So I have four readers - three are female (two write one doesnt) and the fourth is a guy who writes in a totally different vein than just about everyone I know.

This is awesome.

Also, in the same category of the world working in my favor for once, I recieved my staples rewards check and it almost totally paid for my copies that I needed to print my manuscript for editing it myself. 

I'm going to get their responses around the 20th, which gives me a week to go over what they had to say and organize their comments.  I'll then use those with my story and start editing on March 1. 

Then, my timeline is first edit done by the end of the first week, and I'll have to see if somebody else can do a quick read after that.  I have a few friends in mind that I can ask, but we'll see.  They'll only have a couple days turnaround time.

After that, a second edit (which also means a check off my list for dayzeroproject) and I'll be ready for a serious set of critiques.  I have a few people in mind - my writers group and my nephews who are 13, 15 and 17 - to check it out.. One more draft, and I'll give the novel to kids that are just about the right age to be reading it anyway. 

We'll have to see.

Watched Star Trek and District 9 last night with Art.
Also, four games of Monopoly.. Mark your calendars. I actually lost one.

Just found out they're doing an A-Team movie this year.  I seriously hope it doesn't suck like most new movies seem to.  Considering some of the people they've tapped, I'm a little worried about it.

Okay, so I thought I'd sit here and post a little about the dayzeroproject site, where I'm now participating.

Day Zero is an interesting project where you make a list of 101 things that you want to accomplish in the next 1001 days.  So, you know, I made a list.  (Well, sort of, there are still a few things that I have to add to complete the list).  And I'm slowly checking stuff off. 

I have lots and lots of reading and writing goals that need done.  Like dozens of them.  It's rediculous.  I don't know.  I'd like to think that my goals are all different, but it's hard to say.  Here's My List!

And, List Progress!

Goal #3.  Watch 26 movies.  Each one starting with a different letter of the alphabet. 

• P - The Pursuit of Happyness -- Watched 17 Jan, 2010

Goal #21. Sell a short work.  For money.
Goal #22. Sell a longer work (at least 20k).  For money.

• May I just say that you can't sell a work until you submit?  I just wanted to throw that out there.  But really, this brings me to the next number on the sheet. Which is the only reason I'm taking about it.  Because nothing sold.  

Goal #36. Submit at least two things a month to get published.  Consistantly.
Here's January's progress.

• Zeek (story 1) - Andromedas Spaceways Inflight Magazine - rejected within a week. 
• Zeek (story 1) - M-Brane SF
• Epic Haiku Love Story - Crazyhorse
• Rain - The Foliate Oak
• Prelude to Exodus - Untied Shoelaces of the Mind

Goal #44.  Read a different author for each letter of the Alphabet.
Note:  I've read three, but only one so far in January.

• Larson, Erik - The Devil In The White City...  A story about the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  And the serial killer who operated during it.  It was awesome. I want to read every book this guy's ever read.  Bonus points for me, it was Victorian and it was a contemporary expo to the Tennessee Bicentennial in Nashville, which just made it awesome.

Goal #47. Convince somebody else to make a 101/1001 list.

• Absolute success on this one... I've got three or four people working on their own lists. 

Goal #63.  Wii Fit for 90 consecutive days for at least 20 minutes a day.

• So I'm only four days into this, but I've been doing it every day for about 30-35 minutes a day, which is AWESOME.  I actually don't dislike it, and I have it worked out so I do yoga, strength training, etc... as a warmup, then I do a cardio workout and end with two other yoga poses for my warm up.  I am very proud of myself over this.

Goal #73.  The 10 can project.
I need to explain this project.  Two people need to swap a box of 10 canned goods with the labels removed.  They then take one can a day and must use/consume at least 1/2 the can at a meal.

• Cathy, a good friend of mine, has agreed to do the can project with me.  I trust her to not give me the wierdest crap on the planet.  So, now all we have to do is sit down and hash out the rules. 

Goal #79. Do a prompt from creativewritingprompts.com daily.

• The project got started, I did it for a couple days, and then it kinda derailed.  I'm putting it on hold for a few days until I'm in a better place mentally.

Goal #93. Blog Weekly.
Goal #97. Write 500k words in a year.

• Progress is being made, but I don't know how much is going on.  As you can see, I've held up the blog end of the bargain.  As for the half a million words thing... I don't think I can do it without a miracle.  We'll see but who knows.

Okay... Those are my updates from now. 

I will update more later.