As The Dust Clears, Back To Writing!
Happily Unexpected Christmas Gift!
Pawn Takes Rook Writing Status Report:
The good thing of my holiday break I have to report is I totally got Pawn Takes Rook #2 done. I gave myself a week to get it done and actually got done a day early. Which is good because I’ve been feeling a little sluggish as of late and I needed a few extra days to figure out what I was going to do with #3.
Taking a look at what I had going on this week, I decided to relax a little on my New Years Eve deadline on the third installment. There was Christmas Eve, Christmas, the After Christmas Sales, New Years, and varying commitments in-between that meant sitting to write was going to be harder to squeeze out. But, hey, I figured I go back to school on the 7th, as long as I get it done by the 6th I’m good to go. I’m already 5k in and I’m predicting this one not to be as long as the second. Maybe. It’s very action packed whereas the second was far more lovey dovey.
Annual Phat Lewt Report:
Christmas with the family was good. And as per my annual phat lewt report I got:
- A chess set (Pictured) - Because I write a story about dudes that are based on chess pieces. I actually mentioned I wanted a chess set in passing. Like five seconds in that ‘I kind of want one, but it’s no big deal, it’s kind of silly’ way. Well, Mom went on this madcap adventure to find a chess set and ended up meeting the local chess club that meets at the same bookstore I hang out at. The guys ended up chatting her up, telling her what kind of set to buy, what kind of board to get, and that they’d totally teach me to play. I really do love it. Despite being all ‘It’s kind of silly. I don’t really need one.’ It’s honestly the only gift I asked for. I wonder if the chess club guys are going to be all ‘I know you!‘ when I approach them. Because I seriously see them all the time.
- Princess Candace My Little Pony - From Dad and it’s the best thing ever. I collect My Little Ponies and I look at Princess Candace, and I look at her price tag, and I think in my head ‘If I put that in my cart, Mom will yell at me.’ So I never bought her myself. She’s big and her wings light up and move and she talks and everything and I’m totally five years old every time I look at her.
- Cool Art Prints - From the Sis-In-Law. It’s photographs of graffiti on a building and one is of a little boy holding a demonic looking panther kind of cat that reads ‘He might look scary but he’s my best friend.’ It’s totally my little tuxedo girl Remmi and me to a T. Remmi creeps the hell out of my Sis-In-Law but she’s my little squishface.
- Black Kitty slippers - From my Brother and Sis-In-Law and they keep my feet toasty warm.
- A nice Starbucks tumbler - From Mom and Dad and a Starbucks Gift Card from the neighbor.
And then I was Santa to my feline children and got them catnip toys shaped like sushi, a tinsel-y thing on a stick that you dangle in front of them, and a puzzle game they have to figure out to get treats. Pootie loves the sushi, Remmi figured out the puzzle game in fifteen minutes, and the both lost their goddamn minds over the tinsel-on-a-stick. Best toy ever.
Smartphone Writing App of the Day: Write-O-Meter
The new smartphone app I found that I just adore is Write-O-Meter for my Android. I’ve only used it for two days and I find it much more user friendly than trying to wrestle my way through an Excel worksheet. My wordcount template sheet is by Jeffe Kennedy and while it’s awesome, I’m an Excel Newbie that still can’t figure out how to customize it to my needs. I usually spend 30 minutes after every writing session just figuring out the calculations.
Write-O-Meter has the ability to set wordcount goals for any number of projects and time frames to complete them. They also have a fully customizable Pomodoro timer. And you know how I am about the Pomodoro Technique.
So time to fire her up and off we go.
Originally published at Lex Chase. You can comment here or there.