I wrote a post about my “writing adventure” goals for 2018 earlier this year. Some people may not consider these goals since they aren’t very specific or given an allotted time frame, but they seem to be working for me.
At the end of March, I gave a quarterly update. Now we are half way through the year (already!), so I have decided to give another update to my goals. Just so you know, some of this post includes the same information as my 2018 first quarter update. I am hoping that providing a quarterly update will keep me motivated to do more!
Below is a list of my “goals” and what I have (or haven’t) accomplished so far this year.
- Continue writing posts periodically for this website
- wrote and posted 11 posts (Jan-March)
- wrote and posted 9 posts (April-June)
- have other posts written or started for future use
- Continue adding items periodically to my Pinterest page
- added over 1,000 pins (and counting) on 7 public boards
- learned how to use Canva to create more visually appealing pins, which I wrote about here
- converted from a personal Pinterest account to a business account
- Learn more about Goodreads
- read more information about Goodreads, although I have room for improvement
- linked my website to my Goodreads page
- answered a couple of the “Ask The Author” questions
- Read at least 240 children’s books (and review those I like on Goodreads)
- read at least 202 children’s books (and skimmed through many others)
- rated and/or reviewed 80 books on Goodreads (a few were books for adults – I do read those, too!)
- Rewrite a story about a planetarium story
- haven’t started – it’s been temporarily put on hold
- Write at least two books for a series I hope to publish some day
- wrote one – I brought it to my author’s meeting to be critiqued and was provided with a lot of helpful suggestions/insights, so I edited it quite a bit. Had my edits critiqued, and I still have more work to do, although I think it is headed in the right direction. A lot of writing is rewriting!
- created a character profile for my character so I know how to make him unique in the story
- wrote notes for another story with him as character
- plan to continue working on this character and story
- Write and submit at least 20 articles, stories, or poems to magazines or websites
- wrote and submitted 7 posts for Hands On As We Grow (which have either been published or will be published in the near future)
- wrote and submitted 5 queries (2 were accepted, 3 I haven’t heard anything from)
- wrote and submitted 2 short stories (1 declined)
- wrote and submitted 3 articles (one accepted and published on AFineParent.com and the other two for the magazine that accepted my queries)
- wrote and submitted 2 true stories
- created a list of potential magazines and websites to query
- Write a number and letters story
- created a lot of notes for this story and did some research
- have temporarily put on hold
- Finish and submit an alphabet book I’m currently working on
- Finished and submitted it to one publisher in January
- I wrote this book specifically for this publisher because they have many beautifully illustrated books with a similar format. It has already been five months, but I haven’t heard anything back. I’m really hoping I will hear something back but many publishers are so busy with all of the submissions they receive that they don’t have enough time to respond to everyone.
- Finished and submitted it to one publisher in January
- Continue going to author group meetings
- went to the writer network meetings in January, February, April, and June
- attended another writer’s critique meeting in February
- attended a SCBWI nonfiction book conference
- attended a picture book meeting in June
- Submit a manuscript of at least one other book
- wrote and submitted three other nonfiction manuscripts
- working on another nonfiction manuscript that I hope to finish soon
- Have fun!
- definitely doing!
Other things I have done that weren’t on my list include:
- became a network chair for SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators)
- listened to a webinar about creating query letters
- researched and wrote a nonfiction story about an event
- researched some information for an adult nonfiction book
- researched the authors (and publishers) presenting at conferences
- researched nonfiction books for children
Just because I do the research, write manuscripts, and submit them to the publishers does not mean they will actually turn into books. Publishers can only publish so many books each year, and there are a lot of writers submitting to them. I feel as though it is like entering a competition (or a lottery). Only so many can be accepted and published each year.
All I can do is try my best and continue to learn as I go (and of course actually write something to submit!). I have decided to not let rejections discourage me because rejections are part of being a writer. In the meantime, some of my fiction children’s books I have been working on have been put to the side (hopefully momentarily).
I am eager to continue working on more books and writings through the year. I have post-it notes with ideas posted to a wall in my house. I hope to slowly move the post-it notes from my “ideas” area of the wall to “submitted manuscripts”. I have also been posting monthly goals to accomplish on a paper taped to a wall. As I complete certain goals, I mark them off. It seems to be keeping me motivated to get things done and focused on what I need to do. Thank you for being a part of my writing journey!
How are you doing on the goals you set for yourself this year?
Brigitte Brulz 