At the beginning of the year I posted my New Year’s writing resolutions in order to pressure myself to keep on track. Let's see how I did in April. Like last month, I’m posting this late. Maybe I should have added “post on time” as one of my New Year’s resolutions!
Write 7,000 words per week minimum, 10,000 preferred.
I've been keeping up the word count this past month. Quality is more important than quantity, but a writer needs to maintain a certain level of productivity to keep the money coming in. Much of my time has been spent working on my latest novel and my next book for Osprey.
Get through that huge list of magazine article ideas I'm going to pitch. As I send them out, the list will be added to, so this is a perpetual goal. Same goes for several book proposals I have.
I’ve been doing a lot of pitching this month and have landed a couple of good magazine gigs.
Search for another paid blogging job.
A breakthrough! After four months without a paying blogging job (after my last job decided to go to a crappy “pay per click” payscale) I finally landed a job at Gadling, the single most popular travel blog on the web. I’ll be doing a variety of travel news and features, including a series of articles on my upcoming hike along Hadrian’s Wall and trip to The Gambia. I’ll post on this blog when I start to work.
Finish a how-to book on writing that a publisher is interested in.
I haven't done much work on that this month. Sorry Ms. Editor, I know you read this!
Try to get an agent for my fiction and nonfiction.
I've been keeping my novels and nonfiction book proposals on agent’s desks, but so far no luck. I’ve gotten a few rejections this month, and immediately sent the books out to the next agent on my list. This is my coping mechanism. :-)
Do another round of edits on all three of my novels.
I did another light edit of my second novel, a fantasy, and am continuing with a major edit of my Civil War horror novel.
Write my next novel, set in London and Oxford.
I did a fair amount of writing this month.
Finish two short stories and two novellas I've been fiddling with.
I did a lot of research for one novella and started with the writing, but haven’t done anything with the other pieces.
Write and send out "Willoughby: England's First Great Explorer", a book proposal I was supposed to write last year (whoops!).
Nope.
Increase my online presence.
I'm continuing with these blogs, and started work on a new blog with eight other writers. Gadling will also increase my online presence.
So all in all, not a bad month. I only wish one of those agents would finally say yes to a novel!
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