Me no likey...

In November I joined a 'club' with thousands of other anxious wanna be authors.  We all tried to write 50,000 words in one month.  And I can say that I wrote over 50,000!

But I don't really like to make goals.

Well, I don't like to make goals in January.  It always made more sense to me to make goals in the fall before school starts.   The smell of the schools floor cleaner always made me heady with great ambitions like a 4.0 and dating the quarterback/star forward/hunk.

I do like to make lists.  

I write to-do lists and shopping lists and books-I've-read lists.  I've made a list of chores each child can accomplish, what my own chores are daily and what we are eating for the month. 

I've made a list of the stories I've written and stories I've started and ideas for other stories. 

Those stories and ideas are sitting in my jump drive waiting to be finished or sent to a publisher.  But they are not sitting quietly.  They keep reminding me they are waiting.  But what do I do with all of them?  I have two that needed edited, one that is in rough draft and two short stories that need tweaked.  And that is just the ones that are close to the finish line.  There are 5-8 other stories that have been started or are in outline form. It's overwhelming!

So, dare I say it?  I need a goal.  Not a list.  A goal.

I learned in November that a goal/deadline is a great motivator.  I have heard many talks and read many books about goals and have actually made a few myself.  But until November, I have not FELT the way I did when the word count came back over 50K.

I want to FEEL it this year!  I want to feel what it is like to:

Have a book accepted by a publisher

Have a Christmas story published

Have a book published

And travel to another continent to research a book

I was browsing Tristi Pinkston's blog and she has sent out a challenge.  Check it here: Gearing Up for the New Year ...

Now I need to set the smaller goals that will take me in the direction I want to go:

I will write at least two hours everyday or average 5,000 words a week.

I will submit 2 stories by March.

I'll start with these two.  I made add more as I go.  But I will get three stories out this year.

Phew!  I can check that off the 'to do' list! :)

I now believe that because I have lists instead of goals I don't stick to the monthly menu, I averaged a B+ and never dated the quarterback.  

But I did marry a hunk!