Writing Goals

These were my seven intentions, aims, and goals for 2012 in regard to writing:

1. RETREAT Seven Times to WRITE ALONE (minimum 3 days each)
(it’s the only way to get chunks of significant writing done in my life…away from home)
TALLY:
#1-Retreated to Cane Creek State Park on Jan 26-28, 2012 at Cane Creek State Park.
(A planned retreat mid April to accompany turkey hunters as their cook didn’t produce any writing–just hunting and fishing).
CURRENTLY: Trying to schedule a 3-day retreat sometime soon in the Fall.

2. Complete the 12 x 12 in 2012 Picture Book Draft Challenge
(I debated this a while…but it’s a natural ‘result’ of my other goals listed here…so why not?)
TALLY:
#1-PB Draft for “Cock-a-Doodle, Too!” (re-titled) 1/27/2012
#2-PB Draft for “When Love Bubbles Fly” 2/26/2012
#3-PB Draft for “Green Humming Grass” 3/31/2012
#4-PB Draft for “Poppi, Stay” 5/30/2012
#5-PB Draft for “As Goats Go…” 6/30/2012
#6-PB Draft for “Too-True-Color-Me-Blue” 7/28/2012
#7-PB Draft for “Amazinsomnia” 8/16/2012

CURRENTLY:  I thought I’d caught up…I must do TWO in September,  so I can be on track.

3. Submit to Seven Contests and Seven Monthly Write-Offs
(I don’t know why, but I get so motivated by contests…my heart beats fast when I’m writing for them. Never been competitive, so go figure? The Seven Monthly Write-offs are with the Writer’s Retreat Forum–lots of fun!)
CONTEST TALLY:
#1-Miranda Paul’s Blog – Mix-It-Up Writing Contest 1/30/2012 – 3 entries–I got honorable mention for a limerick-based mixed-up fairy tale, “As It Really Was” and won Miranda’s book Tales of China: World Favorite Fables.
#2-POCKETS Fiction Contest -Entry mailed 8/14/2012

CURRENTLY: Didn’t make the Children’s Writer Middle Grade Mystery Story Contest . Looking for more contests.

MONTHLY WRITE-OFF TALLY:
#1-January-“In Enemy Hands” 1/28/2012
#2-February-“When Love Bubbles Fly” 2/26/2012
#3-March-“A Find Between Hope and Fear” 3/29/2012
#4-April-“Dancing Cat” 4/28/2012
[In May I developed the prompt, so did not enter a story.]
#5-June-“Thin Scissors McGillicutty” 6/30/2012
#6-July-“Oh Say Can You See” 7/29/2012
#7-August-“Too-True-Color-Me-Blue” 8/31/2012
CURRENTLY:  Now working on ideas for the September MWO.

4. Submit Seven Works to at least Seven Publishers…Each
(This is scary to me…and totally unknown territory. Hope my ICL course and my WR friends continue to help me here.)
#1-Submitted to FIVE markets the result from ICL Assignment #4, “A Friend By Any Other Name”, non-fiction on volunteering. (Thanks instructor Marcia Lusted for your help on the queries!) Rejections: 1 Interests: 1 No-Answers: 3
#2-Submitted to book publisher my picture book “Cock-A-Doodle-Too!” and received a pleasant rejection, with great advice.  My first formal rejection…which means I’m on my way to being a real author!
CURRENTLY: Working with ideas for submitting some of my other assignments, after revisits, to markets.

5. Complete the Seven Remaining Lessons in the ICL Writing for Children Course
(I know these lessons get more intense…but with dedication and encouragement I can complete things by Dec 31)
TALLY:
#1-Lesson #4 Submitted 2/20/2012
#2: Lesson #5 Submitted 4/12/2012
#3: Lesson #6 Submitted 6/7/2012
#4: Lesson #7 Submitted 8/1/2012
CURRENTLY: Working on Lesson #8-Three plans for articles or stories for three specific markets.

6. Attend a Writing Conference
CURRENTLY:  Joined SCBWI on 3/12/2012
#1 – Attended Arkansas Chapter SCBWI conference in Little Rock, Apr 27-28. WOW. What a great conference!
CURRENTLY:  Can’t attend the Arkansas Chapter Fall Retreat in October. Too many trips in September…but may yet find one later in the fall or winter.

7. Write Another Novel and do Something with the One I’ve Done
(My first novel is sitting on my desk…it was done before I learned anything…so it needs work. I need to do another incorporating what I’m learning.)

These are INTENTIONS – they are things I want, birthed from a desire in me, an urge to embody what I imagine in what I write.

These are AIMS – they are in sight. You can’t hit what’s not in sight, what you can’t see. I have visualized these, even tho far away.

These are GOALS – because the ‘root word’ of ‘goal’ is GO…that means I move toward them. They aren’t goals unless I “GO” to them.