New Year's Resolutions: Status Report

[rowyn]

I realize that it's traditional for people to forget their New Year's resolutions promptly -- or, at the least, not to revisit them until next year. But, hey, these are things that I've been working on, so I may as well report my progress.

First and Second Resolutions: Prophecy

This has been going pretty well. The Master Plan Mk II specified that I spend fifteen and a half hours writing in January, in installments of no less than 15 minutes and no more than one hour, minimum of four days per week.

I've stuck to this goal, which is good.

I've taken my "chapters remaining" total down to 26, from 33 at the beginning of the month, which is even better. Part One of the book is all-but complete -- I just have to finish one flashback scene. Part two, of course, is the section with giant, gaping holes in it. ;)

I tried tallying up the word count for the writing I did this month, and only came to 8,306 words. On the surface, this looks bad because it means I'm producing less than I did on the 9500-word-per-month system. However, for comparison: from September to November, I wrote 18,634 words, and reduced the chapters-remaining total by only 6. Given that this puppy is already over 160k (that'd be about 500 pages of paperback), it doesn't need to be any longer. If I can finish writing it in fewer words, that'd be great; as it is, I'm sure I will want to trim this thing down a lot. So, in fact finishing more chapters in fewer words is a Good Thing^TM.

Beyond all of that, I find writing to a certain number of minutes less stressful than writing to a certain number of words. Since I'm counting activities like brainstorming and outline-work as part of the writing process on a daily basis, it's a lot easier to keep ideas flowing -- I don't feel like I brainstorming "doesn't count" and therefore it's pointless to do it.

Overall, the Master Plan Mk II is doing its job and I'm happy with it. I'm not sure it'll carry me through to the end, but I'll renew it for February. If I can finish just 5.2 chapters per month, I'll still make my June deadline -- good enough!

Third Resolution: Positive Attitude towards Progress on Prophecy
Technically, this one only kicks in after I finish the book. Still, I don't think I put "yes, but" anywhere in the above section. So far, so good!

Fourth Resolution: Weight Loss
As of yesterday morning, I weighed 139 lbs, down a pound from the 140 I weighed at the begining of the year. Since I only have to lose ten pounds to make this resolution, a pound per month is fine. My only real diet change this time around is eating more vegetables (I have been consuming massive quantities of grape tomatoes at work). As long as that works, great. If it doesn't, I'll try something else.

Fifth Resolution: Finish Just Trust Me, and start roleplaying again
The "hard part" of JTM is done now, and I'm tossing around ideas for my next RPG project, so this one is going well.

Sixth Resolution: Emotional Stability
I forgot this one was on the list. Um. Haven't really been striving to be calmer, but I think I'm doing well on this count anyway. A few rough spots this month, but mostly I've been happy. I've been in an especially good mood ever since Thursday night. (Yay, JTM!)

Seventh Resolution: The Basement of MyDoom
Basement hasn't leaked since ... um ... January 23rd or 24th, I think. Lemme go check and see if that's still right; we're getting freezing rain right now. And I remembered this morning that I forgot to turn the dehumidifier back on after turning it off Friday night.

Ok, I checked: basement is still not leaking, except for a little tiny bit of moisture (not even enough to fill a thimble -- just enough to get the paint wet) coming from one spot I didn't do anything to. I'll probably chisel that spot up soon and seal it, anyway. Even if it's not enough to even be noticeable with the carpet down, it'd probably promote mold growth.

Eighth Resolution: Work Clothes
This one was harder than I thought it would be. I got a couple of pairs on pants from WalMart, but in perfect honesty, I'm not happy with the way they look or fit. I may just have to ask Lut to let me take the car and go thrifting. I suppose I could try ordering clothes online, but with the popularity of "low rise" pants (which I hate -- it looks stupid and feels worse) nowadays, I'm not confident that I'll be happy with what I get. At Walmart, even some of the pants that wer labeled "natural waist" seemed to think that my "natural waist" was somewhere below my belly button. :P

Ninth Resolution: Don't Get Discouraged
No troubles on this count! :)

Comments

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

Yay!

You get a star. :)

Scott

Re:

[rowyn]

Woohoo! I haven't gotten a gold star in years! :)

[jordangreywolf.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! Points for you! =)

Re:

[rowyn]

I've even got more Prophecy chapters to send you, whenever you get done with the last one. :)

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Excellent. A set of goals well conceived, and a task well done so far. I am proud of you, as you have right to be of yourself.

===|==============/ Level Head

Re:

[rowyn]

Thank you, sir. I am happy enough that I have allowed myself to idle this day away. The most that might come out of today is a new Silver Scales entry. :)

Re:

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Well, that is an excellent notion indeed!

===|==============/ Level Head

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Go you!

I too am mystified by the low-rise pant thing. This is a style that only looks good on teenagers who are wearing cut-off shirts. And only teenagers who are trim; the girls trying it who have been at the soft drinks and fast food a little too much look just as ridiculous as the 30-year-old women who are doing it.

I'm all for glamorizing women's hips... but not at the expense of their waists. It's the ratio that counts!

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[rowyn]

Heehee. I saw a waitress at a restaurant wearing a long hip-riding skirt with a shirt that just barely reached the top of her skirt. She kept pulling the shirt down every few minutes, as it would ride up and bear a quarter-inch of skin. If I'd been her, I'd've yoinked that skirt up to my waist and been done with it. :)

It's not, generally, all that flattering even on many fit, trim young women. Though I will confess a certain fondness for the look of belly-dancer costumes, even on Rubinesque women. Somehow, in my mind, it's different. :)

I'm all for glamorizing women's hips... but not at the expense of their waists. It's the ratio that counts!

You corset-woman, you. :)

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[koogrr.livejournal.com]

Ya, that's got to be the least attractive way to wear clothing. Some sort of fashion that one is constantly obsessing over because it shows too much body the way it's supposed to.

If she can't "Flaunt it baby!", then she should be wearing something that doesn't pretend she can.

Re:

[rowyn]

Actually, there are quite a number of women's tops that are exactly the wrong length -- they come exactly to the waist. It's not long enough to be properly tucked in, and not short enough to look like you're intentionally baring your midriff. But if you move your arms at all, it'll ride up to expose this narrow strip of skin that just looks goofy. I don't know why manufacturers even make shirts like that; it's silly.

But in this girl's case, the shirt would've been fine if she'd only been wearing a bottom that covered her bottom. ;)

<Insert Generic Cheering Here>

[telnar.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I don't do the whole cheerleader thing well.
Still, I'm glad to hear that the resolutions are going well.

It's the thought that counts.

[rowyn]

Thanks. :)

I dunno...

[sandramort.livejournal.com]

I've been looking for one of those low rise pants for AGES. Not to show off my plus sized belly, of course, but because even the petite pants have rises that come up so high that when I sit, the waist cuts me under the ribs and makes it hard to breathe. Doesn't help to go up sizes -- then they're baggy and fall off. But I haven't seen any in my size. Maybe if I lose 1000 lbs...