Happy New Year - Part 3

In my attempt to be more thorough and diligent - so that I achieve and attain more of my 2011 goals - I broke down and shared my process into multiple posts: comparison, evaluation of last year's goals, the spiritual side of planning, and now, the actual goal setting.  

Because I'm self-employed, a freelancer, a bit of an entrepreneur, my business and personal goals often overlap.  And that makes this sort of thing hard.  So, I'll break this down the best I can.

Business: Work I get Paid For

Goal: Sell to publication that pays > 20 cents / word.

Explanation: I keep looking for more writing gigs, but, really, I need better paying ones.  That means querying non-fiction work.

Steps:

By January 28, come up with 3 article pitches.

Pay closer attention to the market listings in FundsforWriters newsletter.

Starting February 1, query/pitch to one non-fiction market each week that pays more than >20 cents /word.

Starting March 1, find one new article pitch by the end of each month.

Goal:  $xxx in editing projects for the year.

Explanation:  It seems bad form to discuss specific money on blogs. That, and I'm not comfortable with that, either.  But I have that number written for me.  That said, this is slightly more amorphous, but mind you, I prefer to focus on writing.

Steps:

By Friday, January 14, entirely complete and bill for current editing project.

Any week where I am not actively engaged in an editing project should be spent searching for another.

Goal:  Maintain usefulness as food reviewer & local entertainment writer.

Explanation: I couldn't think of a better way to word this.  Basically, I want my food editor to keep assigning me stuff, so I need to keep pitching stuff.

Steps:

On Monday, January 10, send restaurant list and weekly pick to editor.

Maintain current mini-review deadlines and assignments with updates.

By Thursday, January 27, send new list of restaurants to editor

By Thursday, February 24, pitch next set of "Woo" minis.

Every following final Thursday of the month, send list of restaurants to editor.

Maintain payment spreadsheet.

Business:  Promotion, Advertising, and Platform

Goal: Once per month, pitch/submit educational article in related/high-profile publication.

Explanation: This is another hard one to put into words.  There are a lot of publications - particularly on the web - that don't pay a lot (or don't pay at all) - but are places that look good to be published in, places that will draw attention to my business.

Steps:

By Jan 31 (already have interview for January), compose list of 14 places I want to be published with 3 pitch lines for each.

Each week, pitch until schedule is full.

Goal:  Send monthly updates to webmistress.

Explanation:  In all honesty, my wonderful webmistress is responsible for any website updates at all.  She sends reminders, or tells me when I go into her store.  I know I didn't do so well on this last year, but that's no reason to not do better this.

Steps:

Send calendar updates each month.

Starting March 1, every other month, update one page of content.

Goal:  Maintain blogging schedule.

Explanation: I did pretty well this year, but I never taught myself automatic updates.  And I keep meaning to switch to Wordpress.  (LiveJournal's advertising continues to get worse and aggravate me, blogger is not bad… but I cannot find a way to let people subscribe by email.)

Steps:

Update every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday night.

Change to Wordpress.

Learn how to do automatic updates and how to keep updating Blogger & LJ remotely.

Make a blogging topic schedule.

Prewrite some articles for a cushion.

Goal:  Keep an outside blog schedule.

Explanation: There are a few blogs I keep meaning to add posts too, but I haven't yet.

Steps:

By January 21, create outside blog schedule.

Post per schedule.

Prewrite articles for a cushion.

Business: Fiction Writing, Written Work

Another confession, one of my greatest battles is the need to pay bills versus desire to just do the fiction as my business.  Unfortunately, though the passion is there, the fiction  often ends up neglected.

Goal: Submit 1 piece of fiction or poetry every week.

Steps:

Monday, January 10th, go through stockpile of fiction market info saved in inbox and submit 3 pieces.

Every following Monday, go through fiction markets and visit Ralan or Duotrope until a market to submit one piece is found; submit.

Maintain associated spreadsheets to prevent sim subs or repeat subs.

Goal: Submit 2 A Silent Starsong queries or packages each month.

Steps:

January 18th, update Querytracker stats and follow up on agents beyond their return timeframes.

Make 1 query submission.

Every following week, research agents until quota is met.

Goal: Bring Kelpie to a submit-able level.

Steps:

Finish rough draft by March 31.

Continue submitting scenes to Traveling Java writer's group.

Start on major edits May 1.

Complete 1st round major edits June 30.

Submit to Beta Readers.

Begin Beta reader edits October 1.

Complete 2nd round major edits before Christmas.

Set Submission Goals before New Year's.

Business: Fiction Writing, Co-Op

Goal: Finish latest Bad-Ass Faerie story by January 31; submit.

Steps:

Submit next scene to Christy by Tuesday, January 11.

Maintain 24-48 hour turnaround for drafting and then editing.

Goal: Finish Shepherd's Blood to a Beta Reader level.

Steps:

Create writing schedule with Christy.

Create editing schedule with Christy.

Maintain my end of schedules based on ability.

Explanation:  If there's someone other than yourself involved, there are parts you simply have no control over.  After last years lofty co-op goals failed, I'm lowering the bar on these.

Business:  Fiction Writing, Platform

I'm actually going to do an even more thorough breakdown on this, particularly my convention planning.  Stay tuned!

Personal:  Health

Goal: Lose 60 lbs.

Steps:

Involve Husband-of-Awesome.

Create weight loss competition starting Monday, January 10.

Use Wii Fit on weekdays not spent with Calico or at convention.

Use yoga ball at desk a minimum of 2 hours per day.

Learn portion control.

Goal:  Ride Calico in a 10+ mile trail ride.

Steps: 

Work on flexibility and balance out of saddle with yoga and exercise

Ride at least 1x per week (allowances for outside circumstances, like weather.)

I know this is another lengthy post, but I hope seeing the steps I'm taking are useful to others - and that they are useful to me.  Please let me know what you think! 

Prosperous New Year!!

Fiery Friday

When you're looking to make changes in your life, like resolutions and goal setting, it needs to be more than in your head.  You need to get involved with these goals and resolutions on multiple levels: mental, physical, and spiritual.

The mental is what most people do already.  Physical is making the adjustments you can touch, feel, and interact with – and that really deserves a post of its own.  Spiritual is what I'm focusing on here.

Some people create the spiritual ties to their goals and resolutions through organized religion.  I remember New Year's masses that included a section dedicated to asking God to help us with [insert resolution here], for example.  And, of course, other cultures include goals and resolutions in their celebrations of the new year.

But, it's been a while since I've gone to a mass or felt spiritually tied to any church in the area. 

A few years ago, when I was starting my own business, I created a fire ritual.

Some background:

I was raised Catholic, and the older I got, and the more conservative the Church grew, the more I felt my faith was betrayed.

I was working as a customer service representative for a financial firm that was suffering and whose practices – especially concerning their employee treatment – I was growing increasingly uncomfortable with.

On a whim, I applied for grad school and got in on a full scholarship, so I said "adios" to work… and then had a huge gaping summer to fill.

My sister in law had also lost her job at this time.  The two of us started meeting every week for lunch and to frequent the many "New Age" and pagan shops in the area.  I was rekindled to start back with my Tarot reading, realized I was pretty damn good at it, and found a new spiritual tie to many of the pagan rituals, the love of earth, and the kindness of so many that I met.  In fact, I learned that a lot of the churc rituals that had meant so much to me, that moved me to my core, were originally pagan rituals.

From there, I started on the often rough journey of rebuilding and redefining "What I Believe In."

Tie that spiritual overhaul with my work-life overhaul (Thank all that is holy that my husband stayed the same and needed no overhaul!), and I needed to create my own ritual.

And its still under construction.

I was up last night, talking to a good friend of mine, Sunder, about the ritual.  Normally, I'd do this ritual with the New Moon, but everything this year has seemed to get in the way of that.  And last year, well, while I still feel it was a positive year, I felt the ritual hadn't had the same impact as it had in prior years.

The problem is that I didn't really have a good understanding of the moon's energy.  (It's still not great, so I'll suggest if you want a better explanation, do research or talk to a proper pagan who uses the moon.)  In any case, this year, the ritual will happen on the full moon, the first day of the full moon (while it's still waxing).  I need to look up that date, but I've got a few days to do so.

In the meantime, let me tell you what I do.

I give my wood stove a good cleaning – physically and with sage.  I also cleanse and sage the wood I will use for that night.  That night, the only things that go into the fire are for this ritual.

Now, weeks and months before, I've been collecting burnable trash that represents things I need to change and transform to make this year better than last, things that I need to move past, and things that I just want to "set aflame" with energy.  I organize and sort all of this into those categories, and then sub-categories, meditating and considering and visualizing what I wanted the fire of these things to become.

(I should have said it before, but this is a pretty involved ritual.)

The night I do the ritual, upon the cleansing of the stove, I start the fire with some sage and other herbs as kindling.  I also continually add incense and resins to bring my intentions heavenward.  I re-sage and re-incense between each of the abovementioned categories. 

I invoke my guides and angels and saints and God and the spirits of the world -  because I have fait in all these things – as I start my fire.  Then, slowly, and deliberately, I burn each piece, cleanse the flame, burn the next… and so on. 

The ritual usually takes 2-3 hours.

When it's done, I re-cleanse the flame and then let it burn itself out (usually about the time I go to bed.)  In the morning (er, when I wake up, which may or may not be what most people consider "morning," I clean out all the ash and clean the stove and take a moment to intentionally rededicate it to just being the tool that helps me warm my house. 

It's  powerful ritual; I'm usually in tears for most of it, and I truly feel the magic within it. 

In that burning power, I wish you a positively transformative New Year.

The 'New Year' Blog

It's not New Year's Day, but it's my Manic Monday - which is perfect for this post.

Some general "already done" accomplishments:

CLEAN DESK!!! Or, at least as I can get it.

Business plan with Christy (including deadline dates!!)

I decided to move my fire ritual to the New Moon, mainly because we've needed the fire for warmth and Scott's beaten me to it every day. That's ok, I've got two boxes to burn for this ritual. (For more on my annual fire ritual, check EFA's The Freelancer newsletter archives.)

Anyway, here goes my compare/contrast + goal setting:

2009:

Fiction

Short Submissions: 24, better than 2008's 18, average 2/month.

Acceptances: 0, maybe 1 (awaiting firm info re: BAF3)
Rejections: 21 (awaiting 2 more + BAF3)
Completed Written Shorts: 4 ( 1 Co-written w/ Christy, 1 Co-written with Aimee)
(three more than 2008!)
Incomplete Written: 5 (It went UP since 2008?!!??)

Mostly better than last year (save the more incomplete short stories - sheesh, I used to be able to crank those babies out in 1 sitting -well, here's to better quality with more time!)


Novels:

Written/Completed New:
1.5 (The latest co-novel with Christy is ALMOST done; Yesterday's Shadows is, er, done but still needing revision)

Incomplete Written:
… What did I mean with this section? That I've worked on? I'm still working on Algorithm, but I've got a bunch of "back burners" that I fiddle with here and there.

Revised Completed:
Another crappy "section." I'm not done revising Kyra, but Yesterday's Shadows has had about 4 major revisions this year.

Novel Queries:
A LOT - with a lot of learning on proper queries. We did have 3 partial requests, though!

Novel Pitches:
I believe I was referring to live pitches with this one, so a big fat goose egg for 2009 on THAT.


Poetry:

Put out a chap book, sold half of what I published, and wrote 3 new poems! Huzzah! Also, started some sketches for a second chap book.


Non-Fiction Writing

Total Non-Fic Paid Articles:
86 (HO-LY CRAP! That is double of last year!) Granted, most weren't big payers, and I lost a client - but damn, that's good for me!

Total Pro-Bono: Very few… some for MA Horse “Overherd”



Editing:

Massachusetts Horse Proofs: 2, + the Benefit Show Book (Pro-Bono for BSER)

Online Courses: 1


Tutoring:

Maintained my Lead schedule & duties, plus a few extra projects.

Other Sales:

Gack - I'm really behind in tallying my book sales. I'm down to only 3 of each Bad-Ass Faeries and Bad-Ass Faeries 2 in my own stock, though, and I sold about half my chap books. I haven't had the $ to buy any new stock of the re-releases, but I'll negotiate that with Danielle before Arisia.

Misc. Accomplishments:

Presented paper on Neil Gaiman at Worldcon… and met Mr. Gaiman himself - without making an ass out of self. J Yes, I am VERY proud of this!

Conventions attended (total): 8
Conventions attended as
guest or participant: 6
Conventions attended as dealer/volunteer: 7

Release parties
for something I wrote or co-wrote: 0


How did I do for my plans last year?

3 short fic/ submissions/month – Not quite, but better than last year

7 Conventions, 3 as guest/participant/volunteer - HELLA exceeded!

Polished & sent out Yesterday's Shadows – Yes, but back to editing based on feedback.
Polished & sent out A Silent Starsong - um… still in progress.

4 non-fic articles/month: EXCEEDED!

5 non-convention events – EXCEEDED!!

2 Major Editing Project outside MA Horse - No, but I'm ok with that.

Regular website updates? - Not quite once a month, but pretty regular.

Blog at least twice a week - Difficult start, but have EXCEEDED since September.

Send Family Newsletter 1/month - Mostly.

Create/send Business Newsletter 1/month - Um… we got 6 out, but it's realllly nice!

Maintain 15 hours of Tutoring/week (save summer break) - eh, yup!

Unquantifiable:
More horse training / riding - not sure if I did this or not, but I'm ok with what I've done.
1 Horse Clinic - EXCEEDED - gone to about 3!
Do NOT squee all over Neil Gaiman at Worldcon - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Present a proper academic paper at Worldcon - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Attend Hugos at Worldcon - No, threw a KILLER party instead, Mwahahahah!!!
Do a better job of tracking expenses/profits THROUGHOUT the year… possibly quarterly - er, yah-no.
Organize WRITING TIME better - somewhat, at least since September
Figure out how to make better use of social networking stuff like Twitter & Facebook & LinkedIn - I <3 Twitter - and I'm definitely better at Facebook, but I need to catch up on Linked in.

SOOOOO…

Despite losing a major client and having less work in this crappy economy, 2009 has been an overall good year. I'm sure that I'm not in the black as far as earnings go, not with the convention expenses - but I'm a better and more productive writer for the year.

On top of what I mentioned, I've become part of the Motherboard for Broad Universe and am the go-to Broad for rapid fire readings and the new Broad Pod. And there is so much more that I simply cannot fit into this blog.

I am happy and content.

So, what's in store for 2009?

Average 3 short fiction OR poetry submissions per month (same goal as 2009).
Get Yesterday’s Shadows polished and send at least 10 queries or submission packages (carryover from 2009).
Get A Silent Starsong polished and send at least 10 queries or submission packages (2009 carryover).
Finish draft of 2nd Christy project, edit, send out to beta readers, prepare for submission.
Submit 2nd Christy project by July
Attend at least 7 conventions, 5 as a guest/participant/dealer/volunteer*
*Calculate 2009 convention expenditures and spend 25% less.
Attend at least 10 non-convention events
Set business goals with Stefanie for Aurelio project.
Finish: Western Faeries
Puhka-Shire Pond Castle Story
1st Android Novel/Novella (?) Rough Draft
Wings & Fire

Edit: Max
Manipulation
Cemetery Angels
E-Hell
Pony's Guide
Full Withdrawal
Oprah Funds End of the World
Nonny

Send regular monthly website updates to Del
Blog at least three times a week
Blog at trishandchris.blogspot.com every other week
Send Family Newsletter 1/month
Create/send Business Newsletter 1/month
Submit 6 Paid Non-Fiction/month
Maintain 15 hours of Tutoring/week (save summer break)
2 Major Editing Projects
Raise more than $500 for Bay State Equine Rescue
Submit more than 75% of articles at least one day early.

Unquantifiable:
More horse training OR riding
1 Horse Clinic
Do a better job of tracking expenses/profits THROUGHOUT the year… possibly quarterly.
Answer questions on LinkedIn
Write useful Tweets and respond to people more on FB & Twitter

And, I think that is good. J

Relaxing more and losing some weight is also in there. Scott is still scheduled to leave for Taiwan, though end of 2010 or 2011 now (thanks to site conditions), so you'll hear my trials and tribulations with that.

Believe it or not, I actually have far more notes outside of this - hard copy and on word files and spreadsheets. I feel more prepared than last year - and I hope that displaying all my plans gives you an idea of the life of a professional writer, occasional editor, tutor… and helps you achieve your own dreams and goals.

Good luck - and Happy 2010!!

I Resolve to have Resolution!

Today's writing blog is a gripe about semantics.

"Resolution" is a great word. A perfectly fine word. A strong word, a word of function.

But in the past few days I've heard no less than a dozen people saying to throw the poor word out the window. Don't make "resolutions;" you will break them. In fact, at least three different newsletters or blogs (I won't name names, but they are ones I follow regularly) equated a resolution to a "wish," just a "wish."

Now, because www.dictionary.com actually uses a up-to-date entries for words, let me copy-paste a few of them for "resolution."

1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.
2. A resolving to do something.
3. A course of action determined or decided on.

(from American Heritage)

1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.
2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.
5. the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts.

(from Random House)

In fact, here's some etymology for you, too:

resolution
1412, "a breaking into parts," from L. resolutionem (nom. resolutio) "process of reducing things into simpler forms," from pp. stem of resolvere "loosen" (see resolve). Originally sense of "solving" (as of mathematical problems) first recorded 1548, that of "holding firmly" (in resolute) 1533, and that of "decision or expression of a meeting" is from 1604.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

It doesn't sound like wishing to me. It sounds like making a well-developed plan!

In fact, there's an awful lot of quantifying involved, too, contradictory to what too many people are assuming about this word "resolution."

I agree with everyone who says to make solid, quantifiable goals, follow-up with yourself, be accountable: make a plan!

It's stupid to pin the lackthereof on a word - especially a word that actually means making a firm plan to change and breaking things into achievable goals.

It's like that "political correctness" that suggests if you redefine contracts with Native Americans or American Indians, it's not the same as stealin' land from Injuns. (And if you think it's still not happening, go talk to some 'Injuns.' Changing a few words - and their names - really helped them.)

Getting rid of the word "resolution," doesn't deal with fact that most people, themselves, don't intend to keep resolutions. The word is not the action, and changing the word isn't going to change the behavior. If you really mean to keep your resolution, you'd be planning ahead, starting from before Christmas. And you'd already have a plan forming for what you are going to do and what you can do - realistic understanding of oneself is key! - to make these goals happen.

I've been reorganizing my desk, my records, my profits and losses, for most of the month - some even since September! For health goals, we've got a Wii and my husband and I are making some exercise and eating plans.

Of course, on the business side, I've been putting together these goals and plans for my annual blog-write-up of it. :) This gives me an extra edge of accountability.

What concrete plans have you made so you can follow through with your resolutions?