Two days in, it is time to assess my progress on my goals. I’m feeling very positive about my progress, which is a welcome change!
Although I did not hit my 250 words a day goal, I spent time organizing and expanding notes, and outlining my article. Reading through my notes, I was beginning to feel a renewed spark of excitement and interest in the topic. My muse opened the trap door, peeking out carefully, then slowly sidling to my side. Nerdy it may be, but my veins are sloshing with creativity, which often slops over into non-academic pursuits. A good couple of days, I’d say.
I managed to keep up very well with my sponsor visits and replies to comments. I stopped by Lauralynn Elliott, Shan Jeniah, Julie Glover, Eden Mabee, and Ruth Nestvold, all of whom have interesting goals this Round.
I also finished my sponsor post–even earlier than I expected!
Finally, as part of my quest to update my main blog, I posted the history of profanity, which was a popular post on a moribund blog of mine.
The ROW80 community is interesting and varied–please go visit someone on the blog hop here.
Published by Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
I am the youngest of four children, raised in the old-fashioned Irish-American way. I suspect my mother encouraged me to write from an early age to keep me out of her hair, although she may have regretted the decision when my teachers began to call about the controversial stories I was writing. Thus I began my career of butting heads with the good sisters at my Catholic elementary school, and ended it by leaving high school for college with no diploma. I wear my high-school dropout badge rebelliously and proudly.
In college, I became fascinated with the Middle Ages, which was described as a “starry night” by one of my professors. So began a trek through languages and legends that informs my narrative non-fiction and historical fiction, as well as my blogs.
I love feedback and enjoy discussing ideas. I have an accountability blog for the Round of Words in Eighty Days entitled Leavekeeping; I write a blog on literary history, intellectual history, and the history of words entitled Lapidary Prose. I'm on Twitter and Facebook; my email is lapidaryprose@gmail.com.
View all posts by Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Leavekeeping 
Sounds like a profitable couple of days, Elizabeth. Coaxing out the reclusive muse can be so hard at times, but it’s so very rewarding. Glad to know you’re enjoying the perks too.
Now… off to read up on profanity. 😀 Sounds like perfect lunchtime fare.
It was a good few days, Eden. Despite being knocked off the rails last week, I have been able to get the odd five sentences here and there, which has proven very helpful. There were lots of interesting (and unknown to me) family stories, begging to be written down and explored.
Part Two of the profanity posts will be up later this week. 🙂
I don’t think we ever learn all the interesting family stories. In some families, they are kept hidden until Time can do its magic disappearing act. In others, the facts get changed at each retelling until no one knows the truth.
I’ve made a point of gathering stories from both sides of the family (my own and my husbands) for years. The two “great archivists” in our families passed away, his great-aunt years ago, my grandmother recently…. and it’s sad to see how much is already being let go. And pictures aren’t good records…. Not without the stories behind them.
It’s wonderful that you’re doing this for your family.
That’s good, solid, HAPPY progress, Elizabeth! I was delighted to have a visit form you at my blog, and it will be even lovelier seeing you in person next week!
I love the image of creativity sloshing through your veins…I know that feeling well.
It’s fantastic that you’ve already finished your sponsor post. I’ve nearly got my rough draft finished; but it’s gone very long, so I’ll have some noodling to do, before it’s done. And, with posts going out every day but Sunday this month, it may be a week or more before I have it polished up and pretty. =)
I love this new energy and positivity in your posts. =)
Thank you, Shan. Happiness has not been the underlying melody of my life for several months. It will take a while for the happiness to return, but there is a strength underneath the sorrow that wasn’t there last year. giving me the hope that the positivity will return.
We will have to reschedule that writers’ get-together.
Not bad for a couple of days, and I think when you get your notes together and your thoughts organized you’ll find that you end up writing many more than 250 words.
You reminded me–I have a sponsor post due soon….
You called it, John. Once I pulled everything together, I had more than 500 words on the days I wrote.
Thanks for stopping by.
great job even if you didn’t hit your 250 word goal. Sometimes organizing and expanding is what’s needed.
Thank you, Fallon. I think there are times when the logjam needs to be organized and loosened, and then the whole flood of words are freed.
I always love the energy of a new Round. Looking forward to a productive one for you (and me). Hugs. 🙂
Hugs back, Tia. I know you’re fighting the perfection monster this Round, and that is a tough one, but one of my favorite expressions is “the perfect is the enemy of the good.” Lock that perfectionist in the closet and trust yourself!