Writing Goals - How did I go?

It's that time of year again where I look back over my goals for the last year. Making myself accountable sure helps with the incentive of meeting them. So here goes:

1. Sub partial - Done, rejected.
2. Finish revised ms - Done, rewrote ending a third time, now in metaphorical bin.
3. Enter High 5 - Done.

4. Enter Emerald - Done.

5. Apply 5DI - Applied, accepted and participated.

6. Enter First Kiss - Done.

7. Write next ms - Started but on hold due to 5DI mentoring.
8. Enter VPA with 2 mss - Only entered 1, but second ms started.
9. Enter an American contest - Entered The Gotcha! contest.
10. Attend and pitch at conference - Attended conference, didn't pitch because of my change in direction post-5DI (although ended up doing a pitch I didn't even know I was doing - but that's for another blog post).

Reviewing my goals I'm quite proud of what I have achieved. Okay, so it isn't perfect, but I think I've done really well in meeting what I had set. And I can honestly say, every point on my goal list has helped improve my writing and move me along my writing journey - what more do you want?

Now to set my goals for this year (check out next week's blog to see my 2010/11 list).

Is Publication A Sound Goal?

I read an article by Jenny Crusie recently. She advocates writers give up their goal to be published, and compares it to the pre-feminism era when a woman's goal was to be married. Both are totally out of your hands. You've no control over whether you succeed or fail.

I agree. A publisher isn't going to play by your rules and send you that contract to meet your deadline. BUT I do think having something to aim for makes you work harder; makes you keep trying, even through the hard times; makes you set achievable goals (all of which will take you that one step closer).

It may be splitting hairs, a goal versus something to aim for, but I value the difference, and will continue to have publication as that gold star to aim to.

You can read the full Jenny Crusie article here.

I Wish I Had Time To Procrastinate...

The bane of all writers, procrastination for me usually means my 'to do' lists are written beautifully, the folding is done and my to-be-read pile is diminishing. And it's nearly always associated with a sticky part of my work in progress where my words are being yanked out, one painful word at a time.

But at the moment, the only time for writing I have is the 2 minutes I am giving to my neglected blog. It's the silly season and my diary is as full as Santa's sled.

Yes, I wish I had time to procrastinate!

Clayton's Conference

I recently was involved in the RWA Clayton's Conference - the conference you attend when you can't make the face-to-face conference (running online simultaneously with the RWA Conference). The conference you can attend in your PJs.

Compliments to the wonderful ladies who organised and ran the weekend. And to all the fantastic members of RWA who contributed in some way to make it the success it was.

With many fabulous sessions and an awards night to rival the 'real' one, it certainly made up for those unable to make the trek to Brisbane. Writing chats, writing challenges, writing competitions – there were even competitions for the best PJ’s and best Fake Book Cover.

Winner - Best Fake Book Cover

If I can't make a conference I'll certainly be joining in the Clayton's.

Visit http://romanceaustralia.wordpress.com/claytons-conference/ to read more about the conference.

Procrastination

I've had a really busy, exhausting week. I should be taking this moment on a Sunday night, where the commitments of one week are over, and the next yet to begin, to add to my lagging word count.

But instead I'm writing this blog. I'm procrastinating.
Why?

Because I'm tired, I'm sick of concentrating, reluctant to face another blank page... my list of excuses could go on and on.

Wikipedia defines procrastination as:
a behaviour which is characterised by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time.

Yep. That's me to a tee tonight.

Wikipedia goes on to state that:
Psychology researchers also have three criteria they use to categorise procrastination. For a behavior to be classified as procrastination, it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying.

Let me see.
Uhuh, I can definitely tick all three boxes.
No doubt about it, I'm using my blog to procrastinate.

What do you do to procrastinate?

Writing about it has certainly cranked up the guilt levels. I'd better get back to it. I think Nike got it right:

Conference Pitch... or Not

Finish writing my M&B Sweet and pitch it at the RWAust August conference. Goal #1.

One of my two writing goals for the year. For those of you who have been following my blog you might remember I have 2 major goals for 2009 - plus 8 other goals that are really a mini-action plan to help me achieve my 2 big goals.

But, a spanner in the works. Harlequin aren't actually attending RWAust's annual conference (a scenario that hadn't even occurred to me, duh). This makes it hard to meet my first goal. Or does it?

Well, the fabulous organising committee for the conference is trying to organise to get our mss in front of an editor for assessment. Gulp. With no details what does this mean? And will I need to have my ms ready before August? I have a mental timetable to have my ms polished in time... and of course the timeline fits in with the August conference.

So. This is how I've decided to look at it. If my ms gets assessed by an editor, I've still achieved essentially what pitching would have achieved. With no pitch to stress over in August, I can kick up my heels from the get go and truly enjoy my first conference.

There is always a silver lining.

Sprinting + Away

Sprinting. Not the kind that involves sweat and pain. The kind that involves you and a bunch of other like-minded writers all writing together at the same time.

When I first heard about sprinting I have to confess I was a little sceptical. How could sprinting be any different from any other time I am writing? How could it possibly help get more words out?

During 2008 NaNoWriMo I joined in, not wanting to disregard it completely. Confession time. I was wrong. I was pushing out numbers in 30 minutes that I had no hope of doing on my own. I am a convert.

So over the past week I have been sprinting. Not as often as I would like, but the few occasions I could spare. And in those few nights of sprinting I managed 30 pages. THIRTY pages. I was stunned when I sat back and counted. Thank you to those wonderful ladies who have been sprinting with me.

Why does it work? Because it's a short burst, separated by chatting with the other sprinters in a chat room. To know others are writing with you, trying their hardest to get as many words out pushes you along. At the end you report back, congratulate or commiserate. Chat about how it is going or ask for help. But above all there is a feeling of companionship, understanding and friendship.

I love Sprinting. I just wish it burnt calories like the other kind.

Please forgive me if I don't respond to any comments to this blog for a week or so. As of tomorrow I will be internet-less (eek) for week while the family and I are on holidays.

Word Counts

50,000 words.

That is my goal. 50,000 words. My work in progress is aimed at Harlequin Mills and Boon Sweet so the size of my ms is already determined.

But how do I tell just how many words I've written?

I know there are two different ways of calculating word count.
1. The actual word count
2. The number of pages x 250 (when your page is set up to hold 25 lines).

Originally I'd been following the first method. But then I heard on the grapevine that publishers were more concerned with the number of pages in a book, so I switched to option 2.

Last night I celebrated breaking the 20,000 mark. But then I was told that Harlequin tend to just want the actual word count these days, back to 18,000. Bang. Just like that.

So how am I supposed to count my words?

New Look Blog

Phew. I think I have done it. I have updated my blog. Having been a newbie to blogging (only starting late last year), my skills at creating a blog left a lot to be desired. Sure, the last blog had posts - but that was about it. Hopefully my new blog has a lot more to offer.

I intend to focuss on all the bits of my life that weave into, get in the way of and prop me up as I try to reach my dream. So watch this space. Hopefully "Anita Joy, Harlequin's latest author" will be a post of the future.