Check In: 19 Feb, 2012

One of the best things about doing A Round of Words has been he fact that it has forced me to work on growing as a writer in so many ways.  I've spent a lot of time building my blog into a more professional enterprise, started writing more regularly, and had the great blessing of getting integrated into various writing communities.

This past Friday my wife and I went out to take some pictures for my blog.  Unfortunately we got out a little late and they didn't turn out as well as we were hoping for, but these are some of the best ones.  These are made with the idea of urban fantasy in mind.

For some reason I see men in suits and fedoras with chainmail underneath their clothing.  And they would be toting both guns and swords, for different reasons.  Perhaps it is just my imagination running away from me, or I've read way too much of the Dresden Files.

The end of this week has been a great success especially considering the dry spell which preceded it.  Between the pictures and other great news I couldn't ask for things to be better.  Here's how the goals for the week went.

1. Finishing a Scene of "Crimes of the Umbramancer" each day.
     I have finished a scene a day since Wednesday and now I have actually hit the point in my story where it begins to take off.  But the ground work has been laid I believe to tell a very compelling story. I am either at the half way point or the one third point.  And all signs are looking towards finishing the draft at the end of April.
2. Comment on ten blogs in ROW80:
     Done!  Commented on way more than that, but I see no reason to up the goal.  I have enough other things going on in my life.  Weeks where I will only get through my ten are coming I feel it.
3. No more than twelve hours of video games per week.
     Earlier this week I said no more Zelda.  That was before I realized it was a long weekend.  So I put only a few more hours into it and now I have beaten Zelda: Skyward Sword.  Which means I have no more distractions.  I'll be able to make more progress on my fiction each week hopefully.
4. Bedtime between 11PM and Midnight each day so I can be up at six or seven to take advantage of the early hours to write.
     I'm scrapping this goal.  I fail at it repeatedly.  And I'm going to change my focus to writing at night when I am at my best.  Hopefully I'll find folks to do wordmongering with me then too.
5. Walking at least a mile five times a week.
     Still no progress.  However my wife and I purchased a new awesome blender this last night and will hopefully be living more healthy lives in the near future.
6. Finding a new job in the upcoming month.
    On Friday I was given two job offers instead of one!  My wife and I went out to dinner to celebrate.  It was a wonderful evening.
7. Building a new blog for my diversity issue.
   I've done work with at-risk children, served overseas in Iraq twice, lived in Hawaii for two years, been in the Utah Army National Guard for almost twelve years, and been in an interracial marriage for nearly five years.  I can't claim to have read a lot of multicultural novels in my day, but I know about diversity.  Which is why I'm reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms this month.  I know from experience what diversity is, and I want to be able to show you in literature how this is best executed.

I'm excited for this upcoming week.  I expect to keep my goals and finally get to a regular schedule at last, which will give me a better routine in which I can accomplish writing my fiction each day.  I'm even hoping that I can get my walking done.  Here's to a grand new week.

*As a reminder I wanted to mention that to share my gratitude with my readers for commenting on my blog, I am offering three lucky people a copy book I am currently reading: "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" by N.K. Jemisin.  It is a great book that I'm really enjoying.  Think of it as my way of saying thank you for conversing with me.

My name is Jayrod Garrett and I'm the First OG.  Don't make him angry, he likes to stab folks.  Here's some other ROW80 folks who don't have swords.

*Oops sorry I forgot this earlier!  Thank goodness for wonderful wives who catch mistakes!  I love you, Jenny!