Writing Challenge - FastDraft + ROW80

Round 3 is ON!

 A Round of Words in 80 Days started Round 3 this past week. In July 2nd's blog post announcing the beginning of the new round Kait Nolan challenged all of us ROWers to "Be an Action Verb." When I read the post, I felt its word reach out and grab me by the neck:

...saying that you are a writer is a static thing.  It’s a noun.  A descriptive term.
And it’s a term you need to earn.  Repeatedly.  Because you can’t call yourself a writer and mean it if you’re not actually writing on a regular basis.   You aren’t really a writer if you just wrote something that one time and then never touched it again. [...]
No.  You’re better than that.  You have more than one idea, recognize that you need to work on your craft, and that you actually have to KEEP WRITING.
WRITING.  That’s the clincher.  The VERB.  The ACTION verb that indicates something is HAPPENING on a continual basis.

I read the post over and over again. I had been editing my first draft of Dear 302 for a six months, but felt like I was getting nowhere. I hadn't started a new project because I wanted to give my first my full attention. I hadn't been keeping up with writing short stories either. Awash in shame, one question stung as it queried, Was I becoming just a noun?

On that same day I received an e-mail from Tui Cameron from StoryDam inviting me and Morgan Dragonwillow (other StoryDam-er) to join her in a writing workshop beginning on July 7th. It was Candace Haven's Fast Draft. I hadn't heard of it, but Tui had been to Candace's lecture at the DFW Writer's Conference and she was inspired. According to the workshop description we would have to write every single day for two weeks straight in order to complete a first draft in that time. I thought, if nothing else, it had writing action written all over it.

The question in the back of my mind: Am I ready for ACTION?

The answer I finally came up with: JUST DO IT!

So I'm in. I spent the rest of the week plotting and planning. On July 2nd I had no plans for a second novel, by July 5th I was feverishly researching and plotting my first ever SciFi YA novel. I can't believe it. On Saturday I woke up at 7am to ensure that I reached my FastDraft writing goal before my day got in the way. I wrote 23 pages, exceeding my daily goal of 20 pages.

In other good news, I sent out my first three edited chapters of Dear 302 to two volunteer beta readers on Saturday night! (eep!)

In short, in this first week of Round 3 of ROW80 I have embodied the three action verbs that I strive to represent throughout this challenge and beyond:

WRITING

READING

EDITING

I am WRITING 20 pages per day.

I am READING at least one book per week.

I am EDITING my first draft of Dear 302  to have it completed for my August 17th deadline.

So far, so good. And one of the rules in Fast Draft is absolutely no negativity allowed! Therefore, with my optimist's hat planted firmly on my head I have to say I think Round 3 of ROW80 and my first stab at Fast Draft is going to produce one fantastic Writing Woman of Action in me!

What was the last writing (or reading) challenge you participated in?

How did it turn out for you?

How do you keep yourself motivated and reward yourself when accomplishing your goals? 

Other Sunday Check-Ins in the ROW80 Writing Challenge