Looking Towards 2010

Do you set yourself goals each year? Last year I had my goals set and was eager to get started on them all. I would write at least my minimum word count each day religiously keeping track of my word written, then somewhere in the middle life stepped in and it all fell apart. Why? Because I did not add my life outside my writing to my agenda. Let’s face it; we all have other people in our lives that need our attention at some point during the day.

So, for 2010 I’m going to write up my goals with that in mind.

Here are my goals for 2010 (so far):

Write/edit at least five days a week.

Start writing day by 9am and write for five hours a day, taking small breaks regularly.

Have all completed WIPs edited by June.

Submit ALL edited WIPs to agents/publishers.

Do critiques on weekends. (when family are not around)

Have ‘Cruisin’ the Blog & Members’ News ready to go by the Friday of each week. (May need to add updates before the Sunday).

Have Bookshelf Saturday organised at least a week before due.

Be more active on RWAus e-loops.

Cut back on some other e-loops (again).

Finish getting RWAus Wikipedia article organised.

Update social networks twice a week.

Blog on a regular base, not all over the place.

Spend time with Hubby each evening.

Spend more time with family on weekends.

Spend one day a week with my Mum.

That will do for now, I’m sure I’ll add more as the year progresses.

What about you? Do you have your goals set for the year?

Sandie

Is this a good thing for aspiring writers?

Harper Collins say they are on a mission to flush out the brightest, freshest new writing talent around with their online community. http://www.authonomy.com/
This is the second such site I've come across (there may be more - I don't know). I'm not sure what to make of this. Is it a growing trend, is it good, bad or worse?

I read the FAQs and it seems the more people who read your story, the more chance you have of rising to what they call 'The Editor's Desk.'


Reminds me of a slush pile quote I saw today:

THE SLUSH PILE: Looking for a needle in a field of haystacks, and having to tell each stalk that it's not the needle you're looking for. (Source unknown.)

Anyway, thought you might be interested. Take a look. http://www.authonomy.com/

Bootcamp 109ers Rock!

After Elizabeth's success (see previous post) I thought I should put together a compilation of our triumphs so far…

Monique Wood & Fiona Gregory – Little Gems Finalists

Both The Boss’s Wife (Mon) and A Happy New Year (Fi) are to appear in RWA Little Gem Anthology – 2009 Turquoise.

Order your copy here: http://www.romanceaustralia.com/littlegems.html


Sandie Hudson – Challenge Collection Finalist

My Merry Maid is an erotic short story to be published by Kiwi Writers (http://kiwiwriters.org/) as an ebook and print book in July 2009.


Jenn McLeod – Partial Request

Having submitted a synopsis to wewriteromance.com for one of her short stories, Jenn was asked to submit a partial for further consideration. After due deliberation and discussion Jenn decided not to pursue this offer further.


A cyber-toast to these ladies.

Who knows what else 2009 might bring…

50 Writing Strategies

Jenn's post below reminded me of an email I received linking to an article titled 50 Strategies For Making Yourself Work. It was written by Jerry Oltion and it's interesting - I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Not every tip works for everyone, but some of the strategies are very useful. You can find the list at http://www.sfwa.org/writing/strategies.html.

A Writer's Perfect Easter

For Many Australians Easter means camping and everyone wants fine weather. We travelled down to our weekender outside Stanthorpe for a weekend of basic bush camping and four days of hard work clearing the path to the river. Unfortunately this year the weather didn't really deliver and we were stuck in the shed watching the rain teem down.

So, what's a girl to do? Write of course. Hot coffee, plenty of chocolate, a cosy quilt and the laptop. Hubby settled down with a book and left me too it. 

So while most of the campers we saw this weekend were cursing the weather, I had a great weekend, having discovered the secret to the writer's perfect Easter.    

Power to romance writers everywhere

For the first time in my life I experienced the true meaning of being ‘powerless’. It devastated me.

I wish I had the writing skills to convey the pain and despair I felt when it happened at 9am today.

You have to agree with me – as writers of romantic fiction — that words like desperation and despair almost type themselves on the page without any help from us (and how many times have we described our hero or heroine as ‘powerless’). But do we really now what it means?

Have we, as writers, ever truly experienced a sense of powerlessness that is so overwhelming it makes us want to scream? Do we really know what it feels like to have our last breath siphoned from our lungs, or wonder if our hearts could ever exploded from beating too hard?

Today I experienced all that. It was so unbelievably terrifying and — yes — I was absolutely powerless. I could do nothing — wield no sword against this invisible enemy.

You see, at 9am this morning, in my home town of Coffs Harbour, Country Energy turned off my power and I had no computer.

I realised then how empty my life would be without my word processor and without my writing.

When they finally switched me back on at 2pm (two lovely new power poles in my street) I promised I would never take electricity and what it provides us everyday, for granted.
So I say - (uninterrupted) power to writers everywhere and thank goodness for the good old fashioned pen and paper.

Calling Publishing Princes Everywhere

Writing ... I love.

Waiting ... I loathe.

No...not the cocktail carrying, sandwich serving kind of waiting. The gut wrenching, stomach turning, brain numbing waiting-for-writing-competition-results kind.

I think Sleeping Beauty had the right idea.

Next time I enter a contest and have to wait for the results maybe I’ll trying sleeping through it (hmmmm....an alcohol induced coma.... that rings a bell!). Then I’ll pray for a magic kiss from a publishing prince!