First Post of 2011

It truly seems like last week that I wrote my first blog post ever. Now it's time to sum up 2010 and plan for 2011. Which shouldn't take long. I didn't get much done in 2010. The same goals for the year can remain for 2011 with just a section title change.

Why didn't I get any of those goals done? Now there's a question.

Let's see--my workload increased dramatically, there were more house-related tasks that couldn't be put off any longer and I committed to making more craft items as gifts and such.

BUT, those aren't responsible for my not meeting my goals. The reason is that I was struggling with the process. I tried making some major changes to HM that might have been great suggestions, but that just didn't resonate with me. And that held me up. A lot. When I finally figured out what I really wanted to do with the story, I felt burned out on it. I needed to leave Sloan and Caleb and the gang for a while. I need to miss them just a touch more so when I do revisit them, it'll be a celebration.

So, what should my goals be for this year? I'm going to do something a little different. Agent Rachelle Gardner talked on her blog about how regular resolutions feel too much like another to-do list. She's opting for resolutions that are more about feeling rather than doing. She posted a list of adjectives. I like that.

Without further ado, my goals for 2011:

--Confident
--Healthy
--Peaceful
--Caring
--Funny
--Optimistic

December Goals

Deb just reminded me that I haven't updated my goals for December. Deb can be a real pain sometimes.

I've realized that I need to do some more research for HM. In particular, I need to know more about the history of mining in Colorado. But it's a made up town, you say? Well, yes, but I still want it to fit in with the real world. At least as much as I can.

Goals:

--Finish CWC critiques (1/1)
--Research CO mining history
--Play some more with story

What have you planned for December?

September Goals

Monday night was my first official CWC meeting. Fun. And intimidating. I knew these people didn't hold back when critiquing. Seeing it firsthand was amazing.

I did end up with more than 4 pages to submit. 30 to be exact. Not quite what I'd wanted, but I think the logjam finally broke. A four-day weekend should help get the word count up. I'd really love to have the whole thing done before I get feedback. It should be very doable (as Deb says).

My goals for this month are simple: 1) critique Jenny's submission and 2) finish the revision of HM.

That will set me up to work on D&D through the end of the year. I'm looking forward to writing something new again.

April Goals

This month I'd like to get at least 50 pages revised. It doesn't sound like a lot when you work with someone who can do that amount in a day.

I need to be realistic about how much I can do in a month. The frustration of trying to keep up with other people is one of the reasons I took a sabbatical. Slow and steady.

It is a little easier each time I sit down to write. That's what I'm holding onto.

March Already

February seemed to fly by, even for a short month. I did manage to accomplish my two writing goals. Neither of which involved actual writing.

This month I plan to go through a "clean" copy of HM, adding in all the comments others have made. Then I'll start the rewrite process.

I know this is going to be a long process. Deb seems to be flying through her revisions. She pointed out to me this morning that "It's not my first rodeo." She has been tweaking MMG for a few years now. I don't know if that makes me feel better or not.

In any case, working on the book again feels good.

I'll take that.

I Think I'm Back

Hello.

My short hiatus turned into about a year and half away from writing. I read a lot of mysteries. I also read a lot of writing books. I read books from lots of different genres, including a lot of YA. Fleur had a big hand in that last endeavor.

Friends gave advice when asked and just listened when that's what I needed. There was also a lot of encouragement from everyone. The best part of the hiatus was realizing how many great friends I have.

I think it's time to dip my toe back in the water. Part of my problem before was trying to think about more than one project at a time. Deb may work best with lots of balls in the air, but I've found that I don't. I'm going to finish HM before I get back to D&D. I know they've waited a long time to tell their story, but a month or so more won't hurt them.

The first step is a read through of what I have now, followed by compiling all the comments I received in 2008 and reading those. I'll worry about the step after that when I get there.

I'm prepared for this to take some time. That's okay. I'll still get where I want to be.