Plot or Pants?

I'm going to start today with a check in about my lifestyle change (not calling it a diet). Since I put it out there last week, I figure updating will help keep me accountable. Today is my weigh-in. I joined SparkPeople 2 weeks ago and I'm down 5.4 pounds. I did really well following the guidelines for eating. There was only 1 day that I was over a little. I'm not doing enough exercise but I am doing more than before so I'm satisfied. I do need to step it up but I plan to get more motivated about it once I'm done with the part time job.

Speaking of which, tomorrow is my last day. Then I'm a full time writer. I'm hoping then that I can blast through the revisions of Out of the Shadows and get immersed in a new story. I've started my process for a new project. I always start with the characterization of the two main protagonists. I write down their backstory, some of which never gets into the story but I know it. I write down their goals, motivation and main conflict to reaching that goal. Then I write the conflicts they each have, a list of 20 for each character. Once I have all this info, I can start plotting out my story.

Yes, I'm a plotter. I like to get the major plot points down. Then I figure out how to go from one to the next while I'm writing. After doing the conflict lists, I usually have several scenes already in my head. Doing it this way keeps me on track but the story is still fresh for me. I know a lot of pantsters (those that write by the seat of their pants) say that if they plot it out, they feel it's already written and they usually abandon it. I need some structure, though. I tried pantsing it got stuck. For months.

So this is my process. It's what works for me. I feel lucky that I've found my groove as some writers struggle with that. I've tried different methods, and I'm open to try others, but I know that I can always go back to this if it doesn't work out. Or I may incorporate new aspects into my tried-and-true. It's all a learning process.

So what's your process? Are you a plotter or a pantster? How do you start a new story?

Putting it out there

I'm overweight. I have been for most of my life. Luckily for me, I've been supremely healthy save for the weight problem.

I've tried just about every diet known to man. I've had some success but then I end up putting it all back on plus some more. Chronic yo-yo dieting. Same story as most other overweight people.

The problem for me is that I think of it as temporary. Also, I'm not a big exercise fan. Put those two quirks together and you've got a recipe for failure.

In June, I started watching what I eat. I lost 5 pounds in six weeks. Then I went on vacation.

I tried to be somewhat good, though I wasn't as vigilant as I should have been. The good news is that I didn't gain the whole 5 pounds back. Just a couple.

Last week I made a decision that is a long time coming and I'm hoping that by putting it out here for everyone to see, that I will be motivated to finally make the changes that I need to in order to stay healthy. I know that if I don't make serious changes in my life, I'll end up with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and who knows what all else.

No more diets for me. I'm looking to make lifestyle changes that can carry past a time limit. So I joined SparkPeople.

Perhaps you've heard of this. They help you track your nutrition and fitness while teaching you the tools to make lifestyle changes. So far, so good. I've lost almost 3 pounds. I'm sure that most of that is water as I'm back to drinking my 8+ glasses a day. I've started walking my dog more regularly. We do a 2 mile loop around town when the weather's good. I'm checking out an exercise class on post next week that is a combination of cardio and strength training. Basically, I'm becoming more active.

That's important now that I will soon be spending the majority of my time everyday sitting at the computer. I want to be more active and healthy. If I lose some weight along the way, that's a bonus.

Have you heard of SparkPeople? Tried it? If you're on there, shoot me a note and we can be buddies.

Accountability

I've mentioned my accountability group in the past. Today I'm going to talk more in depth about them. Why? Because we're looking to add a few people to our ranks.

A similar group had one opening in December. At the time, it was exactly what I needed to get my butt back in gear. I'd stopped writing. From August to December, I didn't write a word. So, I applied. Yes, there was an application to make sure they found the right fit.

Apparently there were several of us that the group thought would work well with them. Not sure how they made their ultimate decision, but I wasn't the one chosen. Then, one of the women that founded that group offered to spend 6 weeks helping those of us who didn't make it, form our own group if we wanted.

That's what we did. We've been working hard since January to form a group that is supportive yet firm in keeping us on track with our goals. There are 3 of us now and we're looking to add 3 more. Let me tell you a bit about how we work.

We started out making long term goals (LTGs). These are the goals we want to accomplish in the year. Based on these LTGs, we make weekly and daily goals. We post our goals to a private blog. We support and nudge each other on this blog. We also meet once a week for chat to discuss anything that we feel is important. We also got to know each other during this time and I feel as though I have two new friends.

Our goals aren't just about writing. We have writing life (WL) goals, which pertain to other parts of being a writer outside the actual writing. That may include getting a website set up, or taking a class, or reading a craft book. We also have real life (RL) goals. These are goals outside of writing all together that we want to accomplish. It's a plan to help provide balance in our life.

We commit to writing 6 days a week, a minimum of 20 minutes a day. Also, those same 6 days, we commit to some WL goals. Our real life goals are 5 days a week. It's a lot of work, a big commitment. I don't want to scare anyone, but it's important to know that this is a serious group. We're asking for a commitment to the end of the year.

Now that I've told you a bit about the group itself, let me tell you what it's done for me. In the last 5 months, I have edited my first release and got it ready. I wrote a novella, submitted it, received a contract on it, completed the edits and waiting for its release. I finished the first draft of a full-length novel that I was about 50% done. I'm almost halfway through the second pass on it and getting close to starting the editing process. In total, I've written over 75k since January. I've gotten one of my websites redesigned and one of my blogs up and running. I've researched and got a list of agents to query as soon as my novel is ready. I'm completing my goals of taking a class every month and reading a craft book every month. My RL are ongoing, but most weeks, I meet those too. Oh, and did I mention I've made two new, great friends.

I think you'll agree that I've accomplished a lot in 5 months. I owe the continued forward movement to my accountability group. There have been days that I just didn't want to do what I needed to do. The thought of not getting a smiley for that day or having to tell my group that I was lazy was great incentive to keep my nose to the grindstone.

So, if anything sounds like what you need and want right now, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at riley@riley-quinn.com.