“Pull it together, Larson!”
My inner voice is a slave-driving bitch like that. Most things in life went on the back burner this year after I took on the challenge of raising $3,200 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society while training for the San Diego Rock N’ Roll Marathon with Team In Training. Now that that challenge is over (my time was a very slow first marathon PR of 6:52:23 and I raised more than $3,200), it’s time to do something equally daunting — write a novel.
I should take up easier things, like 5Ks and writing short stories…
But that’s not me.
So I am going to join up with my friend K.T. Hanna’s #WriteMotivation initiative even though it’s already June 12 and half the month is gone. She and I are both KWA Board members. I’d say K.T. is a 15 on the scale of 1-10 for writer seriousness. I’m about a -1 this year. I’m just being honest. Not to beat myself up too much, because no one is harder on a writer than that damn abusive writer his or herself! It’s just not been a priority this year. Hence joining the #WriteMotivation team.
It’s time to make myself accountable for my actions, which are procrastination and failure to prioritize what’s really important. Here are my #WriteMotivation goals for the rest of June 2013:
1. Complete my outline for the YA novel idea I have and stop dicking around with it already. Commit to it.
2. Write a first chapter of said novel.
3. Write something in this novel each day, even if it’s only a sentence and it makes no sense and I edit it out later.
Good God, if I can’t handle those three things in the next two weeks just take me to the range and use me for target practice. Or just take away my Macbook. (I imagine both of those things would make me feel the same — severely punished and/or dead).
Finally, a marathon pic!
This is our Kansas Team In Training Team for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This is 4:15 am in San Diego, CA and we’re all smiling before we catch the shuttle to the starting line. I’m very proud of our team! I am the third from left in the Power 93.9 sweatshirt. I’m a morning radio personality, which hopefully explains a lot. (Like why early morning wakeup calls don’t freak me out, why I’m stupid-tired after 7pm, why I’m so damn wordy, why I’m such a smart ass…yeah, stick with me, kids).
Writer Heather Larson 
Running a marathon for charity, then writing a novel. You sure like to challenge yourself! Well done, and great goals for the month, hope you reach them.
Thank you! I am not happy without an insane challenge…
Heather – you re one of the busiest people I know. I think your goals are very achievable and I will definitely help cheer you on/kick your butt so you achieve what you’ve set for yourself.
You can so do this!
Thank you! Life is short, work hard!
Welcome to the insanit…..er COOKIES!!! 🙂
Congrats on your marathon and raising money for a good cause! Love that you take on challenges like this and I see you are already on your way to accomplishing another.
I always say:
First Draft Rules to Remember!
A single word = progression
Zero words = stagnation
Deleting words = regression
Remember that and you’re golden!
First of all, hats off to you for the marathon. That is awesome! I can barely walk to my mailbox some days.
Now, I think you’ve got some great goals. Take the book one chapter at a time. You can do this. 🙂
ha! great post. loved the part about the inability to set smaller goals – i’m the go for the whole enchilada type myself. so glad you joined our #writemotivation family!
is it wrong you had me cackling at parts of your post? You’ve got a wit for certain! Great starting out goals!
Thank you! Making people cackle is what I do! Thank you!