Following the theme of last week, I have continued to make baby steps. Yesterday, I managed to post Shan Jeniah’s guest post on kinship here. I have also spent the past week slowly getting more involved with old friends and new through Facebook and Twitter, but also through WANA International, a new venture by Kristen Lamb and Ingrid Schaffenburg, which looks exciting with classes from several of our ROW80 crew (Jenny Hansen and Kait Nolan, for example) and other luminaries.
I also joined Jeff Goins’ 15-day challenge, outlined here, which is forcing me to take some scary steps–all to the good. I admitted to a colleague at the day job that I wrote things other than academic articles, and was pleased that she didn’t laugh outright.
I went back to getting up early to write, something I had let fall by the wayside in the past few weeks. Further, I made myself stay off the internet for the first part of the morning, so that I could actually write–create rather than react.
What I have learned: I have ideas about what to write. Not having anything to say was one of my greatest fears in coming out of my corner–people laughing at me being one of the others. But I found in the early morning hours that not only was I managing to come up with ideas for blog posts and themes (sheesh, finally), but I was coming up with ideas that had plots and characters, somewhere to go and things to say.
I also learned what a wonderful, giving, supportive cast of characters the writing community holds. I never had to worry about anyone laughing at me in the ROW, or in the other groups I’ve joined in my travels these past months.
Penultimately (sorry, but I love that word), I want to shout out to the people who have followed my blog in the past month. I’m not going to try to catch up in one swell foop, but here are some people who are worth checking out, if you don’t know them already.
Janet at http://mrsbongle.wordpress.com
Ruth at www.ruthnestvold.com
Eric at http://healthdemystified.wordpress.com
Kourtney at http://kourtneyheintz.wordpress.com
CK at http://academicmystery.wordpress.com
Tune in next week for the next installment 
In the meantime, please go encourage the rest of the ROWers here as we try to redline it for the last weeks of Round 2. There are some wonderful people in this group
Thanks for the nod.
Good luck with the early morning writing!
By: Ruth Nestvold on June 10, 2012
at 5:32 pm
You’re very welcome, Ruth, and thank you! So far, so good with the early mornings
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 10, 2012
at 7:46 pm
Thank you for the recommendation Elizabeth!
By: mrsbongle on June 10, 2012
at 5:35 pm
You’re very welcome, Janet!
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 10, 2012
at 7:47 pm
Woohoo! you’re writing! Good for you! Yes, come out of that corner–you don’t belong there! Have a great week ahead!
By: Marcia on June 10, 2012
at 6:45 pm
Marcia, thanks for stopping by and encouraging me out of the corner. It feels good to be out of there!
Have a lovely week!
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 10, 2012
at 7:50 pm
Yeah for getting up earlier to write. Something I should be doing. Thanks for all the links. Will be checking them all out. Have a great week!
By: Robin McCormack on June 10, 2012
at 11:09 pm
Thanks, Robin! It is hard to get up, but I am more a lark than a night owl, and I do get more writing done before the day job than after. I’m glad you liked the links, and I’ll continue to list good ones that I find
Have a great week, too (even if I’m talking about a different week!)
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 17, 2012
at 1:09 pm
I’ve started with Jeff Goins’ daily letters too – good motivators.
By: Mike Young on June 10, 2012
at 11:27 pm
Mike, thanks for coming by and commenting. I find Jeff Goins’ letters challenging, and therefore good. I’m behind a day, but I hope to catch up today.
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 17, 2012
at 1:10 pm
Yes! This is wonderful news. Figuring out the time of day when ideas come the most readily is half the battle, and I’m so glad that you’ve been able to take some time out of your morning to write.
Have a wonderful week, my friend!
By: Lena Corazon (@LenaCorazon) on June 11, 2012
at 1:38 pm
Thanks, Lena, my friend! It has been a struggle, since I live with three night owls. As much as I would love to stay up and hang out with them, I really am a lark. I will also need to set aside some work time for work writing, but that’s not entirely a bad thing. You’ve probably also found that the academic and the fiction writing feed off one another, as if any writer’s block means both or neither. A bonus is if the research for both works into both, as well.
I hope you have a lovely week!
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 17, 2012
at 1:19 pm
I’m glad you’re writing. That’s what writers do, and when we aren’t writing, something is missing. I’ve been having trouble with that myself lately, but I’m back on track as of today.
Hey, no one should be laughing. I think writing is AWESOME. Who wouldn’t love to have a job making stuff up? LOL
By: Lauralynn Elliott on June 11, 2012
at 2:08 pm
It’s good to hear that you’re back writing as well, Lauralynn
And thank you for the insight into writing–making things up–I love it! So much of what I write for work has to be checked and re-checked for accuracy and truth–what a kick to write something totally made up!
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 17, 2012
at 1:23 pm
Thanks for the mention
I find early morning is the best time to write. They say the first hour after waking you’re still tapped into your subconscious, which is where a lot of our best ideas come from. Best of luck!
By: Ingrid Schaffenburg on June 18, 2012
at 4:28 pm
You’re welcome, Ingrid! I believe it about still being tapped into the subconscious. I have very vivid dreams, and sometimes have trouble shaking them off in the morning; when they are fodder for stories, I work hard not to shake them off!
By: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell on June 18, 2012
at 8:29 pm