Yikes! Memorial Day has come and gone. For most people it’s the official start of summer. For this writer, it means June is fast approaching, and it’s the time when I ask myself the following questions as a mid-year review of my 2012 writing goals. Have I reached any of my goals? I set six yearly goals that are within my control, which is an important factor when setting goals. Goals must be specific and obtainable, by you the writer. Four of my goals are hard but reachable with a lot of work. Two are easier. I write my goals down in my journal. As the months pass and I complete a goal, I check it off. So any time throughout the writing year, I can see at a glance how I’m progressing. A quick look tells me that I’ve completed two of the goals I set for the year. A pretty good start, one third of my goals are complete, a harder one and an easy one.
Can I reach the remaining goals within six months? Be realistic when asking yourself this question as you review your goals. With the four remaining goals on my list, it’s not likely that I’ll complete them by December 31st. I work a full time job in addition to my writing, so completing two 70,000 word romance novels, and writing chapters two and three of a biography for children, isn’t going to happen. Although I do devote a lot of my free time to my writing, I know that I can’t get both novels written, revised, and polished for submission or all the research finished that I need for biography. It’s time to choose which one I will work on to see a third goal completed by the end of the year. One of the novels is just in the idea stage, the other I have one chapter written and know the direction of the plot, and the children’s biography has a regional appeal. It’s a no brainer! The novel that’s started is the one I will focus on for the remaining months in 2012. I won’t cross the second novel idea off of my list of goals. Instead I’ll roll it over to my goals for 2013.
Do I need to adjust my goals to accommodate any twists and turns in my writing career? This is the most important question to consider when you’re reviewing your writing goals. Having goals is important but MORE important is being flexible with them. After all, if an editor likes the story you’ve submitted but requests changes and asks you to resubmit, you’d want to let all your other goals fall away and work on that manuscript! I’ve been flexible with my writing goals already this year. I’m a firm believer in answering manuscript and work for hire calls from editors. That is always one of my yearly goals. It’s also one I’ve completed this year, which resulted in being asked for an audition chapter in a new book series. To accept and work on that audition chapter, and work on a novella idea that my agent requested, I had to stop working on one of the romance novels in my list of goals. Flexibility is the key in moving your writing career forward. Time passes quickly. Labor Day will be here in the blink of an eye. Review your writing goals and progress for 2012. If you haven’t set any goals, do it now. You still have seven months to make those goals a reality!
If you’re a writer, post a comment and let us know how you’re doing on achieving your writing goals for 2012 so we can cheer you on to the finish line. If you’re a reader, tell us all what types of story lines, occupations, romantic elements you like to see in a book. I’m giving away five copies, one for each month that’s passed in 2012, of Jobs Tears, the second book in my Heartsong Presents series so be sure to leave a comment!
Job's Tears - Nothing Can Stop Sarah. Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Sarah Buckley is in denial and determined to prove the pessimists wrong. Her life changes--including a new career and new hoby--cause her mom and best friend to voice concerns that she's overdoing it. To Sarah, though, overdoing it is goodness sent from God.
As a Sanders man, Mark Sanders is better off not committing...and so are the women he dates. After all, his father abandoned his mother when she was diagnosed with MS, and Mark fears he'll follow in his father's footsteps. That is, until Sarah Buckley signs up for a quilt class at Mark's shop and his fear of commitment turns to fear of losing out on love.
Can Sarah and Mark see past the beliefs that blind them and embrace the true good God has placed in their lives?
Rose Ross Zediker lives in rural Elk Point, South Dakota, with her husband of twenty-eight years. Their grown son has started a family of his own. Rose works full-time at The University of South Dakota and writes during the evening or weekends. Some of her pastimes include reading, sewing, embroidery, quilting, and spoiling her granddaughters.
Besides writing inspirational romance novels, Rose has many publishing credits in the Christian children’s genre. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Visit Rose on the Web at http://www.roserosszediker.blogspot.com/
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