Starting early this year to review the year, set goals for next year, and to make my budget for the year. Tossing old financial records. It sure takes a long time to shred records and to decide which to shred. Found some old records from 1989. Before www, I was on Comp-U-Serv and was charged by minutes used. Progress and time keep marching on.
Writing goals are the hardest to set. Each has to be what I value doing, measurable, and under my control. While I may say, "My goal is to get published or to get a short story published." That would not be a good goal because, unless I self publish, it is the editor's decision on whether I get published or not. What would be good goals would be to determine the actions that lead to getting published and to set them as my goals. Writing well, submitting, and doing my homework on what each publisher wants will increase my odds. That's what I can do. Submitting and doing publisher homework can be easily measured in numbers of submissions or publishers researched. Writing well is difficult to measure. Perhaps it would be better to determine those things that I do that will improve my writing like writing regularly, joining a group to get feedback, going to a conference, or taking a writing course. And when I get done deciding what to set for goals, I need to go back and ask myself, "Are these the things I want to be doing?"
Values determine our lives. Goals and budgets should always bend to principles and values because the plans are only helps not the reality. Sometimes in my enthusiasm to stick to my plan I place too much importance on straying from it. Well, back to planning. How much weight should I lose this year? Oops, only God determines how much weight I'll lose; I can only determine how much food I eat, what type of food, and how much exercise to do. Maybe writing goals aren't the hardest to set.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Red-Green Friday
Red-Green Friday
That's my name for what the media now calls 'black Friday'. So often in the stock market a severe market fall is referred to as 'black' as in 'black Tuesday' that black Friday just doesn't seem to get the picture. But retail stores going from the Red to the Green on this huge day of sales keeps with the holiday colors and uplifting feel. So I think we should call it Red-Green Friday.
But whatever you call it, enjoy the holidays. The gifts and giving are fun but only because of the love they express.
Wishing you the best, now and always!
That's my name for what the media now calls 'black Friday'. So often in the stock market a severe market fall is referred to as 'black' as in 'black Tuesday' that black Friday just doesn't seem to get the picture. But retail stores going from the Red to the Green on this huge day of sales keeps with the holiday colors and uplifting feel. So I think we should call it Red-Green Friday.
But whatever you call it, enjoy the holidays. The gifts and giving are fun but only because of the love they express.
Wishing you the best, now and always!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Physics
One of the laws of physics is an object in motion tends to stay in motion. It seems to apply to my writer's pen too. When I write regularly it is easier to write. I am amazed at how a few days off puts me out of my writer's mind. A few days and it seems so difficult to write.
One of the local short courses in writing promoted a writing warm up each day. Either a free write just letting a stream of whatever pops into your head come out on paper or a directed write where a topic is chosen. About a page of writing seemed to be enough for most people to switch to their author mode.
Other courses have suggested using word association. Pick a word for your topic and put it in a circle in the middle of the page. Then draw a line from that to another circle into which you put a word or phrase that is about the first idea. Fill up a page of these circles with phrases and ideas that relate to the circles connected by lines. Many people actually feel a mind shift in the middle of this. When that happens or after filling one page, start to write on your topic.
Whether it is at the start of the day's writing or after a few days off, try doing some sort of writing exercise for a couple of minutes before starting your serious writing effort. It may make that getting back into your author's mind easier.
One of the local short courses in writing promoted a writing warm up each day. Either a free write just letting a stream of whatever pops into your head come out on paper or a directed write where a topic is chosen. About a page of writing seemed to be enough for most people to switch to their author mode.
Other courses have suggested using word association. Pick a word for your topic and put it in a circle in the middle of the page. Then draw a line from that to another circle into which you put a word or phrase that is about the first idea. Fill up a page of these circles with phrases and ideas that relate to the circles connected by lines. Many people actually feel a mind shift in the middle of this. When that happens or after filling one page, start to write on your topic.
Whether it is at the start of the day's writing or after a few days off, try doing some sort of writing exercise for a couple of minutes before starting your serious writing effort. It may make that getting back into your author's mind easier.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Story Roughs
Right now I am in the middle of about six stories. What I'm doing is just writing for fun trying to get down as many story roughs as possible. By story roughs I mean just what comes to mind for a story from beginning to end as far as I can go. Sometimes a description or an action scene is written sometimes just outlined. But I am pushing through as far as I can go, usually to an end. None of these stories will remain the same. Most will have different endings and beginnings.
At one point I ran out of story ideas and started writing scenes that might be useful. Before I finished the first scene, a story rough had popped out from it.
For all of these I'm using a basic set of my characters throwing in new ones as needed. It is fun. For me, writing these for-my-eyes-only stories has broken down the barrier to daily writing.
At one point I ran out of story ideas and started writing scenes that might be useful. Before I finished the first scene, a story rough had popped out from it.
For all of these I'm using a basic set of my characters throwing in new ones as needed. It is fun. For me, writing these for-my-eyes-only stories has broken down the barrier to daily writing.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Another Rejection
Glimmer Train
Another post card arrived today and a rejection letter. Both from Glimmer Train. For unpublished authors Glimmer Train is a good place offering great pay, good exposure, and a fair chance to get published.
At the top of the rejection letter is a quote from Melanie Bishop (presumably the one at Prescott College who started Alligator Juniper Magazine as opposed to the one who published "Effect of ascorbic acid on hydraluronidase inhibitor" in Nature in 1975):
"Each rejection puts you that much closer to an acceptance. I read somewhere that Steinbeck received seventy six rejection letters before his first acceptance."
Another post card arrived today and a rejection letter. Both from Glimmer Train. For unpublished authors Glimmer Train is a good place offering great pay, good exposure, and a fair chance to get published.
At the top of the rejection letter is a quote from Melanie Bishop (presumably the one at Prescott College who started Alligator Juniper Magazine as opposed to the one who published "Effect of ascorbic acid on hydraluronidase inhibitor" in Nature in 1975):
"Each rejection puts you that much closer to an acceptance. I read somewhere that Steinbeck received seventy six rejection letters before his first acceptance."
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Rejection
Rejection is just another step on the road to success.
When I was eighteen, my summer job was selling Fuller Brush as a door-to-door salesperson. At that time a reorganization of their selling structure in the area meant that I had the wonderful opportunity to sell in many different areas of the city.
On one particularly disappointing day when all I seemed to get was rejection, my manager told me, "Remember: You're going to sell something every three houses. Count them and see. Each 'no' is just a step closer to a sale."
All that summer I kept count and found out that he was right. And throughout my life I found that lots of things are like that. Often success is just trying long enough or being at bat enough to get that hit and succeed.
I did ask my manager what is the difference between a good salesman and an excellent one. His answer: the size of the sale.
For writing submissions the number I'm guessing is five hundred rejections. That's why I'm celebrating. For these two stories, I'm already one step, one rejection closer to getting published. Maybe only a baby step, but I'll be running soon.
When I was eighteen, my summer job was selling Fuller Brush as a door-to-door salesperson. At that time a reorganization of their selling structure in the area meant that I had the wonderful opportunity to sell in many different areas of the city.
On one particularly disappointing day when all I seemed to get was rejection, my manager told me, "Remember: You're going to sell something every three houses. Count them and see. Each 'no' is just a step closer to a sale."
All that summer I kept count and found out that he was right. And throughout my life I found that lots of things are like that. Often success is just trying long enough or being at bat enough to get that hit and succeed.
I did ask my manager what is the difference between a good salesman and an excellent one. His answer: the size of the sale.
For writing submissions the number I'm guessing is five hundred rejections. That's why I'm celebrating. For these two stories, I'm already one step, one rejection closer to getting published. Maybe only a baby step, but I'll be running soon.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Celebrating a Rejection
Nov. 1, 2012 the first rejection for this submission arrived from The Iowa Review. It was printed on a three and half by five and a half inch sheet of paper and even had what appears to be a form number on the bottom. Ashley Clark signed it which I thought was nice.
It read: Dear Writer, Thank you for allowing us to consider your work. Though we find we are unable to use it, we consider it a privilege that you thought of us and regret that the volume of submissions precludes a more personal reply. Sincerely, The Editors
It read: Dear Writer, Thank you for allowing us to consider your work. Though we find we are unable to use it, we consider it a privilege that you thought of us and regret that the volume of submissions precludes a more personal reply. Sincerely, The Editors
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