Those December Goals

I already announced my goals for the coming year, but how did I do on those year end goals?

1) I decided to hold out on sending my partials until January because I wanted to incorporate some great suggestions given by contest judges into the first two chapters. I did send one of my partials out today, though.

2) I applied for PRO membership in Romance Writers of America and got my acceptance email today.

3) On the contests for Katie Rose, I decided to skip the first one because it had a January 3rd deadline. With all the other things I had to do, I didn't want to add more stress around the holidays, but I do plan to enter the second contest. It has a deadline of January 31st. Much more doable, and I've already started to get that entry ready.

4) I looked over and made some notes on my sci-fi romance outline, but had to put it aside again to revise my short story. I plan to get back to the sci-fi romance after the New Year holiday.

So, although I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to do, I got a great deal done in a very busy month.

Now, I'm ready for the New Year!

Happy New Year!

I want to start the new year off right by announcing my writing goals for 2008.

I ended 2007 on a happy note by selling my vampire romance short story, Eternity Waits, to The Wild Rose Press. It's been quite a while since I've sold anything, so I hope to continue my good fortune into the new year.

1) My biggest goal of 2008 is to write more.
I've joined HHRW's Historical Hearts Writing Challenge loop and plan to set both weekly and monthly writing goals and try my best to accomplish them.

2) Make more time to read both in and outside of my chosen genre.

3) Mail out partials to my first choice publishers for my new Civil War romance.

4) Do some cutting on my time travel romance and try to find a publisher willing to look at it.

5) Step up my promotion efforts in advance of my short story's release by The Wild Rose Press.

6) Enter my Civil War romance in as many contests as I can afford.

7) Complete the outline for my sci-fi romance and finish the first draft by the end of 2008.

So, those are my goals for the new year.

Next, I'll post my goals for January.

Contest!

Hop on over to my group blog for a chance to win a Twelve Days of Christmas gift basket.

I also have a new blog up on Christmas during the Civil War. Leave a comment and you'll have a chance to win.

Details at: http://www.slipintosomthingvictorian.com

Merry Christmas!

I didn't get any writing done today and I'm winding down for the coming holidays. I spent today, after my workout, cleaning the house, baking and making my Christmas fudge. And now I'm exhausted.

We still have to put up our tree. We'll do that Sunday, then all that's left is Christmas dinner. I've got the presents under control, already packed in their gift bags. I stopped doing wrapping paper two years ago.

I hope everyone has a joyous and peace filled Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Rethinking Contests

I just received my latest contest entry in the mail today. I already knew I hadn't finalled, but am always curious to see how the judges scored my work and what they had to say.

And the results were typical. One judge gave me high scores, although she did find a few things to nitpick about. The other judge gave me a lot of low scores and had written all over the entry.

So, I decided to look over the high scoring entry first. She really liked the characters and story--as least what she could see of it from the first two chapters. And the few things she had problems with, I could agree with. I decided I would make a few changes before sending it out again.

Then I decided I had to look at the low scoring entry to see what she had to say.

To my surprise, although she'd given me some very low scores, she also gave me some very high ones. She also liked the characters and story, and made some very valid comments that I decided I also wanted to use.

The result was a very positive contest experience. This was the first contest I'd entered this story in and, although my critique partners loved it, I didn't know what kind of remarks I'd get from others.

I've decided to hold off sending the partials of this story out for another month, so I can take my time and go over those first two chapters again. I think this will give me a much better chance of getting requests for the full.

I'll also hold off on entering this in any other contests until I've made the changes. And these are changes I think are necessary to improve the mechanics of this story.

When I send this out again, I want it in the best shape it can possibly be. And after this experience, I really do want to enter this in future contests.

New Blog on Religion and the Civil War

Just did a new history blog on Slip Into Something Victorian.

Click the link and check it out.

Fantastic News!!!

I got the email last night! The Wild Rose Press sent a contract for my short vampire story, Etenity Waits, set during the American Civil War.

This story had been sitting in a drawer for four years. I'd written it for the vampire magazine, Dreams of Decadence. But they sent it back unread because they were overstocked.

I tried a few other magazines, but they rejected it also, saying it wasn't right for their publication. So, I stuck it in a drawer and forgot about it.

I only pulled it out again because I was taking a workshop on paranmoral romance. The instructor wanted us to send in examples of paranormal creatures. I immediately thought of my vampire and sent two scenes from the story as part of my assignment.

The instructor liked the characters and encouraged me to send it somewhere. So, I revised it and sent it to my critique group, then to The Wild Rose Press, because they publish short stories.

Now, I'm a Wild Rose author and couldn't be more proud.

Ready To Start On Something New

I've got the partials of Katie Rose printed out. Just have to put dates on my query/cover letters, reprint them and send the packages out.

I've grown tired of doing edits and proofreading stories I've already written. I'd like to take some time away from those projects and start working on something new.

I have my sci-fi romance that I've been stalling on. It's still in the very early outline stage. I may take what's left of this month between holiday activties to work on that.

If I can finish the outline, I can start writing brand new pages in the new year.

December Goals

It's November 31st, so I'm listing my goals for the month of December.

Because of the holidays, I don't want to get too ambitious this month and set myself up for failure.

So, this is what I want to accomplish before the New Year.

1) I want to prepare and send out partials of my historical romance, Katie Rose.
I have two publishers I've already researched and am already working on the query letters. I've also edited and printed out the synopsis and first three chapters. I just have to edit the letters, then do a final proofread of the whole submission package and send them out.

2) Since I've entered my time travel romance in the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest, I want to apply for PRO membership.

3) I've picked two contests with January deadlines and want to start preparing my entries. This is also for Katie Rose.

4) If time permits, I want to review the notes I've made for my futuristic romance and start working on an outline for that. If I can finish this, I'll have a brand new novel to write new pages for in the new year. But if I don't get this far, this will be one of my New Year's goals.

Revisiting November Goals

As we near the end of another month, I'm happy to say I've accomplished the goals I'd listed for November.

My GH entry was sent out the Monday before Thanksgiving.

I've found two long shot publishers I want to send partials of Katie Rose to.

And I've earmarked two contests with January deadlines that I want to enter Katie Rose in.

Next post I'll list my December goals.

The Holiday Is Over

Thanksgiving's over. The turkey, except for a couple of wings, is history. Same with the pumkin pie. My family are all back into doing their own thing, whatever that my be.

I did some Christmas decorating yesterday, I'll do a little more next weekend, and completed most of my shopping online this morning. Now, I'm itching for something to do. I've gotten used to working most weekends, either on stuff for my home business or my own writing projects, but I had decided to take the weekend off and spend some time on holiday and family things.

I do have a big box of to-be-read books I've been meaning to get around to. Maybe I'll go and read.

Anticipating Failure

When talking with my writer friends about entering contests, one said you should look at it as if you were buying a chance, because if you are lucky enough to get two or three judges who like your story, you may very well final or win, but if you get at least one who hates it, you won't. It's not that your story or writing stinks, it's just that that particular judge didn't care for it.

After taking a break from contests because of mixed results, I've decided to dip my toe into the water and give them another try. But I'm going to anticipate that I won't be a finalist or winner. Then if I'm lucky enough to get judges who like my story and writing, I'll have a pleasant surprise.

It works when I buy chances. I always assume I won't win and on those occasions when I do, I'm ecstatic. No matter how small the prize, I won something I never expected to win.

This is my new approach and I'm sticking with it.

Taking Another Workshop

I'm taking an online workshop given by my Hearts Through History chapter called "Persistance."

It's not easy to live the life of a freelance writer and now I'm learning I haven't been getting my projects out there enough. I should have at least 15 to 25 submissions out on a regular basis, including requests, queries, partials, contest entries or scheduled pitches to editors.

Seems I've really dropped the ball on this one.

Right now I've got one requested short story being looked at, one contest entry out and another I'm preparing to send, but that's it. Just three submissions.

I am planning to send at least two partials of my historical romance out next month and am looking into a couple of contests for January.

But, I think I have to work on getting my projects out there more.

November Goals

As promised here's what I want to accomplish writing-wise for November.

1) This is the biggie. I have to finish polishing and proofreading Erin's Rebel for the Golden Heart contest. The full manuscript plus partial copies have to be in by December 3rd, so this is a goal with a real deadline. So far, I have the partials ready to send, I just have to polish the last quarter of the full manuscript.

2) I want to start researching possible publishers for Katie Rose. I've finished the first draft and had the opening chapters critiqued and have revised them, so if I come up with a list of publishers, I can start sending out partials to see if any of them are interested in this story.

3) Research contests for Katie Rose. I want to find a few contests where I can enter the synopsis or opening chapters to see if I can gain editor interest.

So, these are the areas I want to focus on for the month of November. I'll let you all know how I did at the end of the month.

Revisiting Goals

I just realized we're coming to the end of October--Halloween's just around the corner--so I thought I should revisit my goals for this month.

My big goal was to work at getting my time travel romance manuscript polished up for the Golden Heart contest.

As of this date, I have my synopsis and first five chapters that will be judged in the preliminary round, polished and proofed and have printed up the six copies that I have to send.

As for the full, I'm about two-thirds of the way through with the polishing--I'm also proofreading as I complete each chapter--and I still have a month to go. I'm sending the full on floppy disk and have already converted my file to Word.

As for the futuristic that's still in outline stage, I've looked it over, but haven't really worked on it. I thought for now I'd just put that aside, until I can come back and give it my full attention.

My next post will be my goals for the month of November, as soon as I figure out what they are.

Coming Out Of the Closet

I've been writing since I was in grade school, but had always been embarrassed to admit that I wrote and would never dare to call myself a writer. I had notebooks full of stories stuffed away in drawers that never saw the light of day.

Years later, after my boys started school and I started writing and submitting stories, I wouldn't tell my relatives for fear that they'd discourage or--even worse--laugh at me.

After I had a few short pieces published, I told my close relatives and proudly showed off my work. Then I finally had my first novel published. I think my family thought that was my big break, but the book didn't turn out to be a bestseller and I'm still trying to get my first romance novel published, but so far, no takers.

But, I'm no longer ashamed or afraid to tell people that I write. I even told my dentist that I write romance novels. He was actually impressed. In fact, most of the people I've told have reacted that way.

I realized that even though I only make a minimum amount of money off my writing, the fact that I spend at least eight solid hours a week--often more--in writing related projects, makes me a writer.

And that's something to be proud of.

Post on Victorian Children's Clothing

I just posted a new blog on clothing styles for Victorian children on my group site: Slip Into Something Victorian.

http://www.slipintosomethingvictorian.com

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

As a freelance writer, my life is full of waiting. I wait for editors and agents to get back to me on submissions. I wait for the results from contests I've entered and for that ever elusive royalty check.

It doesn't help that my day job--typing manuscripts for other writers--involves waiting for payment to come in after a job is completed.

My strategy is to continue working on other projects and keep the things I'm waiting for in the back of my mind, but they always seem to surface and interrupt my creative flow.

How do all of you deal with the endless waiting?

Latest Goal

Haven't posted my goals for awhile, but now I've got a big one. I just entered Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Contest for my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.

So, my primary writing goal for the next two months is to get this manuscript polished, reprinted and proofread to meet the December 3 mailing deadline.

Besides this, I'm also going to continue to send chapters of this manuscript to my critique group and revise as many chapters as I can before the deadline.

Time permitting, I also want to get back to working on the outline for my futuristic. I had started on that project, but it's been languishing for awhile as I was trying to finish the first draft of my historical romance. But, since that work is completed and I want that story to sit and cool for awhile, I should have time to focus on these two tasks.

New Interview

I've just been interviewed for the second time, this time by Shirley Kiger Connelly on her author site.

Here's the link: http://shirleykoinonia.tripod.com