Writing Goals

You gotta have goals in order to set priorities and you've gotta have priorities to arrange a schedule.  Such things rarely go exactly as planned, but without them I'd never get anything done.

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My first goal is to have the 'Weed & Polish' stage of revision done for CRUSHED (formerly titled Sweet) by November 30th. 

The biggest challenge to his goal is recurrent bouts with Postpartum Depression.  To keep that in check, I have to be vigilant about taking my prenatal vitamines and eating right.  I don't have to worry about calories right now, thanks to my nursing baby devouring them for me.  A breastfeeding baby gets first dibs on the best nutrition her mama takes in, which means I get the leftovers.  So, if I eat junk, then there's nothing good leftover for me and I feel like crap.  The other thing I'm doing to deal with PD is my self-indulgent blog story, Junior's Guide to the Galaxy.  It's just for fun and to practice new writing skills I learn.  In fact, I've never written First Person Point of View before, that I can remember, and I think I'm actually improving!  http://juniorsguidetothegalaxy.blogspot.com/  I quick write that post and then get to the real work, CRUSHED.
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'George of the Jungle' can be a big help too-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22NdT8JeMCE&feature=related

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My second goal is to submit MANIC KNIGHT to the rest of the publishing professionals.  See, I'm easily distracted.  Once I get started on a new story, it's hard for me to go back and finish up with the last one.  Yet, it drives me nutty to leave things undone.  When I launch CRUSHED into Queryland, I'm going to submit ALL queries BEFORE I start on the next story.  I plan to be done with that by the end of December.

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On January 1st, 2010 I will begin the Final Polish of CRUSHED, which ought to be made easier by having let it sit for a month.  Fresh brain, you know.  That's my third goal.

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My fourth goal is to launch CRUSHED into Queryland, starting February 1st.  It'll probably take a week because each query needs to be individualized and then requests start coming in and stuff.
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Once CRUSHED is completely out, I will begin to Slash & Burn the next story, unless it's one which has already been Slashed & Burned like COALESCENCE.  My daughter wants me to write a Middle Grade Junior story, like BEAUTIFUL DREAMER.  I'd probably stand the best chance at publication with THE MECHANICAL WITCH, which is Steampunk.  Truth be told, at this point I'm sick of worrying about which story has the best chance.  For Book #5, I'm gonna write whatever the heck I want. 

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Unless I have an agent and/or editor by then who says, "Oh, no, do that one over there!"  'Cause, you know, I have all these stories in my head and I really do love them all the same.