(no subject)

So I've been thinking about my writing career. It was July 2005 that I started writing seriously and determined I was going to make an effort with my dream. When I started, I promised myself I would go full throttle for five years and then reevaluate.

In two years, I've written a 70,000 novel and I've written something like 50 short stories and novellas. I've placed 21 stories. Some of them in For the Love markets. Some of them in Semi-Pro markets.

I’ve also edited and produced two anthologies. One of them is coming out next month. I plan to do three more this year.

I’ve also had some failures.

1. I started two different novels and had to drop them.

2. I still have not broken into a professional market.

3. I’ve sent out a couple of stories that weren’t fully ready.

Goals for the next three years:

1. I need to be more focused. I’ve spent time goofing off and doing other stuff when I could have been writing.

2. Abigail’s Dragon taught me that if I write an outline I can write a good draft of a novel in three months. I’d like to do two novels a year.

3. I need to learn to self edit much better. I’ve gotten better at copy editing and I need to give myself enough time to truly copyedit. I’ve seen some of the pros put that level of detail into things.

4. I need to concentrate on hitting the pro markets and write to them. I’ve been doing pretty good when I try to write a story for the semi-pro markets. All of those stories sold.

5. Need to go to conventions and to retreats. I didn’t go a retreat this weekend because in part I am shy and in part I didn’t feel like I had enough sales or my novel completed. But I need to go and meet people and make those connections.

6. I need to try to turn off that voice that constantly tells me I suck.

(no subject)

So I've been thinking about my writing career. It was July 2005 that I started writing seriously and determined I was going to make an effort with my dream. When I started, I promised myself I would go full throttle for five years and then reevaluate.

In two years, I've written a 70,000 novel and I've written something like 50 short stories and novellas. I've placed 21 stories. Some of them in For the Love markets. Some of them in Semi-Pro markets.

I’ve also edited and produced two anthologies. One of them is coming out next month. I plan to do three more this year.

I’ve also had some failures.

1. I started two different novels and had to drop them.

2. I still have not broken into a professional market.

3. I’ve sent out a couple of stories that weren’t fully ready.

Goals for the next three years:

1. I need to be more focused. I’ve spent time goofing off and doing other stuff when I could have been writing.

2. Abigail’s Dragon taught me that if I write an outline I can write a good draft of a novel in three months. I’d like to do two novels a year.

3. I need to learn to self edit much better. I’ve gotten better at copy editing and I need to give myself enough time to truly copyedit. I’ve seen some of the pros put that level of detail into things.

4. I need to concentrate on hitting the pro markets and write to them. I’ve been doing pretty good when I try to write a story for the semi-pro markets. All of those stories sold.

5. Need to go to conventions and to retreats. I didn’t go a retreat this weekend because in part I am shy and in part I didn’t feel like I had enough sales or my novel completed. But I need to go and meet people and make those connections.

6. I need to try to turn off that voice that constantly tells me I suck.