What are my new goals?

Or do I really even have new goals?
As I explained a few days ago, I'd like to stick with my current goals. Whether they will ever be attainable is another story. Here's the list with a few changes:

Weekly Goals
1) Write nine hours a week, one point per hour. Goal per week to actually reach     9
2) Add to social networks twice a week, but spend less than an hour a day wasting
     time on line                                                                                                            2
3) Do research for books or other projects once a week                                          1
4) Research agents or markets once a week                                                           1
5) Post on the Dino Chronicles three times a week                                                   3
Monthly Goals
1) Submit something somewhere                                                                              4

So that means my weekly goal total is somewhere between 16 and 20. Hmm? I got it all figured out.
One other thing. I want to do the NaNoWriMo again this year. And this time actually finish my novel.

Ok so year-end goal is to finish my novel. And by let's say, February have my memoir published. Umm, and get an agent by spring, maybe . . . . I could go on, but it's time to get to work.

So, what's next?

So, whoever it is who sets up the ROW80 says that we are done with this round, and that the next round starts October 1. Well, if you have ever read this blog, you know that I don't need an excuse to be a slacker for a week. I can pretty much slack around for any old reason. But not this time.

I have got some goals rolling around in my head that just can't wait a week. I am on them now like rain on the Fourth of July.

First of all, what have I done this week? Accomplished nine out of 17 weekly goals. I posted three times right on schedule on my other blog, I networked twice on the internet sites (does anyone network in person anymore?? just wondering), I researched markets, I worked on my book once (sad face), I worked on a devotion for publication, and then (drum roll please) I submitted that devotion to a paying market. Yeah me!

I may tweak those goals this week, but I think my system works for me even though scoring a ten is the highest I've gone. Here's a thought - let me show you that system. Kind of like deal-a-goal.

My immediate goal for the upcoming week, however, is to submit my memoir to a publisher! Yes, I'm going to do it Monday night. That gives me tomorrow to do a speed-read through my manuscript just to make sure it looks nice. If I slow-read the thing one more time, I may throw up on my laptop. Yes, I know that it needs more editing, but hopefully this publisher sees the potential and their editor will work with me. I know, I know, what a dreamer I am!

OK, so I talked to the publisher, Life Sentence Publishing, at my writer's conference last month and promised him I would e-mail this thing. He sounded interested, so that helps. Oh, yeah and it's not a traditional royalty publisher, so I am paying for this thing.

There are a lot subsidy publishers out there and a person could go crazy researching them all. Since I have met the guy who runs Life Sentence, and got a good feeling from him, I feel more comfortable throwing my money his way. But we will see what they think and what kind of feeling I get after that.

Will I ever stay down for long?

My numbers maybe do not reflect it, but I feel like I am in a good place with my writing. So, I only achieved four goals out of 17 for the week. It is only Wednesday.

It may seem like all I have is this.

But with a lot of this kind of activity, 

I can achieve this!

(Last weekend, I toured this castle just north of my hometown. It is very cool. And a work in progress, which I can sure relate to.)

Have I fallen apart?

No, not really, or at least I think I am back together. This might be too much information, but maybe I am just menopausal.

I was pretty much done with the whole writing thing this afternoon. Went to a quiet place in my little woods and took a nap and reflected and waited for a sign from God. Nothing. So there you have it - no more writing, right? Then I came in the house and watched a commercial - one of those commercials, the kind that always make you cry. And well, sometimes God speaks to me through my sister who passed away thirteen years ago. So I can't quit. I have to keep writing for my sister. She never quit and she won't let me quit.

So, if you want to know how else my weekend went and why this isn't being written until so late, read my other blog.

You may have guessed, but the goals this week stunk. Five out of 17. Didn't I write last time about stumbling? That was my week, one big stumble. Or a whole lot of splinters.

Is stumbling a good thing?

"Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down." Charles F. Kettering

I can't believe it is Wednesday again already. And guess what? I haven't done much of any writing so far this week. I wrote posts twice this week for my other blog, did a little social networking and worked on my book one time (I always say every time I work on my book it was for one hour, but in reality? Who knows?  I used to set a timer, but I don't know what happened with that.).

So have I stumbled this week? Or have I sat right down and just plain been lazy? And after such a good week last week? Does that make sense?

Have I broke the barrier?

It would appear that I have finally broken the single digit barrier on achieving my weekly writing goals.

Since I haven't listed all my goals in a while, here they are:

1) Work on my book nine hours a week. That's one hour a day and two on weekends. Doesn't sound like so much, but this is the toughest one to do it seems, with only three hours this week. I did also write a short story though so that raises this score to a 4.
2) Add to my social networks twice a week. This one is always easy, as I continue to waste time on the internet. Give myself the usual 2.
3) Do research on my novel for one hour. Zero for the week.
4) Research agents, markets, etc. for one hour. Zero.
5) Post on my other blog according to my schedule of three times a week. Another fairly easy and regular goal, so give me a 3.
6) Submit something somewhere, anywhere. Yes, I did this this week. A biggy. As much as I want to be published, this goal still eludes me the most. But I did it yesterday. I submitted a short piece to Reminisce Magazine. That is one big happy single point.

Which all means that out of 17 points, I get 10 for the week. Now, can I go for 11 next week?

(Oh, and I took the picture at Judson Tower, at the Green Lake Conference Center last month.)

Can I really let some stuff go?

I love to take pictures. I always have. With the advent of digital cameras, it became even easier to feed my habit. I took 296 pictures last week at my writers conference, mostly of the grounds of the beautiful conference center. I have just started editing them.

Just like in my writing, some of these pictures need to be straightened or the color needs to be tweaked or they need to be cropped. And some pictures just have to go.

It's tough though. Every time I snap that shutter, I am creating another baby. It is hard to just delete even one of them.

Same thing with the words I write. You mean I have to crop every "just" and "only"? I have to rewrite that scene? I have to delete that scene all together?

Such is the writer's life, I guess. Seek and destroy!




This week I accomplished nine goals out of 17. Seems I can't break that single digit mark. There is always next week.