ROWers ROCk!

Yes, that capitalization is intentional.

As we drift into a new year and a new Round of Words in 80 Days, we’ve been talking (in the group Facebook Chat) about what we really need to help get ourselves through the rocky periods as well as those fountains of creativity. And so, may we introduce…

A Round of Creativity in 80 Days

Like the original ROW80 created by Kait Nolan, the ROC is an 80 challenge for writers (though anyone with a creative bent is welcome to peek in and join, we really like to promote writers). Also like the original ROW80, we will do 4 ROWnds per year starting on the first Monday in January. We’ll request you have a blog, but you can post your links to other social media check-ins as well. But most of all, like the original ROW80, you will need to have measurable goals, and you will need to be able to make a goal post articulating them so that your fellow ROCers can cheer you on.

Since the 2nd of January would be our first Monday of 2023, I’m exercising my “administrator privileges” here and declaring that the first Round of Creativity in 80 Days starts officially on January 9th.

After Christmas I will post updated details on how we will be handling our check-ins and adding any changes to the actual page that I can. Right now, I am looking for feedback as to what worked (or didn’t) in the original ROW80, and what you’d like to see instituted in our challenge. The ROW80 ROCs will work best if we support each other and share the connections and visits. So please feel free to leave a comment about what would make this challenge better.

Thank you.

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Round 1 End-of-Round 3/25/20

Winner!

Hey there, Winners! Yes, I mean you all. All you all! You are winners. Whether you achieved all your goals or had to reassess and recalulate over and over, you made it here.

You finished Round 1.

(Well, technically, the round ends tomorrow, but you know how we are here at the ROW80… we like to get in there ahead of the crowd. 🙂 )

Why not let us cheer with you. Post your progress in the comments below or on our FB page.

Round 1 Check-in 3/22/20

Mea Culpa

Hey there ROWers! Sorry for running so late with your check-in today. I did a doozy on my big toe while out walking around the lake yesterday, and the mind was on other things than writing blog posts for the rest of the evening.

Your check-in in here now though. And I have a bit of news for you all as well. Good news!

The delightful Denise Young will be stepping in as your ROW80 blog maven for the upcoming Rounds 2 and 3 (at least).

So, rest assured, your ROWing will be smooth and creative for a long time to come.  And, until then, stay safe, stay heathy and create

Round 1 CHeck-in 10/18/20

Yep!  We’re almost there.  Just one more week and then…  Poof!  Round 1 disappears for a whole year.

Hard to believe that it’s flown by so fast.

I do hope all of you are staying well during this very interesting of times.  If, like us, you’ve been encouraged to stay home and avoid contact in groups larger than 10 people, it may seem like this is a writer’s dream.  Time home to work on our creative endeavors, no commutes, no loud crowd drowning out the voices in our heads…

Beware of too much silence though.  Too little activity can be as bad as too much.  So, in this home stretch, I encourage you all to add in a small fitness/activity goal for your own creativity.  And no…  Netflix marathons don’t really count as running.  😉

Add some extra walking in.  Find a local park or Nature Reserve and see an area you haven’t looked closely at before.  Try making some baskets at a local park.  Use Youtube videos to learn some new dance moves or some other new skill (there are some nice beginner guitar videos there).

And if you’re used to working with a partner, try adding sprints and meetings via Skype, Facetime, FB Messenger, Google Hangouts…  the list is pretty big these days.

Most of all, even while you need to isolate yourselves because of the virus, you shouldn’t isolate yourself from the world.  It’s where stories happen.  It’s where creativity lives and is ready to meet you.

Here’s your linky!

Round 1 Check-in 3/15/20

(Courtesy of Guy Smiley’s Guts)

For history buffs and their very creative counterparts (like, maybe Shakespeare or someone like that 😉 ), today is a great day for writing and connecting and… planning (though I imagine for the conspirators that killed Caesar, that was done a few days or weeks prior).  It’s a well known day for stories of all kinds, truth and…  well usually NOT the truth. (Like what really happened to Caesar….)

And this is a good thing, ROWers.  It shows that your mistakes don’t mean as much as your ability to get back to your project and produce it, produce it, produce….  Basically, you define the story you want people to most remember about you.  You define what YOU want to remember and know about you.  Step by step, challenge after challenge…  round after round.

As we start looking toward the end of this Round of Words (we’re done on the 26th, folks, so it’s coming soon), we should start looking at what we’ve accomplished and what we still want to focus our energies on in Round Two.  Remember that the end of one 80 day adventure just means you can start the next ROWnd with a shift in focus and a sense of refreshment…  even if you’re working on the same projects as you’ve been working on for the past couple of years.

So…  start thinking about what’s to come, what you’ve accomplished…  what you most enjoyed about your ROW80, and what you’d prefer to tweak a little.

And while you’re doing that, you may want to check-in for the moment and let the rest of us know how you’re doing.

Here’s your linky:

Round 1 Check-in 2/10/20

So… 

I have a small confession for all you ROWers.  This is going to be my last Round of Words for the near future.  That means I won’t be maintaining the blog or linkys anymore.  I don’t know if these parts of the challenge will be taken up by anyone else at this point.  If there is news of that sort, I’ll post it before the ROWnd ends, or you should be able to find updates on our FB page (which the magnificent Shan Jeniah has been maintaining all this time).

It has been great being part of this challenge, but these past few ROWnds I’ve been unable to participate really at all, and especially these past 80 days I’ve found myself missing check-ins all too often.  So it’s time to bid you adieu.  Well, at least it will be in 16 days when this Round of Words ends.

Until then, however…

It’s Check-in Time.

By this point you must all know how our check-in process works.  You can always just leave us a note or comment below.  You can add a link to the comments or our linky list (click on the blue froggie for that).  You can even leave your check-in (in any form) on our FB thread.  We’re pretty versatile here,

Round 1 Check-in 3/8/20

It’s all timing! (courtesy Ray Massey/GettyImages)

Another week over… we’re heading toward the end of this Round of Words. How do you feel about your progress over these past months?  Have you made strides?  Does your progress feel more like the Cha-cha than a marathon?

Don’t be embarrassed if your dance steps are a bit awkward…  you’re moving.  You’re doing!

Kudos!

So don’t hold back.  Tell us all your best moves in the comments below or in our FB group.  Sorry, no linky today…  a bit of international espionage took down our home computers for the near future.  😦

Round 1 Check-in 2/4/20

Salvete scriptores!

Yep!  Greetings writers!

I’m doing a course in Classical Latin. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for some time. Mostly, my interest came out of writing and wordsmithing in general (because of how much of our English language has been influenced by it) but as well because of my love of archaeology and history these days. This isn’t my first time trying.  I picked it up a bit once before, then set it aside.  Finally I’m really doing something about a long term dream, going for it, achieving my goals…  that’s what the ROW80 is about.

Courtesy Love Images Collections

Have you got a class or goal you’ve been putting off for some time because you just didn’t feel you could get to it?  Why not pick it up again, turn it over, look at it close…  Who knows, maybe you might find you’re ready to take it on and go for that personal victory.

And…  even if you aren’t, well, who knows, maybe you’ll at least get closer to that goal than you had been before.

Here’s your linky! Why not share a little bit of some special project you’ve been working on along with your check-in? I’m sure your fellow ROWers would love to hear about it.

Round 1 Check-in March 1, 2020

Good Morning!

Hello all you wonderful creative people you!

It’s that time again, time to share our progress and check-in with our fellow ROWers so we can all cheer each other on to personal achievement.

Ready?

Good! Drop us a line or two (or a link to your blog). And to help you do that, here’s the linky!

Round 1 Check-in2/26/20

It’s time for another check-in, ROWers!  Ready….  or not. Deadlines, personal challenges…  and you…  you shouldn’t wait either.  There’s a whole wide world of inspiration and ideas, things to discover and share with others.  And you?  You have that magical chance to be the one to do it.  But only if you’re working toward that goal, only if you are moving forward toward your goals, ROWing along that (sometimes) rough water, taking in the great scenery…

Yeah…  You’ve got this.  Keep doing what you’re doing, but why not take a moment from your schedule to let us all know how things have been progressing?  You can leave comments here below or on our linky or even at our FB page.

And also a huge Thank You Very Much to Kathy  Waller from the Ink Stained Wretches for the shout out (and jumping in to join our friendly crew).  You all may wish to check out the other group in Kathy’s post, the Friday Fictioneers for some practice and inspiration with short fiction.