End-Of-Quarter: Resolution Update
Apr. 2nd, 2004 10:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rowynI'll take it point-by-point this time.
Nos. 1-3: Prophecy
Hasn't been going quite as well on the "this is fun!" front, but otherwise, going fine. I finished March ahead of schedule and did enough writing last night to carry me through Sunday. That last is especially nice, because Friday and Saturday are usually my big productivity nights for writing. So I can either take them off, or use them to get even farther ahead. Whee! Getting ahead would be useful, as I'll be going away for a week towards the end of April.
I haven't counted words yet for March, but my chapters-remaining count is down to fourteen, from thirty-three at the beginning of January. That's not quite as good as it sounds, because I've finished more half-written scenes than I have started new ones. I've pretty much stopped my former habit of getting halfway through a scene and then switching to another one.
Also, some of the "chapters" remaining will probably work out to much longer than the standard. The big scary battle scene is looming up ahead, and on the outline it only takes one chapter. You know, I've been planning to write this battle scene for, I dunno, twelve years? And I still don't know how it's going to go. Should be ... um ... interesting. I expect it'll be a big let down for the book if that battle does only take one chapter. Man, this book is going to need insane levels of re-writing to be readable. Oh well.
In any case, there's no reason at this point to think I won't make my June deadline for rough-draft completion. Yay!
No. 4: Weight Loss
Bad news: I've basically stagnated at about 140 lbs. (The last time I weighed myself, I was 141.5, in fact. But that was in the evening, and I'm usually heavier at night. Most of my prior measurements were in the morning).
But there's good news: I ordered a rowing machine last Saturday. It arrived on Wednesday, Lut assembled it that night, and I've used it twice so far. For ten minutes the first night and eleven the second, granted. But I figure to ramp up gradually on my use of it, and dodge those overuse cramps that usually follow 24-48 hours after forcing a burst of exercise out of my body. So far, so good. And in any case, it's exercise and it's more strenuous than walking to or from work. For good measure, I walked to work this morning, too. I've been taking the car more often lately, which is one reason I liked the idea of a rowing machine: it'd give a more thorough workout than walking, and accordingly would take less time for the same amount of effort.
The rowing machine is presently set up in the garage. I hope to get some form of entertainment moved out there to join it. Either one of our TVs & VCRs (we have two of which, and none of them are plugged in inside the house) or maybe I'll borrow some books-on-tape from the library. Lut moved a cassette player/radio out to the garage the same day he set it up, which is certainly better than listening to the sound of my breathing the whole time. ;)
No. 5: Roleplaying
Not a lot of progress on this front. I've started to cobble together notes for my next "What would you like to play?" missive to potential players. A couple of weeks ago I sent an email to the remaining JTM players with wrap-up information for the game, and asked for feedback on their characters' next steps. Didn't hear back from one of them, so I guess I'll prod that person this weekend. After that, I'll either write up an epilogue, or maybe write individual "this is what happened" notes to each player, and let them get together for a final log to talk about what's happened.
No. 6: Calm
I think the "getting worked up over nothing" has been less of a problem. I haven't been working on it, but I haven't noticed myself doing it, either. Though Lut and I did have an amazingly inane disagreement over what each entry to the house should be called. (I think the front door is the one near the garage that we come in every day; he thinks it's the one that leads to the big porch but is blocked by the couch. He thinks the back door is the one we come in every day, while I think the back door is the door leading out of the basement. I will try to recollect his definitions 'cause he's not gonna remember mine. ;) ) Anyway, that wasn't a big fight or anything. It was more amusing in an annoying sort of way. Or annoying in an amusing sort of way. Something like that.
No. 7: The Basement of Doom
Still radiating doom and wetness. And mold. Still working on that.
No. 8: Pants
Done! Hurray for pants!
No. 9: Discouraged
Not discouraged yet! :)
Nos. 1-3: Prophecy
Hasn't been going quite as well on the "this is fun!" front, but otherwise, going fine. I finished March ahead of schedule and did enough writing last night to carry me through Sunday. That last is especially nice, because Friday and Saturday are usually my big productivity nights for writing. So I can either take them off, or use them to get even farther ahead. Whee! Getting ahead would be useful, as I'll be going away for a week towards the end of April.
I haven't counted words yet for March, but my chapters-remaining count is down to fourteen, from thirty-three at the beginning of January. That's not quite as good as it sounds, because I've finished more half-written scenes than I have started new ones. I've pretty much stopped my former habit of getting halfway through a scene and then switching to another one.
Also, some of the "chapters" remaining will probably work out to much longer than the standard. The big scary battle scene is looming up ahead, and on the outline it only takes one chapter. You know, I've been planning to write this battle scene for, I dunno, twelve years? And I still don't know how it's going to go. Should be ... um ... interesting. I expect it'll be a big let down for the book if that battle does only take one chapter. Man, this book is going to need insane levels of re-writing to be readable. Oh well.
In any case, there's no reason at this point to think I won't make my June deadline for rough-draft completion. Yay!
No. 4: Weight Loss
Bad news: I've basically stagnated at about 140 lbs. (The last time I weighed myself, I was 141.5, in fact. But that was in the evening, and I'm usually heavier at night. Most of my prior measurements were in the morning).
But there's good news: I ordered a rowing machine last Saturday. It arrived on Wednesday, Lut assembled it that night, and I've used it twice so far. For ten minutes the first night and eleven the second, granted. But I figure to ramp up gradually on my use of it, and dodge those overuse cramps that usually follow 24-48 hours after forcing a burst of exercise out of my body. So far, so good. And in any case, it's exercise and it's more strenuous than walking to or from work. For good measure, I walked to work this morning, too. I've been taking the car more often lately, which is one reason I liked the idea of a rowing machine: it'd give a more thorough workout than walking, and accordingly would take less time for the same amount of effort.
The rowing machine is presently set up in the garage. I hope to get some form of entertainment moved out there to join it. Either one of our TVs & VCRs (we have two of which, and none of them are plugged in inside the house) or maybe I'll borrow some books-on-tape from the library. Lut moved a cassette player/radio out to the garage the same day he set it up, which is certainly better than listening to the sound of my breathing the whole time. ;)
No. 5: Roleplaying
Not a lot of progress on this front. I've started to cobble together notes for my next "What would you like to play?" missive to potential players. A couple of weeks ago I sent an email to the remaining JTM players with wrap-up information for the game, and asked for feedback on their characters' next steps. Didn't hear back from one of them, so I guess I'll prod that person this weekend. After that, I'll either write up an epilogue, or maybe write individual "this is what happened" notes to each player, and let them get together for a final log to talk about what's happened.
No. 6: Calm
I think the "getting worked up over nothing" has been less of a problem. I haven't been working on it, but I haven't noticed myself doing it, either. Though Lut and I did have an amazingly inane disagreement over what each entry to the house should be called. (I think the front door is the one near the garage that we come in every day; he thinks it's the one that leads to the big porch but is blocked by the couch. He thinks the back door is the one we come in every day, while I think the back door is the door leading out of the basement. I will try to recollect his definitions 'cause he's not gonna remember mine. ;) ) Anyway, that wasn't a big fight or anything. It was more amusing in an annoying sort of way. Or annoying in an amusing sort of way. Something like that.
No. 7: The Basement of Doom
Still radiating doom and wetness. And mold. Still working on that.
No. 8: Pants
Done! Hurray for pants!
No. 9: Discouraged
Not discouraged yet! :)
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no subject
Date: 2004-04-02 08:54 am (UTC)OK, you're prodded.
Date: 2004-04-02 09:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-02 10:06 am (UTC)I'm not sure that I'd list "Discouraged" as the #9 goal. But it wasn't quite like that originally, so no matter. ];-)
I suppose that "Discouraged: feeling down" is better than "Pants: feeling down" in most circumstances.
===|==============/ Level Head
no subject
Date: 2004-04-02 11:39 am (UTC)If I were in the latter predicament, I might quickly find myself approaching the former, too. THough -- of course -- that depends on the circumstances. >:>
And I am more than willing to entertain pithy alternatives to my summation of the ninth resolution, if you have one in you wish to offer. :D
no subject
Date: 2004-04-02 02:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-05 12:50 pm (UTC)YAY! (Because everybody needs a cheerleader)
Frankly, exercise always bored me. I can think of nothing more dull than pushing a heavy machine around for fun, so I found it vital to keep my mind occupied and let my body go on auto-pilot.
So, I *highly* recommend a TV/VCR/Books on tape or something to keep your mind off of what you're doing. (Unless of course you're mentally composing your next chapter or something creative that keeps you going.)
I can only suggest what I've found works for me:
We do have cable TV. I scan the listings of the Discovery Science Channel, History Channel, History International, Discovery Wings, etc. etc. etc. Basically, every educational show I can find that's interesting to me, and pop a tape in whenever I'm on the treadmill.
I would be hard pressed to go an hour on the machine without something to keep my brain going. And, it's a good thing to keep your mind open. Some of the educational programming isn't written at a 4th grade level! :)
(Fast forward buttons are nice for commercials too!)
Unfortunately, if I recall, you don't actually have cable, so maybe I'm just blabbing away uselessly. If not, the Library may have some cool videos & DVDs.
But, it certainly does help keep at it.
(I lost 12 pounds! Yay!)
Re: YAY! (Because everybody needs a cheerleader)
Date: 2004-04-05 12:53 pm (UTC)Oh. Wait. You mean cable for the TV. No, we don't have that. :D
But I got some audio books, which have the additional advantage of not requiring that I lug out a TV set & VCR and figure out how to hook them up and position them so they'd be viewable from the rowing machine. :)