Tuesday, March 08, 2011

February Report - March Goals...


Enter Fire and Ice Contest as well as Chocolate Rose. Look at mystery contest and Great American Novel contests.
**Fire and Ice; Chocolate Rose and Kiss of Death - All done. Missed the Great American Novel contest. Frankly, I just forgot. Goal MET!

Send off my Idaho cowboy story to the targeted line. I LOVE this story. I hope the editor loves it as well.
**My package is setting on a desk in Canada.

Volunteer to give a coffee talk presentation for our local chapter. Generational Characters. This one is harder. I’ve got a topic, some of the research material, and the date. Now to just write the darn training.
**The presentation went really well. Now I have to write up an article for our chapter newsletter. Ongoing goal for March

Send off a short story to Women’s World. This is a tight market. 800 word stories have to be emotional, tightly written and satisfying. I’ve learned my draft is way over the story limits and my challenge is cutting word length.
**Got February's story written and send. And as of today, I've got a start on the next one. Ongoing goal for 2011.

I am guest hosting a debut author on http://www.newkidonthewritersblock.com/ on the 18th. This is my first blog party so I'm hoping people will show up.
**Lot's of posts, fun questions, and a very happy debut author. I'm doing this again in April with Elizabeth Lynn Casey's release -- Deadly Notions. SO this is one of March's goals as well.

So - Write a new short for WW. Finish - Writing Characters Across the Generations article. Host blog for ELC's new book.

And... write 20000 words this month. That's less than NANO. And more than what I've been doing. I wrote 35000 words in November. So, it's doable but a stretch from where I am now.

I'm also going to send out at least five queries on my cozy mystery.

So that's it. My living dangerously goals. Next month, I'll be working on some networking strategies to prepare me for the local confernce and practice for nationals.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

And now for a word from our sponsor...


Actually I was going to update and post new goals but the day job is calling. So today's blog is going to focus on two things.

A grin... I was chosen as this years winner for the Jeannie Gray Golden Friendship Award. The essay on my version of paying it forward will be posted on Friday over at New Kids at the Writers blog (http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/). So stop on by and let me know what you think. I'm honored to have been chosen.

A groan...I got a denial from a life insurance company for coverage because of my health history. Breast Cancer, the gift that just keeps giving. I guess the 'C' word just scares them. It scares a lot of people. They don't want to gamble on the number of years in my life. I'll just have to prove them wrong. (grin)

And, I'm showing off the professional photos I got in January. I'm looking all serious and writerly in this one, don't you think?