This past January I set some SMART goals in my post SMART Goals for Writing, School, and Health, and I actually did really well sticking to them, which is the point in SMART goals (the acronym means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Constrained). While I'm not setting goals tonight, I did want to revisit my goals for 2021 and see how I did. Plus check in on how writing went this year.
School Goal:
Complete 28 more credits by March 31, for a total of 48 in the first term.
Actual Achievement:
I completed 40 by March 31. I then went on to finish, for a total of 84 credits, by the end of second term, which was September 30. I actually finished in mid-September and got my Bachelor's in Business Administration Management.
Writing Goals:
Short Stories - 2 3000-word stories by June 1
Novel - Get WIP to 50,000 words by June 1
Nonfiction - Outline craft book by June 1.
Actual Achievement:
Short Stories - Met and exceeded. I just know I posted May 5 I'd written two short stories that week. Not sure how many more I'd written in the months before that. Probably only one or two because of school taking precedence.
Novel - Didn't touch it.
Nonfiction - Done. And at this point it's written, beta read, and nearing done on the edits. Plus, I've almost got a completed cover! So exciting!
Submission Stats Summary for the Year:
75 rejections
4 acceptances
Health Goals:
Exercise - Complete at least 10 minutes of exercise each day through March 1
Weight - Lose 2 pounds by April 1
Diet - Get back on a keto diet by March 1
Mental Wellness - Meditate at least 5 minutes each day through June 1.
Actual Achievement:
Exercise - I highly doubt I made this. Withdrawal is hard. I'm still dealing with it (from a fibromyalgia medication--there's more information in my original linked post). I know I did my best to go for walks and do some yoga and tai chi, and I did it at least several days per week, but not daily. I also got out on several hikes. The below photo was of my last hike at Blodgett Peak.
Weight - Didn't happen then. Turns out it's nearly impossible to lose weight on that fibromyalgia medication until the dose is low enough. I'm now down to about 3mg in the painfully slow taper I'm having to do, and have lost 9 lbs in the last few months.
Diet - Nope. Instead, pressed by school, we started doing Hello Fresh so the rest of the family could contribute and take some of my load off. Trying to add a restrictive diet to that wasn't going to happen and probably isn't going to happen until I'm completely off the fibromyalgia medication.
Mental Wellness - Mostly done, but I know I missed some days. A lot of times it was bedtime meditations with an app to help me sleep.
I'm feeling great about my accomplishments in 2021. Are they perfect? Nope. But what I accomplished, I did despite major health issues. I FINALLY got my BS degree at 43 years old. I'm about to publish my first craft book on a topic I'm passionate about. I'm making progress in tapering from a horrific drug, despite the obstacles thrown up. I hiked more this year than I have since the health issues started. I fought to get my daughter diagnosed with autism, and she has thrived this new school year. I successfully finished two seasons of my podcast. And so much more.
Next year will be better. But this year I'm happy with what I did.
Did you set any sort of goals for 2021? Have you revisited them yet? How did you do? Did you accomplish anything you're proud of this year?
I wasn't able to post last week, because our internet was down. To get the podcast up, I drove around until I found free wi-fi at a Carl's, Jr., then stayed in the parking lot long enough to get the podcast up. It was 2:30 in the morning, and I learned that McDonald's is surprisingly busy at 2:30 in the morning, at least when it's right off the freeway. I also learned that Starbucks shuts off their wi-fi at night, and when you try to sign in, they tell you to come back during business hours. The below picture is a tired me waiting through the drearily slow upload.
So this week you get what would have been last week's updates before I get to my ShaNo plans. (And for those who aren't familiar with my annual twist on NaNoWriMo, an explanation.)
First, I had a short story come out in a mystery anthology with a sense of humor.
I also did a reading for Stories Live! which can be found on YouTube. This was the Halloween episode, so most of the stories are dark and twisty. It's always fun to do this!
Okay, ShaNo time. For those who don't know, because my main focus has long been short stories, I've always set my own relevant goals for the month of November, which has allowed me to hijack the energy for the month while getting things done that will matter to me in the long wrong.
ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo stands for Shannon's Novel and Short Story Writing, Editing, and Submitting Month.
Funnily enough, this year my primary project happens to be a book, though it's non-fiction. I'm over halfway done with it, so that will be reflected in my goals.
25,000 words on current non-fiction WIP
Write 2 new short stories (we'll approximate 10,000 words for this, though the actual word count will vary)
Finish 2 in-progress short stories (approximately 5,000 words)
Turn around any short stories that get rejected
Edit 2 stories waiting for edits
Submit at least 2 additional short stories
Do you participate in NaNo? Do you do your own version? What are your writing goals for November?
Ack! I'm late getting this up, but caught up in work on the podcast last night and totally forgot to get the post written ahead.
Soooo...it's the first Wednesday of September, which means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group.
Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, this group exists to seek and provide support to insecure writers. Anyone can join. Just click on Alex's name above and put your blog on the linky list. Then hop around and visit your fellow IWSG'ers.
Since it's mid-afternoon and I'm just getting this post up, I'm going to keep it brief.
I FINISHED SCHOOL!!!!
I'm just waiting to get that shiny diploma in the mail.
That also means I've started planning out writing-related business, but I'm also trying to take it easy for a bit. Completing a Bachelor's in less than a year has left me in a weird sort of mental limbo. It was the only thing I could focus on if I wanted to make it happen, and now with that removed my brain is just kind of twitching in my skull, because it doesn't know what to do. But I've already sat down and set some deadlines, plus started a plan, and I'm looking forward to doing all the writing things!
My submission stats this month (you'll notice there's quite a difference from past months):
In August, there were:
16 submissions
2 acceptances
6 rejections
21 stories currently on submission
I hope your summer was magnificent, as it draws to a close.
Have you been submitting? What are your stats? Any good news to share? What are your insecurities?
Okay, I figured I'd hit some goals for the year. However, I'm just setting them for the next six months, and they'll be a mix of school, writing/publication, and health.
Since I'm elbow deep in business school stuff, why not use something I've had to deal with time and again in my classes, so far? SMART goals.
SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Constrained
So instead of saying, for example, I want to write three short stories, I'm going to dive a little deeper to align my goals with SMART goals.
School
I started out with the school accepting 39 credits from my Associate's (in Psychology, which is why more didn't transfer). That left me 84 credits to get my Bachelor's. Since starting October 1, I've completed 20 credits, leaving me 64 to graduate.
SMART goal: I will complete 28 more credits, for a total of 48, by the end of this term March 31.
My stretch goal on this one would be to complete all remaining 64 by the end of the term, but the whole "achievable" category makes it a stretch, rather than the actual goal.
Writing
Short Story SMART goal: Write 2 short stories of at least 3000 words each by June 1.
Stretch goal: 4 short stories of at least 3000 words by June 1.
Novel SMART goal: Get current WIP to 50,000 words by June 1.
Submissions SMART goal: Submit/resubmit 10 stories by June 1.
Stretch goal: Submit/resubmit 20 stories by June 1.
Nonfiction SMART goal: Complete outline of NF WIP
Health
I don't think I've gone into it on here, but I am slow tapering off a medication I was put on for fibromyalgia that, unfortunately, caused significant debilitating side effects, including massive dips into a deep depression, increased physical pain (primarily spine and knees), hypertension, irregular heartbeat, and severe brain fog. As a result of the myriad of side effects (far more than I've mentioned), I've gone backwards in terms of health, including my weight increasing by a couple pounds. The medication can cause severe, prolonged withdrawal, which is why I'm having to do a slow taper that will take close to a year (I started it about two months ago).
With that in mind, I make the following SMART goals:
Exercise SMART goal: Complete at least 10 minutes of physical exercise each day for the next month (ending March 1), with a focus on Tai Chi, yoga, and walking.
Weight SMART goal: Lose 2 pounds from current weight (not posting it, haha) by April 1.
Diet SMART goal: Get back on a keto diet by March 1, in the first step of going on the anti-inflammatory diet to see if it helps with fibromyalgia and medication-caused pain.
Mental Wellness SMART goal: Meditate using apps for at least 5 minutes per day (in addition to any yoga meditation done for workout) until June 1.
Stretch Goal: Go on one hike in my usual location on the short loop by May 1.
Those seem reasonable.
The thing about goals is that you can't just pick them and leave them be, expecting them to magically happen. I've got my overall goals, so now I need to break them up and figure out how to reach them, including putting measures in place to track my progress.
Okay, so it's more complicated than that, technically, but it would be a lot of blah, blah, blah. I want to approach my goals differently this year. Usually, I post what I'd like to complete for the next year, then I don't look at it until the end of the year. This time I intend to print them up and put them somewhere I'll see them every day. I've also set some with a closer end date, and none of them are for the year right now, because things change too rapidly currently for that to be reasonable. I will have my measures in a spreadsheet (which I will put together after I complete my current school project), so I can physically track them.
If I need to, I will adjust them. The medication side effects and withdrawal symptoms have made things harder than they need to be, and if I don't improve as quickly as I hope, I need to remain open to modifying the goals. The nature of the side effects makes them impactful as uncontrollable circumstances across all the categories. But I'm optimistic that I'll see increasing improvement in the next couple months.
I'm feeling pretty good about those goals! Did you set yourself goals this year? Do you usually break them down into more doable segments and track them or is it free-for-all where you check in at the end of the year? Maybe something in between?
Hi guys! I have a live reading tonight via YouTube. Stephen Graham Jones and Jeamus Wilkes will also be reading, and The Dollhouse Thieves will be performing. The theme is Ghostly Campfire Edition. You can CLICK HERE to go to the YouTube channel. It starts at 7 PM MT tonight. By the way, there's a Facebook page you can join if you want to know about upcoming readings. I think they're every month. There's a Hot for Teacher theme coming up soon. These are run by Amy Armstrong.
My husband and I celebrated our 24 year anniversary last week. We went out for a late night dinner on the patio of a local restaurant. Maybe next year we can take a little trip for our 25th. It's the first time I've worn makeup and dressy clothes in MONTHS!
About a month ago, I put notice in at my day job. Friday was my last day, so I've officially embarked on a dedicated writing schedule. It's time I focus more on my writing and see what I can do right now while I get my health under control.
I've taken inspiration from Becky Clark, who wrote Eight Weeks to a Complete Novel: Write Faster, Write Better, Be More Organized. While I haven't read the book yet, I did take a half-day workshop she taught based on her book. The thing about Becky is that she's highly organized and she gets her words in. She mentioned the other day that she writes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesdays she cleans her house and tends to chores, errands, and appointments. While she and I have very different writing methods, this particular idea will be incredibly helpful for a variety of reasons:
*With my ADHD, I tend to get overwhelmed if there's a lot to do, and I basically meltdown and get nothing whatsoever done, because it takes work to pare it down to what I should do right now. I've found lists and schedules to be helpful with this. Having a regular ongoing schedule and routine should help even more.*As a mom, I tend to feel guilty if I'm not tending to household things and spending some good time with my kids. This method of scheduling will ensure I don't give up writing until I've cleaned the house, that I get both of those things done, and that I have evenings and weekends to spend with the kids without having to feel guilty because I'm not writing.
The tweaks I'm doing to work on my health and ensure I don't overdo things, but that I get physical movement in (by the way, she does have a scheduling method in the book that includes getting exercise in) are:
1.Doing sun salutations before breakfast. To break back into yoga, which I think will ultimately help with the fibromyalgia and my other physical issues, I'm starting with the easy stuff to get in the habit and improve my flexibility. I used to be incredibly flexible before a chiropractor screwed up my neck and the rest of my spine.
2.Starting my day with breakfast and no restrictions on how I relax while having breakfast. A problem at the day job was that my sleep schedule is incredibly messed up, and I was constantly waking up with just enough time to get to work, which meant no breakfast, and usually no food until a late dinner. Since my job picked up during the pandemic and I was filling in as a server (my regular job was as a bookkeeper), I wasn't feeding my family until 9 at night, since I got off at about 8:30. This isn't helpful for someone with a permanent migraine (not eating protein steadily or hydrating well enough can lead to a major increase in the migraine). When I did have breakfast, I'd shove it down so fast and rush off. It's not healthy (and yes, I get a lot of people do this, and it's not healthy for any of them). So now I have no time limit, and I can peruse Facebook, read, play a game on my phone, or watch TV.
3.Reading a craft book and spending some time outside. I'm currently reading Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. I've never read it before. Monday, my first day on the new schedule, I made myself chai with this new mix I found, and read the introduction to the book. I haven't just been outside in the sun this entire spring and summer. I thrive in the outdoors. I don't metabolize Vitamin D well. It's time for some sun!
4.Setting a daily word count and writing until I meet it. Once I've read a chapter and had my time in the sun, it's writing time. Right now, I start on the back porch with my writing. My daily count is 2000 words. I have to reach that count before I stop for the day, but if I want to continue past those 2000 words, I can.
5. I haven't started this one yet, because I'm trying to establish the routine right now, but I intend to set a timer for every hour so I can get up and do about five minutes of exercise. When it's nice out, that will be a quick walk around the block. If it's not nice outside, it might be climbing the stairs, walking around the house, or finding a quick office workout video online.
6. Attending to writing business items once the word count is done. This includes my newsletter, blog, various updates on social media, record keeping, and anything else having to do with business.
I'll work out the rest as I go. I'll also be adding a walk in the evenings come next week. And Sundays will soon be recording days for podcasts. We're hoping to launch in October, and we've got our first topic researched and ready to go. I do still have a volunteer job that takes time and creative energy, but that ends at the end of September. I could have waited until then, but I'd rather have all of this started before then. Saturdays are free time. I may actually get back to my photography and scrapbooking, and I want to take a weekly hike with my kids, weather permitting. Right now, we've been running in the 90s, so it's too hot for hikes, but we'll hit the sweet spot soon, and this being Colorado and high desert, there will be sporadic nice days throughout winter, too. I've downloaded an app that pulls up nearby trails and rates them by how hard they are, so hopefully I can discover some new trails I haven't already used. I already have a go-to for when time is limited, and I know how to make it the time I need it to be.
The thing about fibromyalgia is that you need to build yourself up to physical activity and get into better shape in order to get some relief, but you have to do it just right so you don't cause a flareup, which then sets you back however long that flareup lasts. This has been a nasty cycle for me for the last year and a half. The longer I'm forced to sit out, the worse shape I get into. Last winter I was walking everywhere, exercising regularly, and twenty pounds lighter. I've since had two flareups, the first massive, the second one not as bad, but that's the one I'm trying to pull myself out of. I'm incredibly excited to finally have the opportunity to focus on that instead of it being a peripheral hope.
So that's my big update right now. I figured I share it in case there are parts of it anyone else can use.
Recent Media
Books
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
This was a lusciously written book full of magic and romance, but also intrigue and grief. The author says she writes fairy tales, and I'd say that what's left behind in my mind. I'd been considering reading this for a while, but when a speaker quoted bits of it in a workshop, I decided I needed to read it sooner rather than later. Absolutely gorgeous book.
Spark Joy, by Marie Kondo
Someone at work loaned this to me. It's a lovely, relaxing, peaceful book, even if it doesn't all work for you. I can say there are things I'm not interested in trying, but there are other things I'm definitely going to try to use or to tweak so that they're usable for me. But honestly, she's just a such a sweet person, and it's a great back porch or beach read. She's all about bringing positive energy about.
Vegan Baking for Beginners: 75 Recipes for Sweet & Savory Treats, by J.L. Fields
My daughter is the only one who used this, so far, but she made the spiced sugar cookies then decorated them as characters from her favorite show Daganronpa. These cookies were so good! J.L. is a local vegan author, who does food shows and knows her stuff. She has several sets of recipe books for vegans. Though I'm not vegan, I am egg and dairy free, and I find it relaxing to be able to cook or bake something I know is safe. I also try to make vegetarian/vegan meals regularly.
TV Shows
In the Dark
This show is about a blind woman who finds her friend's body in an alley. By the time the police arrive, there's no body. They don't believe her. She sets out to not only prove her friend is dead, but to find his killer. She and her friends become embroiled in a situation they could never have imagined. This is my current binge watch. I'm often not a fan of self-damaging characters, but the emphasis on that was lessened as the show moved forward. But I will warn you that she is a very damaged character at the beginning, and self-destructive.
New Girl
I need something a bit fluffier to watch, too. This wasn't something I watched when it was originally out, but I decided to give it a second try. The things that irritated me the first time I tried it didn't bother me this time, though I get frustrated with characters who do stupid stuff all the time. Luckily, the stupid things they play for laughs aren't overdone (most of the time), and this show makes me laugh out loud, which is something I think we all need right now. It's about a set of immature roommates who bring in a new roommate: Jess. The manic pixie dreamgirl thing was being overdone with her at the time this show came out, which annoyed me at the time. Now I find her endearing.
Podcasts
Small Town Dicks
If you're familiar with The Simpsons, you'll know who Yeardley Smith is (or Herman's Head, for those few of you who also watched that along with me). She's teamed up with two detectives to discuss true crime in small towns. They bring on the detectives involved in each case, as well. There's something kind of fun about hearing Lisa Simpson talking about true crime.
Movies
Meh. Nothing exciting to put here.
Music Videos
That's all for today, folks! What are you watching? Reading? Listening to? What have you been doing to cope with things? What's your reading schedule?
It's July, and time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group again. I missed the June edition. Really, I missed most of June. But I'm getting my feet back under me, and here we go!
Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG exists to lend support to fellow writers dealing with their insecurity. And, of course, to air your own insecurities. Anyone can sign up by clicking on Alex's name and adding your name to the list then posting the first Wednesday of each month. Be sure to visit your fellow IWSG'ers, especially the co-hosts:
At the end of May, my dad succumbed to the ALS he'd fought for 6 1/2 years. The average lifespan is 2 years from diagnosis. We were lucky dad made it as long as he did, though he should have had another year, based upon how he was progressing.
What does this have to do with IWSG? I'd set goals, things I wanted to accomplish before he died, because I wanted him to see those achievements. My writing career has been a ticking clock for 6 1/2 years. The biggest goal I had was to traditionally publish a novel before he died. I was also working on a novel where the main character had ALS, with the intention of having him do a sensitivity/accuracy read. I wanted him to see someone with ALS get to be a hero, despite the disease. (Although we found out just how much of a hero he was once he was gone, thanks to over 100 people who reached out to us after his death to let us know how he'd impacted those in the ALS community. People he'd helped.)
I failed to accomplish a lot of things I wanted to do before he died. The problem with making a goal like I did is that when the driving factor behind the timing of your goals is removed, it leaves you flapping in the wind. Now what? Sure, I'll still pursue my goals, but they feel somehow emptier now. There's no deadline anymore. As much as I'm sure I'll still want to achieve them, there will be a certain hollowness to the victories, because I didn't make it in time.
I'm working on two things right now: overcoming the numbness I currently feel toward my goals and trying to get the creativity flowing again. I'm trying to be kind to myself about my lack of writing this month. I never miss deadlines, but I had to ask for a week extension for one deadline. There were a couple anthologies I wanted to write for that had a deadline at the end of June/beginning of July, and I had to let those stories go.
Catch up time is here. I have to meet that deadline, get some short stories edited, get back to writing. I'm intellectually aware that I need to give it time and not beat myself up, but that's easier said than done. I can't not keep moving forward. My dad was a driven man, and he would want me to keep going, keep progressing, and achieve my goals.
I will get there.
Since I didn't post last month, I'm going to do my short story submission stats for both May and June. They're pretty piddly, considering my being sick, having surgery, and everything else during that time. BUT I didn't allow my writing career to fall completely by the wayside.
May:
Submitted - 6
Accepted - 1 (this was from an invite)
Rejected - 2
Released - 1
June:
Submitted - 3
Accepted - 1 (this was from an invite)
Rejected - 1
Currently on submission: 9
How about some links?
Bear in mind I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.
Accepting Submissions:
Pole to Pole Publishing is seeking short stories for Not Far From Roswell. Alien themed. Dark fiction. 3000 to 5000 words. Pays $.02/word. Deadline July 30.
VQR is seeking poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. 2000 to 8000 words for short fiction. Pays up to $1000. Deadline July 31.
Freeze Frame Fiction is seeking flash fiction. 1000 words or less. Pays $10. Deadline July 31.
Flash Bang Mysteries is seeking mystery/thriller themed flash fiction. 500 to 750 words. Pays $20. Deadline July 31.
Less Than Three Press is seeking LGBTQIA novellas for Creature Feature. Monster themed. 20,000 to 60,000. Pays in royalties. Deadline July 31.
Necro Publications is seeking short fiction for Blasphemous Rumors. Religious horror. Up to 5000 words. Pays $.03/word. Deadline July 31.
Dragon Soul Press is seeking short stories featuring both a vampire and a dragon for Coffins & Dragons. 5000 to 15,000 words. Pays royalties. Deadline July 31.
What are your insecurities? How do you get started writing again after a massive derailment? Have you been submitting? Any news? Are any of these links of interest? Anything to share?
It's November 1st! You know what that means! ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo time!
No? You're doing NaNoWriMo instead? That's okay.
Each year, I hijack the energy of NaNo to jump start some projects. This year it's especially needed. I've allowed business to steal my writing time, and after an 11 day migraine, I hadn't written anything until last night. So it's time to catch up. (Not that I wouldn't have been doing ShaNo anyway.)
What it is: I set my own relevant writing-related goals during the month of November. Simple!
This year's goals:
Finish a minimum of five already begun short stories.
Write two new stories.
Edit a minimum of three pending stories.
Make 10,000 words progress on squirrel horror (both editing and writing).
Submit at least three new stories.
Send out a minimum of five queries for Myth Stalker novel.
Do a weekly blog post that includes updates.
I'm hoping this will get me back on a regular schedule of some sort.
Before I get to links, I want to share a project Tyrean Martinson put out in October!
Ashes Burn, Seasons 1-7 includes all the seasons from the hint
fiction fantasy series. Following the lives of the three characters, the story
takes place in a unique format of micro-fiction episodes.
Wend runs a strange path to find a new future.
Teresa hunts for the man she loves.
Bryant blazes a destructive path to a new empire.
Who will survive their methods?
Ashes hold the inner heat of fire, the spark and ember of
flame. Like those, micro-fiction holds the spark of a larger story
that may grow inside the mind of a reader. Consider each piece a frame of embers. Picture the story in
your imagination.
Please note that micro-fiction is an experimental form of
story-writing and the whole series is very short.
The Reviewer's
Special is a Coupon Code I've generated for up to 50 downloads between now
and November 29th at Smashwords
ONLY. If you use this code, you'll get 100% off and be able to read the
whole hint fiction series for FREE. However, this is a limited time, limited
download offer. If you like the book or find it interesting, please leave a
review. The code is: ZG27Q
Now for some links. Bear in mind I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.
Accepting Submissions:
ServiceScape Short Story Award closes this month. Fiction or non-fiction under 5000 words. $1000 prize. Deadline November 29.
Ninth Letter is seeking poetry and prose that are literary or experimental. Up to 8000 words. Pays $25 per printed page. Deadline November 30.
Martian Migraine Press is seeking horror short stories for Monstrous Outlines. The theme is Camouflage. 1500-7000 words. Pays .03CAD/word. Deadline November 30.
Twelfth Planet Press is seeking novellas for their novella series. They want grit and rebellion. 17,000-40,000 words. $300 advance, plus royalties. Deadline November 30.
Pen and Ink Pub is seeking short ghost stories of women scorned for Haunted. 4000 words and up. Pays $20. Deadline November 30.
Chicken Soup for the Soul is seeking first person stories in the theme of Life Lessons From the Cat. Up to 1200 words. Pays $200. Deadline November 30.
Crannog Magazine is seeking prose and poems. Up to 2000 words. Pays 30 to 50 Euros. Deadline November 30.
Baltimore Review is seeking short works. Pays $40. Deadline November 30.
Goblin Fruit is seeking fantastical poetry. Pays $15. Deadline December 1.
Eternal Haunted Summer is seeking poetry and short fiction gods, goddesses, and Pagan traditions. Preferably less than 5000 words or it will be serialized. Theme: Dark Spirits of Winter. Pays $5. Deadline December 1.
Pedestal Magazine is seeking poetry. Submit up to 5 poems. Pays $40 per poem. Deadline December 2.
Are you doing NaNo or some version of it? Have you heard of micro-fiction? Are any of these links of interest? Anything to share?
I haven't had to date any checks yet, but the title of this blog post briefly threw me, so I'm expecting some incorrect dates coming up.
Now that it's a new year, it's time to review my goals for last year and see how I did. Much like last year, I set the goals then never looked back at them, so let's see how it went.
In 2017, I submitted 95 short stories.
I sold 6 short stories.
4 short stories were released.
I still have 12 stories pending that were submitted in 2017.
I withdrew 5 stories from consideration.
I had...are you ready for it? 80 rejections. Yeesh. Still not up to 100 rejections yet.
My goals for 2017, set back in January, were:
Final
revision on Novel #2
Query
Novel #2 in April at PPWC
Finish
Novel #3
Write
at least one new short story per month
Finish
current pending revisions
Continue
to book speaking/signing opportunities (so far, I have 1 definite and 2
possibles)
Evaluate
Novel #1 to see if I want to continue pursuing it or trunk it for now
Continue
submitting short stories - aim for 100 rejections and 12 acceptances this
year
Write
for at least two themed issues or anthologies that are outside my normal
comfort level
Not too bad! I not only finished Novel #2, but am currently querying it. I queried it at PPWC and got an ask, but I've never heard it back since submitting it, so that's a no. I wrote at least one short story per month, with one a week for a short time, and finished the revisions I had pending by the end of January.
As far as appearances, I ended up appearing at 7 events, all of them so much fun! I've booked one so far for 2018, with some additional possibilities. Though I did not reach 100 rejections and 12 acceptances, I made the effort. And I wrote several stories outside my comfort zone, both of which were accepted! One has already been published, and the other is coming out in the coming year.
That leaves the things I didn't accomplish: finishing Novel #3 and evaluating #1 to see if I want to trunk it or move forward with it. Those will continue as goals this year.
For 2018, I'm setting the following goals:
Write a short story or flash piece each week (this is majorly pushing it for me, but I'm going to try.)
Read at least one book each week.
Finish Novel #3.
Start Novel #4.
Continue submitting short stories (aim for 100 rejections and 12 acceptances.)
Write short stories in at least three genres.
Write more nonfiction.
Query craft book.
Self-publish short story collection.
Evaluated Novel #1 to see if I want to pursue or trunk (though it's obviously trunked for now.)
Take more pictures.
Send workshop proposals to one conference new to me.
Of course, these goals are all well and good, but they are also fluid. I'll see what continues to be realistic, and I'll allow life to change things as needed. And, hey, I finished the short story for week #1, so yay!
Now for links. Bear in mind I'm not endorsing any of these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.
Accepting Submissions:
The First Line is seeking flash and short stories that start with the line, "Leo massaged the back of his neck, thankful the meeting was finally over." Open to all genres, including nonfiction and poetry. 300 to 5000 words. Pays $5 to $50, depending upon story type. Deadline February 1.
ChiZine is seeking alternate history short stories for Other Covenants: Alternate Histories of the Jewish People. Open to all submitters. 500 to 15,000 words. Pays $.08/word CAD. Deadline February 4.
Subprimal is seeking poetry and flash fiction. Word counts vary. Pays $20. Deadline February 15.
Electric Athenaeum is seeking sci-fi and fantasy short stories, articles, poetry, and interviews with the theme "For Future Generations." 3000 to 10,000 words. Pays 50 GBP/story. Deadline February 15.
Circlet Press is seeking erotic stories inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. 2000 to 8000 words. Pays $25 for the e-print, and a possible $25 later for print. Deadline February 15.
Any of these links of interest? Did you set goals for 2017? How did you do? How about 2018? Most importantly, are you working your dream?
May you find your Muse.
*New Year Flags by OCAL, clker.com
*Dart Board image by OCAL, clker.com
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a pleasant kickoff to 2016, whether that meant staying in or going out. I stayed in, like last year. We were watching Walking Dead when the fireworks began on Pikes Peak. The kids were zonked out, but we woke them up so they could watch. My son just rolled over and went back to sleep, but my daughter watched them.
I inadvertently took a break for Christmas and New Year's. Despite the fact it was unplanned, it was nice to give myself time off, which not only included not blogging, but also included setting aside volunteer work for two weeks (for the most part.) There's been a lot going on, and I was reaching the point of being overwhelmed. A two week break was magical.
But I'm glad to be back!
I couldn't remember if I set goals for 2015, so I went back to January 2015 and checked it out. Lo and behold, I did! Not only that, but I did a fairly solid job of fulfilling the goals, even though I didn't remember having set them.
Finish revising my YA novel and get it ready for
submission. I touched on it by post-outlining, but have done nothing more with this novel this year.
Finish my Urban Fantasy novel. Did it!
Revise my UF novel. Halfway through revising it.
Continue writing, editing, and submitting short stories. I kicked this one's ass!
Place several short stories for pay. Did it!
Start working on articles again. Mmmm...not really.
Journal. Nope.
Continue to experiment and enjoy collaborations and projects
to expand my horizons. I've done plenty of experimenting with my writing this year, and look forward to trying more.
Continue with the horror reading/review challenge. Still on it.
I feel pretty good about this! Not half bad. So I'm going to set this year's goals, which I will promptly forget, but hopefully magically manage to fulfill anyway. (Really, the goals I set last year were in line with what I wanted to do through the year, so I may have forgotten that I wrote them down, but I didn't forget I wanted to do these things.)
Last year, I mentioned that I set goals knowing things change, sometimes drastically, over the course of the year. Any goals I set are to steer me in the right direction, not to give myself another reason to stress out or beat myself up when I don't accomplish them. With that understanding, here are my goals for 2016:
Finish first revision of novel #2 (UF above).
Do a second pass through on novel #1 (YA above).
Start novel #3.
Continue writing short stories, revising them, and submitting them. One per month would be fantastic, and give me time to focus on my novels, but we'll see.
Finish all short story revisions pending.
Submit those short stories once revised.
Have one of the novels (#1 or #2) ready by April, so I can query an agent at PPWC.
Continue experimenting with my writing and finding the joy in it.
Get back to my photography (what? I just slipped in a non-writing goal...)
Continue with the horror reading/review challenge
That's more than enough, BUT they're things I want to do this year, whether I write them down or not. My photography has fallen by the wayside. I haven't taken a photo just for fun (scenery vs. my kiddos) in months. So I'm throwing that in there, too. I figure exploring other creative ventures I enjoy is a good way to inspire my writing, as well.
What about you? Did you set 2015 goals? How did you do with them? Are you setting 2016 goals? Do you set them so they're hard to attain, or do you set them minimally to steer your year? Or do you skip them entirely? Most of all, what are you proudest of this year?
Well, hello out there. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
Before I jump into this post, I wanted to briefly address the Black Friday shooting in Colorado Springs. Some of you know I live in the Springs, and I had a few emails inquiring as to how I was doing. Since not all of you are on my Facebook, I figured I'd let you know all is well here. The shooting occurred about two miles up the road from me, but I was at home when it happened, and none of my family were there, either. So we're all good! Thank you to those who reached out. My thoughts are with those impacted by the tragedy.
(Please do not turn my comment section into a debate on the reasons and politics behind the shooting. I've heard plenty of that this weekend, and have no interest in having it occur here. Thank you for respecting my request.)
I had a big post planned today. I was feeling inspired. And then the big idea for the post flitted away. Flit, flit, flit. I've been trying to remember what it was all weekend. Hopefully it will come back to me. But for now, I'm just going to close out ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo (Shannon's Novel and Short Story Writing, Editing, and Submitting Month). Given, there's still time today. If I get anything else completed, I'll update Wednesday.
My goals were:
1. Write 2 new short stories
2. Revise the 4 short stories/flash fiction currently in
need of revisions
3. Submit 6 new short stories/flash this month
4. Complete the current round of revisions on Wendigo Nights
5. Post-outline and mark needed revisions on Lonely Hollow:
Synthesis
6. Decide which novel project I will work on next
What I achieved was:
1. I wrote 1.5 new short stories.
2. I revised 1 of the short stories. And it turned out I only had 3 needing revision.
3. I submitted 1 new short story this month (the revised one), but realized it had been stupid to set the goal of submitting the 2 I'd planned to write. I want to run them by my critique group first. So the goal turned out to be submitting 3 (see note above about how many I actually had needing revision).
4. I didn't touch Wendigo Nights. :(
5. I didn't touch Lonely Hollow: Synthesis. >:|
6. Done!
I didn't do as well as I would have liked with these goals, but I got a lot of things not on the list done, due to things coming up, and I'll continue the remaining goals into December. I need something to keep me going with writing stuff as we go into yet another busy month.
So my December goals will be:
1. Finish second short story.
2. Revise both short stories and submit to critique group (which means I need to finish in the next week, so it may just be 1 submitted this month.)
3. Revise both short stories after critique and submit for publication.
4. Finish current round of revisions on Wendigo Nights (so close...grrrrrr).
5. Post-outline and mark needed revisions for next round on Lonely Hollow: Synthesis.
6. Start making notes on as yet untitled next novel.
Aaaand, nope. Still don't remember what I wanted to write about today. So I'll see you guys Wednesday.
How did you do with NaNo? Will you be writing until midnight tonight to finish, or are you done already? If you didn't finish, did you get close? Have you set any goals to keep your momentum going in December?
Actually, the title of this post started out as something else, but then I forgot the cliche I was going to throw out there, because I'm vaguely sleep deprived (more so than usual.) And then I got that song in my head. So hey, ear worm!
I won't bore you with the minutia of why I'm more sleep deprived than usual, but it involves a trip to animal urgent care with a sick kitten in the middle of the night, several child sleepovers, a husband on a business trip, roofers, and a billion other factors. What I will tell you is that I wrote a short story! It's been at least two months since I wrote a new word, mostly because of a new day job and insanity with my volunteer jobs. And more minutia.
It felt insanely good to be writing again. Several days in a row. Not only that, but it was in a genre I've been wanting to write in for ages.
Time for the ShaNo update.
My goals were:
1. Write 2 new short stories 1 done!
2. Revise the 4 short stories/flash fiction currently in
need of revisions
3. Submit 6 new short stories/flash this month
4. Complete the current round of revisions on Wendigo Nights
5. Post-outline and mark needed revisions on Lonely Hollow:
Synthesis
6. Decide which novel writing project I will begin writing
nextBarring change of mind, I've decided! And a quick thank you for the thorough drenching of this wench last week! Sploosh! I'm still making squick sounds when I walk.
Just for fun:
How's NaNo going? Your personal goals? Get any writing done this weekend?
The ShaNo update will be brief, as I haven't accomplished anything from that list. This is not unexpected for me, as none of the things on my list this month are meant to be finished in one week. I should have an update for next week, and I did get some things accomplished this week by re-submitting three short stories that had been rejected, but that was not a goal on the list.
Before I get to the rest of the post, I just found out I was a runner up in the Spooktoberfest flash fiction contest! Woo-hoo! I do love some Halloween themed flash fiction. Congratulations to the winners and my fellow runners up.
Now...
Raise your hand if you enjoy when your favorite books are made into movies.
Raise your hand if you [not so] secretly wish your own novels will be made into movies some day.
I don't know about you, but I always have this sense of quiet dread when it's announced that a book I love is going to be made into a movie. When I read the book, it came alive in my head. I visualized the characters and settings. Now I'll be seeing someone else's vision of the story, and I may love it or hate it (or feel meh about it).
On the other hand, I've enjoyed quite a few of the movies made from books I enjoyed. Sometimes those visions are better than, or at least equal to, what I saw in my head. For those with different worlds and major settings, I often enjoy seeing them made into movies (Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, Harry Potter) so I can see that vision realized.
Plus, I've had a great time reading novels together with my kids and then seeing the movies with them. It's a wonderful experience, and one we'll keep doing as long as they're young enough to want to. And when they're older, perhaps we'll all just read the book separately, then share the movie still.
This is on my mind, because there is word YET AGAIN that Stephen King's The Dark Tower is officially coming to the screen. While I'm not going to hold my breath (they've been saying this for years), there's no way I'd be able to resist seeing it, despite the fact that I got that same nervous feeling in my stomach. Who will play Roland? In my head, Roland was always similar to Clint Eastwood (at the time I was reading it). A middle aged man, grizzled, but with dark hair. But Eastwood is too old (and his son too young). Ideas others have thrown out for who could play him have not excited me.
Looking at this from the author side, I know that I have incredibly specific pictures of my characters in my head. While it would be exciting to see my book on the screen, what would happen if I hated the actors they'd chosen? What if they destroyed my story?
I guess it really boils down to the fact that, whether you're a viewer or an author, the movie is a separate entity, and often a separate story, from the book (or short story, as that is always a possibility, too.)
How do you feel about books being made into movies? Do you have any favorites? Any situations where the movie was better than the book? What's your least favorite book to movie? How would you feel if someone wanted to make your book or short story into a movie? How is NaNo (or your own personal goal setting) going?
What's that? November? Month of my birth? That must mean it's time for ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo again!
Don't tell me you've never heard of it. Surely you jest.
See, I don't want to write an entire novel this month, but I love the infectious energy of NaNoWriMo. So I set my own goals and use those to get back into the routines that faltered when the kids were home for the summer.
Feel free to join me in your own version of NaNo if you're not participating in the real one! It's the energy and support that drive the month.
ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo stands for Shannon's Novel & Short Story Writing, Editing, and Submitting Month.
The Sub part of it all was a bigger deal before I reached the point I'm currently at with stories, so I'll be redefining it mildly this year.
My goals for the month will be:
1. Write 2 new short stories
2. Revise the 4 short stories/flash fiction currently in need of revisions
3. Submit 6 new short stories/flash this month
4. Complete the current round of revisions on Wendigo Nights
5. Post-outline and mark needed revisions on Lonely Hollow: Synthesis
6. Decide which novel writing project I will begin writing next
I'll update weekly on my progress.
I'd also like to thank Yolanda for the fun Halloween series of posts she put together, and for allowing me to participate. I won the 2015 Halloween Flash Fiction Contest! You can GO HERE to find links to all the entries. Poor Jerry. He never saw it coming.
Alex J. Cavanaugh was the winner of a copy of The Deep, Dark Woods, with my short story The Blue Mist. Now if we can just reach publication date, I can send him a copy!
What goals do you have for this month? Are you participating in NaNo or creating your own? Did you follow along with Yolanda's great Halloween posts this year?
Now that it's officially 2015, it's time for me to set some writing goals. I don't do resolutions, as such, but I do like to make work-related goals. Before I do that, Happy New Year! We stayed in and had a quiet New Year's just watching movies and relaxing together. Last year, my husband was on a business trip for New Year's, so it was nice to be with him as we brought in the new year.We watched the fireworks on top of Pikes Peak, and the kids were still awake, so they got to see them, too. Other than that, there are no traditions we observe. I'd never heard of anything other than a toast and a kiss at midnight (which we do, so I guess we do observe that tradition.) I've heard of a lot of traditions now, courtesy of Facebook.
Okay, on to goal setting. To review the year, in 2014 I had the following accomplishments/progress:
I made steady progress with writing short stories and submitting them, racking up plenty of rejections. Many of these came with positive feedback.
I was moved to the second tier for an anthology. Though I ultimately got a rejection for it, I consider this an accomplishment.
I consistently turned in stories to my critique group.
I participated in the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond and Of Mist and Magic (release information coming soon.)
I made consistent progress in my challenge to read the best horror from various lists and write reviews.
I achieved all of last year's writing goals except those related to my novels, which I chose to set aside.
I don't remember what else, but I'm looking at it as a good year. Hopefully, 2015 will be even better.
My goals for 2015 are:
I set aside the novels until this year began, so they're back on the docket. I want to finish revising my YA novel and get it ready for submission.
Finish my Urban Fantasy novel.
Revise my UF novel.
Continue writing, editing, and submitting short stories. (I'd set a number goal, but I feel like that would be a number I was pulling out of my rear just to do so, and it wouldn't represent realistic expectations.)
Place several short stories for pay.
Start working on articles again.
Journal.
Continue to experiment and enjoy collaborations and projects to expand my horizons.
Continue with the horror reading/review challenge.
I think that's a good list for now. When I make a list like this, I do so understanding that my goals and/or circumstances might change during the year, but I like to have an idea of what I'm aiming for in the year to come. It always feels good to look back and see what I was hoping to do in the new year, and how much progress I actually made. And it's nice to have something to check in on from time to time to straighten myself out when I've gotten off the path.
Did you set work goals? Resolutions? What are some of your goals for the year, either personal or professional? Do you revisit those goals at the end of the year, or just continue adding to the list as you go? How was your New Year's Eve? Did you go to a party? Observe any special traditions?
Write 1 new vignette (still trying to fully figure out the
form)
Write 3 new short stories
Write at least 5000 new words on WIP #2
Editing
Edit 2 flash fiction pieces awaiting editing
Edit 3 short stories awaiting editing (1 short story edited, 2 left)
Edit at least 5 chapters of WIP #1
Submitting
Re-submit pieces currently awaiting submission
Submit newly edited pieces from above (Submitted the one short story I edited)
I also made a breakthrough on a short story I was working on. It was inspired by one odd sight that disappeared when I did a double take, and I found that I had no idea where I was going with it, though I liked the way I'd set it up. Finally, finally, FINALLY, today I figured out where I wanted to go! I'll be attending a write-in we're having tomorrow, so I intend to work on this story to see if I can't finish it up for my next critique group submission.
I've still got a lot to do before the end of the month, but getting any of this done is something I'll be happy with. Plus, I'll have an update on submissions/rejections that will feel much better than last month come IWSG time.
What writing goals have you met this week? What goals do you have for yourself next week? Where are you in your NaNo word count? Have you had a breakthrough lately?
For the last couple years, I've made my own goals for November, riding the energy of NaNoWriMo, while not setting everything aside to reach someone else's idea of a goal. I thought I'd continue that this year. So welcome back to ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo.
What's that, you say? What the heck does that mean?
I'll tell you! It stands for Shannon's Novel and Short Story Writing, Editing, and Submitting Month.
I've fallen a bit behind from where I was a couple months ago, so I'm hoping the infectious spirit of NaNo will carry me along into reviving my writing mojo. My goals this month will be:
Writing
Courtesy of Shiekh Tuyin and Iyo, clker.com
Write 1 new flash fiction piece
Write 1 new vignette (still trying to fully figure out the form)
Write 3 new short stories
Write at least 5000 new words on WIP #2
Editing
Edit 2 flash fiction pieces awaiting editing
Edit 3 short stories awaiting editing
Edit at least 5 chapters of WIP #1
Submitting
Re-submit pieces currently awaiting submission
Submit newly edited pieces from above
What are your goals this month? Are you doing NaNo or some form of it? If you were to make your own, what would you aim for? If you're doing NaNo, how many words have you written so far?
