goals for the year ahead

[LilliesCarol]

It sounds like you ladies are very busy. Good for you and your yoga workouts. I wonder if that is something the doctor would let me do. However, if I got down on my prat, I'd never get up again. Oh well, the joys of getting older. I see you are interested in NaNoWriMo. I've seen it for the last several years, but never really inquired what it is. Would some one tell me the particulars? As for goals, I would like to finish the rewrite of my family history into a novel, but am having so much trouble with POV. It's been explained several times, but just doesn't seem to register. Oh well, guess I'll have to work that one out as I continue the rewrite.

[Laycrew]

[EccentricKim]

November is crazy for me too . . . my son's birthday is Nov. 30 and of course there is the holiday planning for everyone . . . but I try to write every night after everyone goes to bed, so I think I can still do it!

[EccentricKim]

I really love posting here and seeing what kinds of things we have accomplished! I want to go ahead and post my goals for 2013!

1. Finish Book 2 of The Divide series (it will be called Unity, at least right now!)

2. Write a sequel to Amelia's Revolution (queer steampunk) from the POV of Amelia's best friend Two-Spirit

3. Decide what my next novel will be . . . I think I'm going to finish a book I already started called Torn Asunder, YA Historical Fiction . . . and I also think I'm going to try for agent representation on this one. But if I don't have any luck I will submit it to my publisher.

4. Continue writing other short stories and non-fiction articles when the spirit moves me!

[LMGilbert]

I've been slacking off as a writer, yet have managed to move forward on a couple of short stories that have been "stuck" for awhile.

And I'm now really, really motivated to get something published, and the motivation is jealousy. Yes, I am insanely jealous of a friend who recently had something published in an online journal. I'm really proud of her for finally sending her work out there, but to be brutally honest with myself, it's the jealousy that has lit a flame under me and made me jump. So now I've approached paperdroids.com with a couple of articles and ideas, and am sending two humourous pieces off to something called The Mona Schreiber Prize out of California USA. Hope it's legit, I might post an enquiry in Tips & Advice.

The worst thing right now for me, is waiting to hear back about the short stories that I have already submitted to a couple of contests. The anxiety is killing me.

[EccentricKim]

Sometimes a form of desperation may be what you need. . . for me getting my first paying publications (non-fiction articles) I was approaching my 30th bday and my son had been born. I'd had nothing published because I'd never really submitted anything, and decided I was ready, and that it was now or never, and I wanted to prove to my son that you should follow your dreams.

Then to get my book published a year later, the trauma was that my wife had lost her job. I desperately spent all free time possible polishing the book, looking for agents, writing and re-writing a synopsis and query letter, and finally looking for small publishing companies. I think that made me work harder. (even though the pay-off is still not a lot yet! But I did sell 40-50 books to co-workers and they paid me cash and I ordered them at my discounted author rate and made a profit . . . it didn't count towards my official "sales" but I can finally say I have now earned enough money writing to pay some bills!)

So maybe that's what we need to get started. . . cold fear, panic, anxiety, and other negative things which can only be overcome with the sweet, sweet addiction of publication! lol

[LMGilbert]

Have submitted to On The Premises (Holiday theme), and to Broken Pencil's "Deathmatch" competition. It sounds like a lot of fun, especially if you get to be one of the finalists. Also submitted a short horror story to a proposed anthology. Several other stories are waiting to be finished, or just waiting for the right deadline to pop up.

[LMGilbert]

Submitted three more pieces to publications & have a list of deadlines matched to stories I've either completed or am working on finishing.

New goal: to visit the Critique Section and try to give as many critiques as possible. Then I might feel entitled to post some of my work & ask for a critique...

Another new-ish goal: find a local writer's group for critique, sharing work.

[LMGilbert]

I sent in some work to the local writers' critique group. It's an application & wait-for-acceptance process. They now have the option of communicating by email if you can't make it out to the monthly meetings, so that will be perfect for me.

[LMGilbert]

Yay, got accepted by the local writers' critique group! That should be very motivating. Boo, but not a big surprise, was not one of the 8 finalists for Broken Pencil's Deathmatch competition. But you should check out the struggle on line, it sounds like a lot of fun. Also, continuing to send out stories to online and print publications. Just waiting for that elusive "yes" to pop up in my mailbox.