NaNoWriMo Plan: Late to the planning party

Just my old girl who gives me this look all the time that says.... 

"What are you thinking?"  

She is my "in house" buddy during this month.  Everyone else is leaving home everyday to go to school and work so she will get my words... my ideas... my frustration and joys.  She will be here to endure it all with me.  I suspect she will be hiding under the bed for the majority of the time.  LOL  Anyway, here we go!

I decided, sorta, to do the NaNoWriMo this month around October 15th but I was blogging and living life and getting other things done so I did ZERO preparation.  I have done this one other time and it wound up being an autobiographical memoir instead so I let it go.  I have never finished a real work of fiction so I decided to spend the first few days of November reviewing some resources and doing some planning because Pantsing this is NOT AN OPTION FOR ME!  I need a direction and some goals and purpose.  I am definitely a planner.  Since I am not a published writer outside of blogging I am just going to share my process and at the end of November I will share my results and future plans.

I am checking out videos by people with great information on writing fiction.

The NaNoWriMo You Tube Channel is loaded with stuff to get you through the month and is constantly being added to.

Here is the NaNo blog link.

Kristin Martin has a great video collection on elements of writing.  She is a published author but I have not read any of her stuff outside of blog and video stuff she has shared.

BoHoBerry shares her bullet journal organization for the NaNoWriMo Challenge

Megan at PageFlutter shares her notes, journal and all of her process with us.

Look who else shares about NaNo.... it's John Green..... Natalie Goldberg.... and from the founder Chris Baty

I am doing some note taking in a new notebook I started just for fiction writing stuff.

I snagged a Character Archetype chart to add to my notes.

Become a Better Writer Quotes to inspire you!

I am reading some books this month...

The books...

No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty

Room to Write by Bonnie Goldberg

Becoming a Writer by Dorthea Brande

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

The Right to Write by Julia Cameron 

(also wrote the Artist's Way)

I also have one on the way I found for about $4.00 after having it on my wishlist for years.

It is by Maeve Binchy and is entitled The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club.  She is one of my favorite authors so I really am excited to read her take on writing.

I have no idea if I will make the 50,000 words.

I do know that I have already scrapped the first 2000 words I wrote yesterday.  I will keep them in the NaNo file on my computer but the story is changing and I have decided to go a different way after just one day and a little more planning this morning.  I don't pretend to think that anything I write is great but it is practice at this point.  I don't think you can ever practice too much on any craft so I will write every day this month no matter what happens at the end of the month.  I will shape a notebook to be usable past the next 30 days and start some habits that can make me better over the coming years.  I am almost 50 with only two children out of four still at home.  I have more to do and I think writing could be part of that so this is good practice and a time to learn some new skills.  I don't ever want to stop learning.  At the end of 30 days I will have a better picture of what I want to do with this but for now I will show up and write and read and listen and learn.  None of that ever hurt anyone.  Stay tuned for more adventures in NaNoWriMo from my little computer in Texas.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo and want to buddy up on the website?  

Leave me a comment with your name or link on that site and I will run right over and add you!  You can also find me there at Academy252.

Working on the Bullet Journal again

I have joined (loosely) the Plan With Me Challenge for December.

I am making some decisions about my bullet journal for the coming year and want to try some things out before we get there.  I am close to the end of this particular Moleskine journal, too, so there is a new one on it's way soon.  I printed the list and have my calendar already in progress and I am loading it up as things get added to my schedule.  

As for my setup...

I start every month with a printed calendar so I can have that visual and then I write out the list version to the right of it.  

From there I add:

*  Menu plans

* Grocery lists

* Other shopping lists

*  To do around the house lists

*  Books that I want to look for when I have money and time

*  Movies I want to add to our list to watch

*  Crochet projects I want to work on

*  Habit lists

*  Daily to do and checklists

*  Bible study plans and notes from sermons

* Scripture memory verses

*  Quotes from books read and article notes

*  Books in the queue to review (which I am currently behind on because... life!)

Working on other things for the new year like budgeting pages, exercise and food trackers, clothing I need to replace list, big project planning lists, etc...

For the month of December I am doing a 16 Before 2016 list, too.

Want to see more about setting up a bullet journal from a great blogger on this topic?  Check out Boho Berry as she shares her stuff with us!

Other bloggers who run this project each month include Tiny Ray of Sunshine  and Pretty Prints and Paper

How are you preparing for the year ahead?  

Do you have a special journal or planner you use to get you 

through the holidays and into a new year?

Fresh Start... a brand spanking new month

September seems to be one of those months where we all get a clean slate... a fresh start... a new beginning.  I read an article called September is Our Other January by Gretchen Rubin.  I totally agree!  I agree so much I ordered a used copy of her book entitled Happier at Home.  I decided to read her books backwards.  Ha!  I started with her book on habits and might actually wind up with her happiness book before it is all said and done.  My plan is to work through it during the school year starting with.... you guessed it... the month of SEPTEMBER!  It should arrive by the end of this week.  It was back ordered so that must mean someone else had the same plan as I do.  

This month is full of plans so here is the list I am striving to accomplish this month.

I have restarted Flylady...

yes, again!  

Stop laughing...  

I know I am ADD but it is in my Bullet Journal now so it WILL get done!  

I am home days by myself now and I can actively work through the Flylady daily tasks and weekly challenges along with the deep cleaning lists she has on her website.  It helps that I have her book also.  I picked it up a few years ago and started reading through it when I realized she was referencing another book in it.  The book is called Sidetracked Home Executives.  I rushed to the library to find that book instead and read it cover to cover in about three days.  It totally prepared my thinking for the Flylady plan and I have been ruminating on it since that time.  I don't like the cards as much as the printed list so I prefer Flylady's Control Journal instead.  I have slowly made changes but I think I want to speed the process along more this year with all this "free" time on my hands.  

Hope you caught that sarcasm there...  ;)  I seem busier with the children and hubby out of the house than with them in the house!  It is a totally baffling turn of events.  

I have set up my days a little better this week and have added a structured Bible reading/walking/cleaning routine to my mornings.  The Bible part is the easiest surprisingly, because it was already a pretty standard habit. The walking is the hardest so far... but I enjoy that thinking time very much.  I am sore and a bit more tired in the afternoons from it but the old body will adjust soon enough.  It helps with the arthritis to move first thing in the mornings in a purposeful exercise oriented way.  

The habit of each thing is the key.  As Rubin states in her book on habits, the starting of a new habit takes thought and work but once it becomes a real habit it goes to cruise control.  I am hoping for cruise control mornings so I can enjoy some fun projects and down time in the afternoons soon.  The evenings are still hectic as we try to get everyone into the habit of coming home, grabbing a snack and getting to work on homework until dinner and then back to it after dinner.  After such a sporadic summer it is taking some time to work into that again.  

For the month of September I have four review books to finish and one that is done but needs a post for later in the month.  I need to set some exercise goals and make a plan for a sewing project that does not include sewing patches on a uniform!  LOL  The patches kill me... I have two to do today.  These Boy Scouts are earning them faster than I can put them on.  I have yarn and I know how to use it... I just need to get to it!  

As for the me time.... I have found a few things I will be enjoying in the afternoons while I fold clothes and crochet soon.  I am a HUGE Inspector Morse fan.  I like the spin off of that series, too, with his partner... Inspector Lewis.  The books were written by Colin Dexter and the BBC filmed the series years ago but there is a new one.... a young Morse as a Constable and it is called Endeavour.  I AM IN LOVE WITH THAT SHOW!!!  There are two seasons (8 episodes) up on Amazon Prime and I am hoping the third will be added soon.  I also found out that 

I also have a series that got past me a few years ago but now that I have discovered them they will be coming through Netflix DVD in the mail...  Lark Rise to Candleford.  As one of my friends says, "Those shows with the long dresses and British accents...."  She is more of a kill it, scare it, blow it up kind of girl.  LOL  She keeps trying to add Zombies to my life.... no thanks!  ;)

I have rambled enough for one day...  time to work the plan I am trying to start this month.  

For all the books I will be reviewing you can find them in the right hand column as you scroll down.  As I review them I will remove them from there and add new ones as they come.  I am hoping to get caught up and do some "for fun" reading, too, this month.  I enjoy the review books but I have a huge stack of other things I want to read, too.  

I am always taking video and book suggestions so feel free to leave me comments with your suggestions or questions or anything really... anytime.

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely week!

New Habits and Looking Ahead...

The book I just finished (and reviewed) has sparked some changes.  

Here are some things I have learned about myself in the process of reading this book.... Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, The following is from my notes:

There are four basic tendencies that most people fit into.  To get a full explanation of all of what I am about to share you should totally just get the book and read, by the way.  LOL  

Four Basic Tendencies

1.  Upholder - meets outer and inner expectations (this is my husband)

2.  Questioner - resists outer expectations but meets inner expectations

3.  Obliger - meets outer expectations but resists inner expectations

4.  Rebel - resists outer and inner expectations (this is my oldest son...  LOL no, seriously, it is!)

I am clearly a Questioner with a little Rebel tendency but Questioner wins out over Rebel if there is a question in my mind between the two.  I always go with my inner expectations.  That tendency of meeting inner expectations for me includes what I feel God is leading me toward in my life.  God and His word are part of my inner expectations.  That is how it works out for me but other people don't phase me... I am great at saying no.  My husband is not so great at saying no and loads his plate to overflowing a lot.  He is drawn toward keeping everyone and everything in balance.  I am willing to let go of a rope if I need to if it is not life threatening... he hangs on with dear life because he is expected to.  It explains a lot about our relationship!  LOL

Once I realized that about myself it has made some other areas of my life make more sense.  As I worked through the next chapter on Different Solutions for Different People I began to see some clear cut lines, too.  My husband and I are often opposites in these areas but here is my list.

*   I am a Lark - I tend to lean toward morning person when allowed to follow my own patterns.  My husband is an Owl but forces himself to work in both zones to get it all done.  I am working on working with my natural tendencies more over this coming semester.  I have already implemented an "earlier to bed, early to rise" policy for me.  I am now telling him that he can stay up if he would like but I need to go to bed.  

*  I am a procrastinator who is working toward being a Marathoner instead of a Sprinter.  Now, this has nothing to do with running... because I don't do that anymore!  Ha!  It has everything to do with how we approach a task.  I tend to put things off but, for me, the most helpful would be to spread out a larger task and eat the elephant one bite at a time.  I have been moving more and more toward this approach over the last several years but I also have an explanation for the procrastination now.  That is coming shortly in this list.... hold on.  

*  I am an underbuyer... I tend to only buy something when I need it and delay spending well (except with books sometimes).  My husband is an overbuyer and hangs onto things he thinks he might need later.  If I don't need it or have not used it then I am totally willing to let it go ASAP.  My husband has been known to hold onto things for the entire duration of our marriage whether he needs it or not.  It is just the difference in our approach.

  

*  I am a simplicity lover.... the simpler the better.  I don't love an abundance of anything except maybe books but even those are getting culled in the reality of knowing that I cannot read everything so I want to read my favorites.  Less is more for me... I love bare surfaces and empty uncluttered rooms.  I have not been convinced that any of my children are like me in this regard.  It wears me out!  

Ok, are you ready for why I procrastinate? 

*  I am a finisher and not a starter.  I have the hardest time starting a project and often get overwhelmed at the thought of it but once I get started I will finish ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING I HAVE STARTED!  I cannot NOT finish!!!  It is not in me! (with the exception of a book I am hating... I won't waste my time finishing those anymore but I cannot, honestly, say it does not haunt me a little at first) LOL  I love the feeling of finishing... closing a book... getting a drawer cleaned out... finishing a project or term paper... the end of a semester is totally my favorite and so on and so on!  Dan is a starter with a shelf full of started project lists and notebooks but none of them are finished.  God is so funny pairing us together like that.  LOL  There have been times he has had to push me to start and I have had to push him to finish something.  We are a funny pair.  

*  I love familiarity.... this is where Dan and I agree.  We could both watch the same movies, eat the same food, read the same books over and over and over.  New is nice but familiar is our favorite.

*  I am also prevention focused as opposed to promotion focused... I try to make life as comfortable as possible for me and for those around me.  I see the big picture and the problems before they happen.  I love a good well thought out plan where I have contemplated all the fathomable possibilities of what could go wrong along the way.  I sometimes miss things but it is not from lack of trying to catch it all before we start.  

*  I take everything in small steps... EV.ER.Y.THING!!!  Big steps freak me out!

All of this works together to help me figure out how to approach habits old and new.  Knowing that I am a finisher and not a starter helps me to see why I am procrastinating and then I am able to make a marathon plan because I like smaller steps and not one giant big step of sprinting to attack bigger projects and habits in my life.  I do my best work in the mornings so I need to put the harder stuff up front and plan for some downtime and familiarity later in the day.  Since I am a prevention focused person I rely heavily on calendar/bullet journals, list making and planning charts to work out what needs to be done.  Also, since I am an underbuyer, menu planning and list making are my best friends when it comes to getting only what we need for the week ahead for meals or for a shopping trip for a project.  I will locate things off the list I already have around the house so I will not double buy things I don't need.  See... they work together!  It makes me feel less insane for my choices knowing these things and then seeing how the rest of my family works helps us to work together better, too.  

So, today... I am making some plans for August... writing in my Bullet Journal, lists of the books I need to get read... menus that need to be made... planning some bigger cleaning and clearing projects to make my life more simple and familiar.  I am implementing some new habits for a new school year and planning for the kids to have what they need to get back to school in an organized fashion.  

What are you planning for August? Is your mind on the "back-to-school" planning?  Are you changing jobs or going back to school yourself?  What does August look like for you?

Also, do not forget the Austen in August Challenge I shared a few days ago!  I am on the list for hosting a giveaway and if you are not signed up for the challenge on the official post on their website you will not be eligible so go... NOW... and sign up so you can enter my giveaway around the middle of August!  You have to be registered to win any of the giveaways.  Even if you don't read much just enter for the fun that comes with the challenge... but I hope you read, too!  :)

Weekly Theme...

I have decided that I need a plan for this website. I am going with a weekly theme and then I will share on that theme all week while I am out of school. Once summer school starts I can still post on such things because I will only be taking lecture courses and won't start kitchen lab courses again until the end of August (Fundamentals of Baking)

The themes are open to suggestions...

The first theme will be crockpot cooking because I had a few requests on this some time ago.

Let me know what you want to read about and we will go from there. Sound good?

Thanks so much for reading!!!