Excuses, Accountability and Fellowship

OMG It's Monday already! I swear I'm working on that list of goals that you saw posted Friday...I promise. I have tons of excuses to tell you about as to why I haven't written more than a paragraph the last two days. However, I'll leave it as my weekend of rest. I did receive one thing tonight. An awesome critique from a fresh pair of eyes that really probed my brain. I love her for it. She asked every question that popped in her head, every issue with believability, she showed me where to tighten my writing, where to expand. I could kiss her honestly, and then I got to thinking. Which is kind of dangerous.

I'd love to have a spot for writers to swap manuscripts, kind of look for critique groups, general help. That sort of thing. So I did something crazy. Click here to see my second blog. Yeah, what was I thinking.

Which brings me to my last issue of the day. Then you can get on with your Monday business....I know I have to!

Accountability. Dirty big word, isn't it? Much like Responsibility. Ick. Yuck. Totally gag me with a spoon. That's how I feel about it. I know, it's terribly immature. But geez louise, I'm responsible about every darn thing. Except my new job. Yes. Job. Writing is my passion, my happiness and the end goal...my job. Whether it be an additional job, or full time. It's my job. I need a better boss though. This boss listens to and falls for all kinds of excuses. This boss pats me on the back and says, "well, two sentences is close enough to your thousand word goal of the day. It's okay if you don't post that review until next week. Who would know? I know it's a little scary to approach new people about interviews. Just wait a while." Yup, this boss is sooo fired. I'm hiring an accountability partner.

I read about this a long time ago in a devotional. It was something I believe my mother did with a friend of hers from church. Each day, at agreed times, my mother and her friend would call each other. First to discuss the planned events of the day. Said goals...to do list, whatever. At the end of the day, they discussed what was actually accomplished. What got in the way? How to change that habit. I was all of thirteen or fourteen, so I thought they were stupid. Completely off their rockers, those old ladies. I laughed at my mom. Guess what. I am my mom. I need someone to discuss such things with--the writerly things, not my to do list, I promise. :0) Then they helped each other evaluate if their small daily goals were getting them closer to their main larger goals. Pretty cool, huh?

Please click through if you are using a reader and check out the new blog. I'm hoping it goes somewhere and helps someone other than myself! :0)

Calling all Angels.....

For those of you that felt my previous Shout Out post contained ulterior motives, you're right. :) Awww, flattery will get me everywhere, right? ;) I'm kidding, sort of.

I did not intend to post the Shout Out, as most of my blogs go-I don't plan them. I keep ideas written on my dry erase board, but I don't write them out in advance or even know which one I will use for which day. So, it was totally accidentally on purpose that I just acknowledged what a great writing community we are here in the blogosphere and now I need said writing community to help me out.

I would like to start a critique group. I don't have any friends that write near me and with the kids and hubby bein' laid up, I can't get out of the house too often, unless it's for groceries. So, for me the perfect group would be online. Most likely-I'd like to wait until December to start, that way if anyone else is participating in Nano, we won't get behind because of reading others' manuscripts and such.

Here are the bones...I'm writing adult...could possibly cross to YA and I'm clueless. LOL Ok, maybe not clueless, but I'm a baby in this life journey and am looking to those wiser than me. I need people with brutally honest opinions (Kristi-you call this a plot?? Get with it!) and yet enough tact to be supportive. (So, the plot sucks-but your characters rock. How can we brainstorm together to get your plot going?) My stronger points are spelling, grammar and punctuation. ('Course, punctuation is tricky-so I'm not saying I'm perfect) I think I'm pretty good with dialogue, too. The things I KNOW I need to work on is:
Learn to OUTLINE
PLOT
Character Development
PLOT
PLOT
PLOT

So.....anyone interested in helping a gal out? I know many of you are already in groups, online or otherwise and I DO NOT want to take away from any of those!! I promise! My writing partner that is now a very dear friend, is taking a haitus from writing. I tried to discourage that, but how selfish of me! She needs a break-well then, she needs a break!

I'm looking for something relatively small so that the process of reading and critiquing isn't too terribly slow. We are already impatient enough, waiting for responses from queries, contests and publishers.

Any ideas? Suggestions? Members? :) Let me know in the comments, or you can email me directly at rocksister2 [at]gmail[dot]com

Thanks, and happy writing today!