Preparing for Camp National Novel Writing Month July 2016 Pt 2

Today's Earworm: Highwayman by Bessech
Today's Date: June, 13, 2016

Preparing for Camp National Novel Writing Month July 2016 Pt 1

6/7/2016

I have settled on what I'm going to write along with the secondary stories. I have decided to do a story that I'm really not going to go into since I haven't decided if it's going to stay as a fanfic or become an original.

Either way it's going to be fun to write. That's for sure.

I have been planning out the story and talking ideas with a friend of mine for the last few days. Yesterday had me sleeping most of the day away before going to bed at a rather early hour. But I kind of needed it apparently.

But I still have a lot to do yet.

6/9/2016

God, what to say? There's really not a whole lot to say since I'm working on getting things set up and ready to go for this round of Camp.

My back is killing me, my muses are running around like insane little bastards and I'm trying so hard to finish off a few things before it comes time to start this insanity.

What am I to do?

6/10/2016

My muses decided to calm down enough for me to work on things and get other stories down and out of the way. Which is a good thing since I want to get this one story done before I start on Camp here. It keeps coming closer with every hour that passes by me.

And life keeps going nuts on us. I swear. It's driving me up a wall. But I keep going.

Because I can't really stop and just say "I want to quit". Life doesn't work like that, no matter how we want it to.

Yeah, I'm sounding a bit depressed because of real life stress.

Anyways, I just want it to be July already! I really, really want to write this story.

I already have 5 chapters planned out (and 3 out of 8 total written because I did start it but the rules do state that you can continue a story, but you must only count the new words, so yeah) and I'm always plotting what will happen in future chapters. I also need to watch a few things and make notes.

Urgh. Not happy making.

But I'm going to do it because I need those notes for other stories to. >< I swear one day I'm going to have this huge bookshelf just jammed pack full of notebooks with various notes.

I sigh now. And go back to writing.

The Writing Process: Writing Tools

Today's Earworm: Black Black Heart (Slow Version) by David Usher

Today's Date: 

I first want to say this: the reason why these are separated the way they are is because I don't want you guys end up reading long ass posts that drive you nuts and gives you way to much information than what you need. 

So that's why I've separated them the way I have and why they tend to be shortish. 

That and so you can skip over what you already know.

Just a warning though: Due to the subject of what I'm covering, this is going to be a split post, so please feel free to skim through what I'm writing when it comes to the software. Thank you.

Let's start today's post shall we?

What are you going on about this time?

Well, today we're going to talk writing tools.

Such as?

Well, for starters, pens, pencils and paper. This will be kind of short and simple because there's really not a lot to it, but still, we must talk about this.

Why? It's paper and pens or pencils.

Because it's a way that a lot of people do actually still write by. I myself do use pen and paper to write notes, some writing of actual chapters, and a few other things that I do.

Really? But...why? Really?

Because it can help the muse. While a person puts pen to paper, it slows them down so that they have time to compose the next line that they need to write. It's also a lot easier in some cases to carry pen and paper around with them instead instead of a computer. I prefer using a pen and paper when I'm traveling since I don't need power to keep my electronic working.

I can also rewrite and organize my notes and outlines a lot easier. This way I can shift and make notes on what needs to be changed and where. 

When it comes to actually writing a chapter, I tend to be able to add more details as I type up the story, fix up lines and the such. I usually do this in the first rounds of rewrites if I'm writing on my computer, but by hand writing, painful as it is, I can pretty much write out what is really a long information filled outline. 

It helps me with some of my stories, especially when I'm trying to figure out where I want to go with them.

Are we going to go over what you do when it comes time to write?

Actually, yes, I will be. I'll be doing that sometime between now and the end of this series. 

Let's go over computers and computer programs. 

I'm going to assume that you have a well working, good computer that you prefer using. So now that you have it all set up with mouse and keyboard (if you DO want to use them) let's get down about the types of software that you can use to write!

How many types of software are there?

So. Very. Many. 

But I'm going to do a short list of the good ones that are often suggested, both free and paid for. Along with some basic writing programs like Word, OpenOffice, and Google Documents. 

So let's go over the basic things. 

Microsoft Word: It's pretty much what you get with your computer. You can open it up, create a word document and write away. There's some set up, some learning if you've never used it before, and a few other joyful things that come with this, but it does come in handy to have.

I personally don't have it because my current laptop is second hand and the guy who owned this computer before removed the program. So I use the next item.

OpenOffice.

It is a free typing program that is a lot like Word. You can save .doc files, but the default is .docx when saving, so be careful with that.

It has a pretty nice word counter on it but when it comes time to put your word count into the NaNo word count, I use the validate word count so that I can have their programs word count. I think they tend to use word counts much like the Microsoft Word does, which doesn't count certain types of words as a word.

Google Document: I'm sure that you've all heard a lot about GDocs and I love it! I use them for most of my writing personally. I have my files and I can update them or use them as I want. I love the "See Revision History" option on it. 

Especially when you lose all of your work. 

It's easy to create a file that you want and you can download them as you need to. So that's always a nice bit of help. Really it is. 

I don't have all of my work and most of what is on there is what I'm working on AT THAT moment, or the latest chapters of my writing. Especially since I only have so much room on my drive that I can use. 

But if you're willing to pay for more room, it's a lovely option. And a great way to have your work accessible if you don't have a Cloud.

Let's go over some of the better paid options, shall we?

Why should I pay for something?

Because they usually come with all sorts of neat little perks that you can't get in free stuff, or that you can get but in smaller amounts.

I actually tried to figure out what would be good software programs but really? There are just SO many choices out there that you can make your own choice. From what I've seen, Scrivener is one of the top programs that you can buy.

PageFour is also a lot like Scrivener but looks to be simpler version of it and I can't really find a site for it. So if you want, hunt around, make sure that it's what you want. But it looks promising.

There is also Power Writer and Writer's Block, which are both writing tools. Power Writer is more like Scrivener and PageFour while Writer's Block is a way to block out the computer. You set a time or words and it blocks out the rest of the computer until you hit that count or time.

Warning: With Writer's Block, you will have to reach the goal or run out of time before you can get out of it. So I suggest short bursts of 50 words if you set a word goal, or no more than 5 minutes at a time while you figure out if you like it or not.

Alright, now that I'm done with that warning, let's continue on shall we?

Free writing software!

Something that we all like, yes? Well I like it most. Even though I really don't use any software outside of GDocs and OpenOffice myself.

Why not?

It's just not my thing. Thus why I'm going over the various options here that you can do. I've taken years to figure out how best I write, so take your time in figuring out what you want and need, alright?

Alright.

Onto the free software.

The software that I keep seeing mentioned a lot is YWriter, StoryBook, and Sigil. They are all built to help you write the novel, but as with every free thing, there are certain things that you aren't going to be able to do while writing. So be careful and research it. See if they are what you want.

I don't really know them really but I've heard good things about all of them.

Okay, so we have gone over writing software, but what about the outlining software?

Well now. What to say about Outlining software? I tend to use Outliner of Giants, the free version. The bad thing about the fact that it is free is that there are some parts of it that you can't use, but if you don't care about those, then this is actually a wonderful outliner to use! It also has a five (5) outline limit, but again, it's not so bad for me really.

I don't tend to outline more than a couple online anyways. But it's a great way to get things down and you can move bullet points around as you want. It's all about testing it out.

You can also use the bullet function on OpenOffice, Word, or even GDocs to create outlines. I've done so myself.

Pen and paper also works well but you do end up rewriting the outline some days. I still do that myself.

Liftlit is actually pretty damn good from what I've seen so far. It's pretty easy to use and you can set up your entire book using it, which is kind of fun. :D

Hiveworld is another one that is a free option. It looks well laid out and will help anyone who wants to test out online outlining and noting.

Now, I said that I would tell you guys about note software but...

But?

But all of these options can actually be used as Note holding to!

Shocking I know right?

With GDocs, you can tab your bullets in and create a new line under the main line as  you want.

With Outliner, there is an option called "wiki" where you can add a bullet that is not a part of the actual outline, but has information that you want for that chapter.

You can also add information for your chapters in Liftlit and Hiveworld, so it's not that hard to do so.

Guys! It's not hard to make notes.

So for now, I hope that this helped. Considering this drove me up a wall.

And I'm talking very much up the wall.

Enjoy!

The Writing Process: Settling In To Write 3

1. Keyboards/mouses 
2. Music/Shows/Movies
3. Internet access/Tabs opened

So it is time to go over the next part of this process I suppose huh? Well, let us start.

So we've gone over Setting up your writing area, figuring out how to sit and somewhat over writing utensils. I suppose that we should go over Keyboards and mouses. And of course printers. Almost forgot that.

Wait...Shouldn't that be mice?

Maybe if I was talking about multiple mice, which are rodents. I'm talking about a computer mouse. A basic computer mouse will fit your hand, hook up to you computer in some way, have two buttons (left and write) and a scroll wheel. Some are just trackball mouses. Those are easier on the hand since you don't have to move it, but are tricky to use if you're not used to them. 

I myself can use either one but tend to go with a corded mouse since I don't like having to replace batteries all that often. 

So why should we look into buying a mouse?

If you use just your track pad on your lap top, you will find that the range is rather limited right? I don't mind mine, I really don't. But I prefer to use my mouse when I'm editing. This allows me to highlight a lot of text without using keyboard commands (which we'll go over later on when we start to talk Editing) or the short range of the track pad.

I also find that using the scroll wheel helps me in the long run in trying to get up or down a page, especially a page that I want to keep my cursor in a certain place so I can get to that spot easier. Why? Because I dislike having to hunt for my last spot especially if I'm in the middle of a paragraph that I'm editing.

Fine. So would I need anything special?

Nope, nothing special. Just a basic mouse will make your life that much easier.

So what about keyboards?

I talked about this in the last post right? Well, I'm going to tell you again, having a mouse and keyboard that is attached to your laptop will allow you greater freedom and space to find a comfortable position. 

What kind of keyboard though?

That all depends upon you actually. Ask yourself these questions when it comes to buying one.

Do you like a regular keyboard with a number pad attached to it? 

Do you need large letters? 

Do you want one that lights up? 

Do you want an ergonomic one instead of a standard keyboard?

Do you want a soft click to your keys or a harder click?

Do you want soft tap or a firmer touch?

Do you want one that is wired or wireless?

All of these will help you narrow down your options and then you can go into any electronic store that sells computers and accessories to test out keyboards.

Wait, wait, wait! 

What the hell is the difference between ergonomic and standard?

Well, standard keyboards come with every desktop. They have all of the normal keys that you would expect along with number pad to the side. That's a standard keyboard.

Now, ergonomic keyboards are actually meant for those who type a lot. First, hold your arms out before you, just naturally. They sit in an upside down V shape, don't they? That is the natural resting position of your hands in front of you.

Ergonomic keyboards follow that natural line and split the keys into two parts. 

I've actually just added a picture to this because it's just a lot easier to show this to you guys.

This is a pretty basic one. You'll see others that are more geared towards gaming but these are made for typing. As you see, the main keys and the F command keys are spit down the middle while the space bar is curved to allow the thumbs to sit as they will. 

It helps those who have wrist or hand problems in the fact that it allows your wrist and arm to sit in a normal position instead of a forced bent position when you use a standard keyboard.

As I said before, go to a store that has a variety of electronics and sell computer accessories, test out some of the keyboards and the mouses, find what feels right with you. It's all about what is comfortable.

I'll eventually get my hands on a split keyboard myself.

Okay, so I have a keyboard, mouse, computer, and everything else.

What are you going over next?

Music, TV shows, and the such actually.

Wait...what? Why?

Well, mostly because they do affect how you write, how long you write, and what you write. I'm sure that as you sat down, you probably turned on something to have some kind of background noise right?

Unless you're someone who doesn't like having noise in the background, then you can just move on to the next section if you so wish.

But music, TV shows, and other things all help create an environment for which you can write to.

Personally, I tend to write to whatever catches my attention at the time, thus I have several playlists of music, movies, TV shows and various other things on various accounts. Such as Netflix, Youtube, and Pandora.

When it comes down to it, it all depends on what you want to do that day. I find that most often then not, music that is instrumental, or without words is best. You can find quite a lot of such items on Pandora or on Youtube. With pandora, just look up instrumental and go through their stations to find out what you would like.

I like my station based around Jia Peng Fang myself. Very interesting sounds and very soothing.

But I also like documentaries about things since I can just kind of play them in the background without worry. I also tend to listen to horror movies since most of them don't really require your attention. It's all about what works for you and going from there.

Don't be afraid to play around and test things out. Youtube is a great place to experiment, as long as you stay away from the cute cat videos.

Okay, so what are we talking about now that I have my music set up?

Well, how about we talk about what you have open while writing?

What's wrong with what I have opened?

I'm guessing that you have a tab open to youtube, a couple tabs to other social medias (such as Facebook, Pinintrest, and Tumblr), and if you're an online reader, a couple of tabs to various stories right?

It really doesn't matter what you have open, what matters is how distracting it is to you. That's where your will power is going to come in. You need to stop and close those tabs. 

Bookmark them. 

Send the links to yourself.

Do what you need to do but get rid of any tabs that aren't required in your writing. This means that unless it's your background noise or research, it doesn't need to be opened. I can tell you right now, that despite the fact that I have a few tabs that aren't a part of my research open, I'm not on them constantly. 

But when I first started to write? I had only the tabs that I needed whenever I was on a computer. And when I wasn't writing, I would open those tabs then. After a while I had trained myself into being able to ignore those tabs while working. It just takes time to do this.

So until you learn how to ignore any tabs that you don't need, I would close them. 

Clear that bar and focus on your writing. Seriously. It will do nothing but help you in the long run.

I think that's everything for this round, so shall we move onto the next set?

The Writing Process: Settling In To Write 2

The Writing Process: Types of Writing Tools 

The Writing Process: Settling Down to Write 2

Today's theme song:
Date:

I hope that you find the following information easy to understand and a guide to where you want to go for this.

Let's start shall we?

Today's Topic: Setting Up Your Work Place

What does this mean though?

Okay, first, what is a work place?

It's going to be where you will sit down and write.

Write what?

Well that depends on what you want to write. But we're just getting to the start of it all, setting up that place where you can write. It'll be where the muse takes hold and creates a world for you to play in.

Where do we start?

We start by figuring out where the best place is for you to write. This includes noise quality, privacy, comfort, lighting, and the size of the place. Some people have an office while others just have a small desk with which they have set up as their personal place. Some writers forgo writing at a desk, instead sitting in bed with a lap table at hand to hold their utensils depending on how they're writing.

Once you figure out where you can write best, you can figure out how you'll write best. We'll go into better depth at the various tools at hand for a writer in another blog post, but you can either write the old fashioned way with pen and paper, or you can use your computer. Laptop or desktop, doesn't matter. Some writers even use an older fashioned word processor, much like this Panasonic Word Processor KX-W900.

Trust me, typing on one of these things is like typing on an original type writer. But it generally comes with a little viewing screen that you can write out and edit before you print.

Now, back onto the actual topic, once you figure out where you want to write and how you want to write, you simply set it up. Pens and pencils that you need for quick little handwritten notes, paper, lights, and any other useful item that you believe will come in handy.

I personally sit in a recliner. Why? Because I'm currently unable to buy a good desk that sits at a good height with a good chair that will allow me to sit at it for the hours on end that I do. But the recliner is comfortable. I also have a small table that sits before my recliner, because it doesn't recline very well now days but also because I prefer to put my feet on the ground more often then not.

I have my computer set up on a laptop fan that is used to keep it nice and cool so I can write. But I've also plugged in a mouse and a keyboard so that I don't have to have the darn laptop in my lap, cutting off circulation.

But, I also have a three tiered shelving unit that holds a lamp, a wax tart burner, and a lot of papers and pens at hand. Along with the multitude of binders. It's all organized chaos. It works for me.

But it might not work for you. You have to find that sweet spot for you writing area.

Why do you keep talking about pens, and pencils and all that?

What is so important about those things?

Well, they are a part of all writers life in someway or another. Yes, we have tablets and phones that we can type on, but there is something about holding a pen in your hand and putting it to paper to work out your newest idea that is just so wonderful. 

Sometimes, when a writer is sitting at their computer, the ideas won't come to them while the cursor is blinking away, distracting their thoughts. They can find that the ideas to be expanded upon will come to them when they have a pen in hand and a piece of blank piece of paper before them. 

Sometimes there is just no way that they can type away their ideas on their electronics so a pad of paper and pen can help them. Thus why pen/pencil and paper can be a writers best friend and should be near at hand when writing.

I would also suggest you have some way to correct pen marks, have various types and colors of sticky notes, various sizes and styles of paper, and various sizes and styles of binders. All of these things will come in handy and you'll find out why in the long run.

I know, your area will be a complicated mess. Drawers with drawer organizers, and desktop organizers will come in handy either way you look at it so invest. Even if it's just a few bits and pieces here and there from such places as Big Lots or Wal-Mart. Don't be afraid to be cheap. 

It's your work space and no one should have any right to talk about it. 

Okay, so we've gone over area and utensils. 

Why do you want to talk about lighting?

Lighting can actually be an important factor, surprisingly enough. Depending on your eyesight and the way your eyes react to light will dictate on how much light you need for your choice of writing styles. 

For Computers, it depends on how much strain the computer screen puts on your head. If you work best when you have a lot of light around you to offset the glare from the screen, you should probably make sure that you have overhead lights that spread out a good amount of light, or a floor lamp, something like these floor lamps. Even one or two floor lamps that have a secondary lower adjustable arm lamp will give you a lot of light when set just right.

But if you like to have less light, go for a small desk lamp that can be adjusted as you please. Even just a basic table lamp could help you in the long run. Whatever works for you. 

The same goes for writing by hand on a piece of paper. Just make sure you have enough light to not strain your eyes while doing it. It can get very painful if you're not careful. 

Alright, now that I have that to think about, what else am I going to think about?

How I sit?

Well...Yes actually. Being comfortable while you write is very important indeed. You don't want your back to just suddenly complain about being in one position for to long without the proper position. So, it comes back to where you are.

Are you in bed? Are you sitting at a desk? Is your area just a little bit of the living room with the couch or recliner? 

Depending on your answer, you will need different things to help you stay comfortable. For beds, recliners, and couches, I suggest that you find those oddly shaped pillows that look like the back of small chairs with tiny arms. They're called bed rest pillows or back rest pillows with arms. Surprisingly enough, they are comfortable. Very much so. And can come in a variety of styles, textures, and stuffing. Find one that would be comfortable. Or you can just find a pillow. 

Or buy a twin bed sized piece of memory foam, cut it into parts, and shove two of those parts into a pillow case. I'm planning on doing that for myself. It's an easy way to have something that will give but still retain it's shape.

I'll put up a link when I get that particular project done.

If you are like a lot of writers and sit at a desk, invest in a good chair. You want one with cushioning but still good back support. I suggest you go out to a store that has a variety of desk chairs to test them out and find one that fits you. It will be costly though for a good chair, but to hold off the numb butt we all experience at least twice in our lifetimes, it will be well worth the price.

Wow, a lot of money goes into writing...

Yeah, it can be. But it helps to keep you comfortable enough to write without worry. I'm not lying about that. A good chair and desk can last years if well treated. And if you go professional, you should be able to make it back in profits within the first few years once you build up a fan base. Should. I'm not promising that though. 

And I'm about to tell you, you might want to spend some more money on buying a few more things. Those things are? Well, a mouse and a keyboard if you're using a laptop. 

Why though? For comfort. Most laptops are designed to be used on the lap now days, yes, but most don't often actually use it as such. We tend to stick it up high enough so that we don't have to kill our necks. Which is good! But it makes things a little hard for us to type on their keyboards. That and the mouse pads can be a pain.

Mind you, I'm talking about just a laptop, not a Mac. Macs are a whole 'nother creature. And one that I barely know.

Now that's out of the way, keyboards and mouses allow you to move back and forth without moving the laptop with you so that you can continue to use the keyboard and mouse pad. It allows you to keep the laptop stationary so that you can sit back, getting distance from the screen if you so need it. 

It also allows you to use split keyboards if you are used to those or have wrist problems that make it hard to use the traditional keyboards. 

I love my keyboard and mouse. I can use the mouse so much better then a mouse pad. I'm not joking you about that.

I believe that I've probably babbled your ear off about this for long enough. So I think that I'll let you guys sit here and think over what I've said.

If you have questions or comments, please don't be afraid to question or comment below. My inbox is open and I will happily reply to you. 

The Writing Process: Settling Down to Write 1

The Writing Process: Settling Down to Write 3

The Writing Process: Settling Down to Write 1

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on anything. I do not expect you to take my words as the gospel of writing. What I do expect is for you to take some time and think if my words lead you to where you personally need to head to. Or if they help you at all.

All sources are linked at the end of the post along side the links to other posts are a part of the series. Thank you.

So, now that the disclaimer has been taken cared of, I thank you for coming to my first official blog series. This post will start that series by going over what I'm hoping to cover in this series.

The following list is what I'm hoping to cover.

1. Setting Up Your Work Space
1. Area
2. Utensils/Writing Tools/Note Taking/ect
3. Lighting
4. Sitting
5. Keyboards/mouses 
6. Music/Shows/Movies
7. Internet access/Tabs opened
2. Types of Writing Tools Available 
1. Pen and paper
2. Computers
1. Types of software offered to write on
2. Outlining software
3. Note software
3. Drinks and Food
1. Types of food
2. Ideas to think about
3. Drinks 
4. Plots and Outlines
1. Preparing the plot
2. Preparing the notes
3. Preparing the world
4. Preparing to outline

I'm sure that I will come up with more as I go along and depending on how long each post turns out to be will depend on how many posts there will be about them.

Do you have a question or suggestion that you would like to see covered over this first series? Comment below and I shall add it to my list if I haven't already covered it before hand.

Do you have an question or suggestion for future series or parts of series that you would liked covered? Again, please comment below and I shall figure out where to put it on my list. 

Enjoy all.

Links:

The Writing Process: Settling Down to Write 2

Note as of 1/18: I actually have a total of 3 of these written out. This is the first one and I have the following two written out. I need to edit and fiddle around with them before I post them but I'm hoping to scatter these out among other posts as we go along.

And hopefully have something out ever Monday. Cross our fingers!

New Years Resolutions of a Creative Mind

Theme Song: Song of the North by BrunuhVille
Today's Date: January 4, 2016

As I sit here and think about the world as it is and all that is going on, I find that I have to remind myself to just...stop.

Stop and look at myself.

Stop and think about myself for once.

Stop and put myself first before others when it comes to my life.

I think that, 4 days into the New Year, that I am doing pretty darn good all things considered.

But I'll be figuring more out as I go along to. I'm still young even though I'm in my early 30's. I have time to really figure out who I am without worrying about others for once.

Because I am S.L. Lewis. And I'm an writer.

And I like that.

But I'm not really here to talk about that now am I?

No, I'm here to talk about what I'm going to do one way or the other this year.

My New Years Resolutions.

Let's go over them shall we?

1. Find my mental stability stability again.
2. Remove the toxicity in my life and get past it.
3. Finish at least one rough draft.
4. Write at minimum 5,000 words a week.
5. Get at least 260k words for the entire year.
6. Get in some much needed paperwork.
7. Do at least one blog journal a week about various things. 

Okay so I have a list, but what does this all mean?

1) Find my mental stability stability again.

Unfortunately for me, 2015 was not kind to me. I've fought depression for many, many years, since back in...Gah, about 1998 actually. This year was just not happy with me so I need to head back to Therapy again. 

And find a place that doesn't have people who I want to vent about following my every move. Disparaging everything that I say. 

I might actually start another tumblr blog with that in mind. We'll have to see how things go in the long run. 

2) Remove the toxicity in my life and get past it.

This is connected to Goal one actually. I can't get rid of some of it right away due to the fact that I need the person (as much as I hate to say it) but I can limit contact and the amount of time that I actually spend with them. 

But there is other toxicity that I can remove. 

And I shall.

3) Finish at least one rough draft.

I actually just found a wonderful site and I'll be talking about them more later on this year, but it's because of the wonderful Jennifer Amriss that I found this site just as I restarted my love affair with a good romance book.

So I'm trying my hand at romances again, but I need to finish off a few stories first though. I'm actually thinking of working on Book 1 of my Honey Drops series. Here's hoping that I get that going yes? *crosses fingers* 

4) Write at minimum 5,000 words a week.

I do this every year. It's a thing that I like doing. I did hit the goal, mostly, for 2015, but I'm hoping to keep it going this year.

5) Get at least 260k words for the entire year.

This ties in with number 4. I got well over 260K in 2015, but I'm going to keep going for as many words as I can this year. I'm actually hoping to reach closer to 300k. Who's with me in doing this?

6) Get in some much needed paperwork.

Personal goal since I can't physically work. Which sucks but eh, it happens. Between my body not liking me and my mind screwing me over in every which way, I need to get this stuff in.

But, nice thing, my insurance has labeled my asthma as a chronic illness. Hurrah.

7) Do at least one blog journal a week about various things. 

This one will be fun and MOSTLY easy since I can sit there and work things out as I go along. Set up scheduled posts and the such. Edit said posts before they come out.

Doing my thing on various series. 

Which reminds me, I need to get things ready for my first series.

Either way, everyone, THANK YOU. For everything. It's nice to know that I have friends who are willing to help. Thank you all. Seriously.