2. To really work at making a career out of writing instead of just wishing for it. I still really need an agent.
3. To play semi-quavers on my flute without tripping over them.
4. To post to my blogs and livejournal at least once a week.
5. To write my family recipe book.

Progress Report: Week 1

I'd forgotten about NaNoWriYe!

Not entirely, but it did slip my mind when I set my goals, although it does fit in with goals 2 and 5, so it's not as bad as it seems.

So far I'm up to 2168 words of my 200,000 - a good start. I calculate that I need to write 550 words or more per day for the whole year and whilst it's only January 3rd, I am definitely on track.

As far as my 5 challenges go, I've posted to liveJournal, DeBlog and here twice each in the past week. I've also done a little planning on the recipe book and started to write the Christmas recipes section, the only problem being that much of my cooking involves throwing un-measured amounts into the bowl / pan, so actually quantifying how much brandy to put in brandy butter is a bit of a trauma.

Thus challenges 4 and 5 are well under way and I have had a poke at number 3: I did have a bit of a practice on my flute and I'm very much aware that beating the semi-quavers will require me to practice every day - something I haven't ever managed for a sustained period in the 26 years I've been playing the thing.

I don't know why I keep putting off editing 'Hiding Behind The Couch', as this goal is integral to having a proper bash at writing as a career. Perhaps that is actually the reason why, as I'm a bit scared, but that's a post for my other blog.

All in all then:

1. To edit my first NanoNovel and send it off to agents / publishers.
2. To really work at making a career out of writing instead of just wishing for it. I really need an agent.
3. To play semi-quavers on my flute without tripping over them.
4. To post to my blogs and livejournal at least once a week.
5. To write my family recipe book.

My Challenges

OK, so here's my list, which may be subject to a little tweaking as time goes on:

1. To edit my first NanoNovel and send it off to agents / publishers.
2. To really work at making a career out of writing instead of just wishing for it.
3. To play semi-quavers on my flute without tripping over them.
4. To post to my blogs and livejournal at least once a week.
5. To write my family recipe book.

I think that's all for now. There is so much more I want to achieve, but too much and I won't manage anything at all.

The Big, Fun, Scary Adventure Challenge 2008

This is a log of participation in the Office of Letters and Light's second annual Big, Fun, Scary Adventure Challenge.

I've started this as a place to post challenges, progress reports and so on.

Of course, the official place to be is the 'The Year of Doing Big, Fun, Scary Things Together' Forum Thread, and this blog is only a supplement.

If you would like to post to this blog, please contact me - here is my NaNoWriMo profile - or you can email me directly: debbie [at] social-science.co.uk.

About the Big, Fun, Scary Adventure Challenge:

The Challenge works like this: All of us come up with a list of things that we've long dreamed about doing, making, or being. These can be hard-nosed acts of practical skill-acquisition, such as becoming a ninja and learning to kill people with one's eyebrows. Or they can be fantastical notions such as going back to school and getting a degree in business administration....

To take part in the challenge, you just need to post at least one big, fun, or scary goal for yourself in the BFS forum of the NaNoWriMo site. Then, come January 1, we'll roll up our sleeves, pack a lunch and a change of underwear, and set out into the unknown together.

We'll use the BFS forum to post reports on our progress and setbacks, locate fellow adventurers who can help us reach our goals, and generally whoop it up in true Office of Letters and Light fashion as we move a few items on our lifetime to-do lists from "someday" to "done that."

Superheroes who complete at least one of their adventures before December 31, 2008 will receive a Big, Fun, Scary Adventure Challenge winner's certificate to remind them of their feat.
(Chris Baty)

Some important links:

• NaNoWriMo
• 'The Year of Doing Big, Fun, Scary Things Together' Forum Thread
• Script Frenzy
• The Office of Letters and Light