SMART Goals for Writing, School, & Health

 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? 

May you find your Muse.

*School (Country) - OCAL - clker.com

*Laptop - OCAL - clker.com

*Woman Practicing Yoga - OCAL - clker.com

*Swoosh - Blue - MD - OCAL - clker.com

*Checklist Panda - OCAL - clker.com

*Happy Panda - OCAL - clker.com

IWSG - New Year, Same Me!

 It's time for the first Insecure Writer's Support Group meeting of 2021!

Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG exists to provide and receive support. Anyone can join, just click HERE to sign up. We post the first Wednesday of each month. Be sure to jump around and visit other participants, as well as stopping by to say hi to this month's co-hosts: 

Ronel Janse van Vuuren , J Lenni Dorner, Gwen Gardner Sandra Cox, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

Normally, I would have looked back at the post I did last year to see what my goals were, go over what I did and did not achieve, and set this year's goals. But I need more time to ruminate on those, so I may do a goals post next week. As far as last year's goals, I think this is one year that skipping a peep at those is better off forgotten. 

It wasn't a good writing year for me. It wasn't a good much of anything year except that I managed to put out two solo collections of horror short stories and start a podcast with my friend and co-host. Plus, I've finished several college classes since I enrolled October 1. That having been a mid-year switcheroo, priorities had to change out of necessity.

I haven't had this few acceptances from markets since I first started getting published, though a chunk of them were personal rejections, probably more than in the past, which is progress in its own right. 

Still, it's tough to look back on the last year. The last two, really, since things were significantly worse in 2019. I can trace where a lot of my issues stemmed from, so there are legitimate reasons, which really doesn't make it feel much better. I don't want to have just overcome difficulties, I want to have thrived.

The first half of this year is going to continue being about college classes, and then I'll address deeper writing goals when that's finished.

However, I did want to sum up my submission stats for the year. Blergh.

In 2020, these were the stats for my short story submissions:

56 submissions

39 rejections

2 acceptances

6 stories pulled from markets or markets that went under

1 acceptance is still pending release

3 publications came out:

For novels, I queried 3 markets, got asked for a full by 2 of those, received a lovely rejection from 1 of them, with the other still pending.

I put out 2 solo collections: Bruised Souls & Other Torments and Happy Ghoulidays:

And here are my podcast stats:

It could certainly be worse, so I'm looking ahead to a better year where I can end it feeling I did the best I could do. Here's to change, to progress, and maybe, hopefully, to being a bit kinder to myself.

I hope this year bring you only good things. Onward and upward!

What were your submissions stats this year? What goals and achievements did you track? Did you set goals for this year? What are your insecurities?

May you find your Muse.

P.S. I'm planning on studying and taking a final tonight, so visits might be delayed for a day.

Reading Catch Up & Best Horror Reviews

It's been a while since I posted books read and all that good stuff, so I thought I'd catch up with a media roundup. This one will focus on the books. Hey, maybe you'll get gift ideas from it.

Before I start, I wanted to share our house decorations with you. My husband loves Christmas. Each year he tries to add something new. This year it's the mega tree.

Also, I'll be doing a reading tonight of one of my Christmas horror stories, Last Elf Standing, from Happy Ghoulidays. It's free, and you can watch it on YouTube. I'll try to post a link in my next post (if I remember, which is always the real issue) of the completed reading. 

You can find the link in the FACEBOOK EVENT.

This is THE book on the Golden State Killer (aka Original Night Stalker). Michelle McNamara passed away before it could be published, but her husband made sure it saw print. She was an excellent writer, who had incredible insight and empathy when discussing the cases. The police officers in various departments accepted her, and some say she helped the case. If you like true crime, I HIGHLY recommend this one.

It took me a couple months to read this, because it was three books of short stories rolled into one, so I'd read a few, read a novel, read a few, read a novel. So on and so forth. The more I read of Barker's, the more I respect him as a writer. In my head, he was Hellraiser. That's it, because that was all I was familiar with. Then I read an understated short story of his in a best horror volume, and I realized I had no idea. (Also, this is part of my ongoing reading of books on Nightmare Magazine's Best Horror list (this post will lead you to more information about the challenge and links to the lists I'm reading through).

This book is also from the best horror list. It's more like a novella, so pretty short. I enjoyed it. It's almost a classic haunted house story. Set out on the moors, a solicitor must close out a recently deceased woman's property. Unfortunately, the house has it out for his sanity. Good creepy moments and lovely writing style.

I read this one for my Sisters in Crime book club, but also because Becky's a friend. She has a quick and clever wit in real life, and it shows in her books. The main character works at a restaurant as a waitress, but also creates crossword puzzles for the local paper. When a dead body turns up at the restaurant and her boss is arrested for the murder, she sets out to prove he had nothing to do with it. In the meantime, she's running the restaurant completely on her own, including doing the cooking. A fun read for those who enjoy cozies.

Also written by a friend, this one's a steamy romance. In other words, when things get spicy, the scene doesn't just magically end. The best thing about this book? The best part is, the boss isn't the man. The main character is intelligent and successful, but does she have the time for more than a fling?

If you've never read Tim Dorsey, you're in for a surprise. His main character throughout his books is a psychopath...but one that means well. In this book, he's on a mission to duplicate Easy Rider, taking his hapless companions on a bike ride in Florida. In the meantime, an honest man has an entire town working against him. The ridiculous humor in these is always fun.

I posted about the others in this series, but this is the last one I read (though technically not the last one that should have been read.) This one takes railroad cop Sydney Parnell back to Iraq, where she helped save a young boy, who she's intended to find since she returned to the states. But this time, she's racing against The Alpha, who also has their sites on the boy, and not to protect him. Full of tension and heart, the entire series is a must-read.

Have you read any of these? Any of them look good to you? Have you read anything you'd like to recommend?

May you find your Muse.

IWSG: Home Flipping, Taking a Plunge, and Putting Yourself Out There

 Well, hello, it's that time again. Time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. 

Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, this group serves as a place for writers to come together once a month, on the first Wednesday, to discuss our insecurities and lend support to others. Anyone can participate. Just click on Alex's name above and put your blog on the linky, then be sure to visit some of your fellow IWSG'ers.

This month's co-hosts are  Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Liesbet @ Roaming About Cathrina Constantine, and Natalie Aguirre!

The optional question is: Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

I'm probably more productive during the winter because I'm trapped in the house. Then again, that was true when my kids were actually leaving the house to attend school. Now my day-time schedule revolves a lot more around when they're online for school. And, of course, right now there's hardly any writing getting done because I'm in classes.

My insecurities this month have to do with how much I'm putting myself out there. Having premiered a new podcast last month and put out my first collection that had ALL new stories, rather than previously published ones, it's been a different and sometimes nerve-wracking experience. But all good, so far.

Speaking of new releases, two of my friends have put out new books!

First up, K.A. Olgren has a cozy mystery full of snark about house flippers. I asked her to do a Top Ten Reasons you Might be a House Flipper:

Top Ten Reasons Why You Might Be A House Flipper

1.     If you spend hours scouring the internet for home design trends and you’ve received a sizeable inheritance or enjoy working with people whose job title is “hard money lender”, pressure is your middle name and stress is your last, you might be a house flipper.

2.     If you like crawling through crawl spaces and attics hoping not to find structural flaws, strange items, and/or bodies (animal or otherwise), you might be a house flipper.

3.     If you want a chance to be wealthy, like to work with your hands, and don’t mind ending up broke because you just discovered the sewer line has disintegrated and is nonexistent one foot from the main, you might be a house flipper.

4.     If the thought of chasing squirrels out the attic with a boom box turned up as loud as it can go makes you giddy, house flipping might be for you.

5.     If buying a new six-foot vanity because the faucet you installed had a factory defect and blew up overnight, flooding the bathroom and the garage you just finished drywalling, you might be a house flipper.

6.     If the idea of spending hours hitting every home improvement store in town to find one clearance bin kitchen cabinet knob because you miscounted sounds like a blast, you might be a house flipper.

7.     If you find listening to the neighbors’ horrific tales of the former occupant and her twenty-seven cats who were found feasting on her deceased body thereby cursing her to be a ghost haunting the house you just bought thrills you, you may need psychiatric help; and you might be a house flipper.

8.     If slowly driving around neighborhoods like a stalker, looking for dilapidated houses with newspapers and flyers piled up in the driveway is your idea of a leisurely Sunday drive, you might be a house flipper.

9.     If you enjoy ruminating over the mechanics of why the water draining from the tub came up through and overflowed the kitchen sink, or why the dishwasher only works when you flip the switch on for that cute little lamp post at the end of the driveway, you might be a house flipper.

10. If you enjoy jumping through hoops for realtors, inspectors, title companies, money lenders, partners, contractors, and banks, to finally sell the money pit you just spent four months fixing up, congratulations! You are a house flipper. You are stout of heart, questionable in sanity, mostly fit of body, and driven in spirit.

Time to find another house!

You can get the Kindle version of "Flipped: A Jillian McElroy Flipping Mystery" by clicking on the title.

The next one is Liesbet Collaert's long-awaited release:

Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.

Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.

Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.

Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?

 To purchase "Plunge: One Woman's Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary," click on the title, which will take you to the global link. You can get it in paperback and e-book.

If you didn't see my last post, I now have a weekly podcast about true crime, unsolved mysteries, cryptids, the paranormal, and more, called Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem. New episodes every Wednesday on your favorite podcast platforms! Today's release is about an area in North Carolina called The Devil's Tramping Ground and the cryptids of Maryland. Click HERE to find the episode listings on our website. If you have a story about one of these topics to share concerning a personal experience or one a family member or friend has experienced, we'd love it if you'd email us so we can read it on the podcast. You can find our email on the website or fill out the form on the main page, which will notify us automatically.

Also, don't miss my new holiday horror collection. These are NOT all Christmas stories. They include holidays from Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day. Available in e-book and paperback. Click HERE to purchase. (After some negative opinions about holiday horror, I would appreciate if you refrain from posting similar on my page, thank you.)

Now it's time for my submissions to keep myself accountable. Bearing in mind that I'm in the middle of taking college classes, was starting a podcast and learning how to edit it, and had a book to get out, here are my submissions stats for November:

13 submissions

7 rejections

1 withdrawn

0 acceptances

I was supposed to have a short story come out in an October publication, but one month later, that edition hasn't come out and I've yet to hear a word about it. I've also noticed an increase in markets not bothering with sending rejections, and I'm struggling to continue submitting versus just putting out my own books in light of this. The only thing keeping me from that right now, is that I love the experience of working with editors and meeting other writers who are in the same magazines and books. We'll see. I'm feeling significantly discouraged.

School is going well. I've finished 8 credits since I started. I'm trying to speed it up now.

I hope you have a pleasant December. See you again in 2020!

What are your insecurities? Have you been submitting? Have you found the same thing I have with fewer people sending rejections? Are you hanging in there through the pandemic? Interested in any of the new books? Have you tried out the podcast yet?

May you find your Muse.

*Image: Blue Swoosh - OCAL - clker.com 

Podcast News!

Hi there!

First, I want to thank everyone who helped in spreading the word about my new release! Whether it was blog friends helping me by allowing me by featuring it on their blogs or friends who shared it on their social media, I appreciate every bit of help!

Second, remember all those months ago when I mentioned putting together a podcast? Well, it's out and about in the world, and I realized I hadn't shared it here on my blog!

My co-host, MB Partlow, and I have released our third episode as of today! Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem is about true crime, the paranormal, cryptids, and other freaky things. You can listen via most podcasting services (some take longer for processing), with a new episode every week on Wednesday mornings.

So far, we've talked about the Gator and Reptile Farm in Mosca, CO; the murder of Heather Dawn Church; the ghosts of Riverside in Thornton; a set of historical axe murders in Colorado Springs; the serial killer who came after my mom when I was in the car with her (yes, I'm finally releasing his name, and I explain why on the podcast); and an entire town that looked the other way over a murder in New York.

If you don't have a go-to service for your podcasts, you can also listen to it directly on our website.

Podcast Website

Podcast Facebook Page

I hope you'll listen and let me know what you think! We post some pictures and links about the episodes on the Facebook page, and our new episodes appear on our website by about 2 AM on Wednesday mornings (7 AM on our Facebook page), all Mountain Time.

And for those who haven't seen it yet, you can find my new release at the below links! Despite the book cover, these are NOT just Christmas horror stories. There are two of those, but the others cover holidays between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day, including Hanukkah, New Year's, and Groundhog Day, and more!

Amazon Paperback (US--links for other countries are available on my Publications tab)

Universal Link (this will take you to a page that lets you choose which e-book retailer you get it from)

Finally, our local library district puts on an event each year called Mountain of Authors. Sadly, this year they had to move it online due to COVID, but they still had us do something called a Book Buzz, where we recorded a couple minutes of why people should buy our book. Not being a natural salesperson, it was nerve-wracking to do, but I appreciate the opportunity. I'm embedding the link here so you can see what a dork I am.

It's a funny life for someone who has long tried to stay out of the limelight. I have some readings I'll be posting eventually, too! One humiliation at a time. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Do you listen to podcasts? What are your favorites? Where do you listen to them? Would you be able to talk for a minimum number of minutes about your new release? 

May you find your Muse.

Happy Ghoulidays Release Day!

Today's release day!

The holidays can be a stressful time, as we all know, but I'm hoping to lighten up this winter season with a little holiday horror.

Maybe "lighten up" isn't the right term.

The first story begins the winter holidays with Thanksgiving, with stories representing Christmas, Hanukah, Hogmanay (the New Year), Yule, Groundhog Day, and, finally, Valentine's Day. From serious horror to tongue-in-cheek. Read them all at once or save them for their holidays. Or both! 

Just in time for Thanksgiving week. I'll add purchase links as they come available.

Family time can lead to murder and mayhem, especially during the holidays. A turkey with a tale to tell, elves under attack, sorority sisters putting on a killer party, a woman's desperation to save her family, and a stranger ringing in the New Year. These and other tales of woe await you beneath the mistletoe.

Be careful who you offer a kiss. It may be your last.

Universal Link for e-book Editions: Books2Read

A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes in her dungeon when her minions allow, often accompanied by her familiars. She writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in several anthologies and magazines, and her collections, Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations and Bruised Souls & Other Torments, are available in stores. You can also find her as a co-host of the podcast “Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem.” When she's not writing, she's hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings. Though she often misses the Oregon coast, the majestic and rugged Rockies are a sight she could never part with. Besides, in Colorado there's always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. What more could she ask for? 

Find her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Instagram

Happy Ghoulidays Book Launch Details

My book launch gets started tomorrow!

Here's the schedule of those who have signed up to help get the word out, so far. I'm still taking sign-ups through the launch on November 20, so the form will be below. You can sign up for any day between now and the 20th.

I'll be adding the active links to each post once they go live.

Thank you to those who have signed up to help get the word out about Happy Ghoulidays! Different blogs will be sharing different things, including Top Ten Christmas Horror Movies, Holiday Horror Films for the Family, Weird Holiday Traditions in the Family, and Favorite Cold Weather Holidays.

Monday, November 9

C. Lee McKenzie - Author

Friday, November 13

Patricia Josephine & Patricia Lynne

Sunday, November 15

Joylene Nowell Butler - Suspense & Mystery Author

Monday, November 16

Alex J. Cavanaugh

Jemi Fraser - Just Jemi

Nick Wilford - Speculative Author

Tuesday, November 17

Marcy S. Hatch - Maine Words

Wednesday, November 18

C.D. Gallant-King - Stories I Found in the Closet

Thursday, November 19

Diane Burton - Adventure and Romance...In This World and Beyond

Social Media/Mailing Lists

S.A. Larsen - Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction

Natalie Aguirre - Literary Rambles

Family time can lead to murder and mayhem, especially during the holidays. A turkey with a tale to tell, elves under attack, sorority sisters putting on a killer party, a woman's desperation to save her family, and a stranger ringing in the New Year. These and other tales of woe await you beneath the mistletoe.

Be careful who you offer a kiss. It may be your last.

Pre-order Link: Amazon Kindle 

(Paperback and other links will be available on November 20)