How I'm Doing This Year - Susan Barclay

A few times a year I think it's important to review my writing goals to see how well (or not) I've been doing. Here we go:

• participating in 12 x 12, the challenge issued by blogger Julie Hedlund to write 12 picture book drafts in 12 months – I started off well, but lost my momentum here. However, I picked up a copy of The Giblin Guide to Writing Children’s Books from my local Value Village, and have started to read it. I also borrowed a few children’s picture books from my local library this week, and plan to do some evaluating, so perhaps I’m on the verge of finding my mojo again.

• participating in PiBoIdMo in November – still to come

• completing my adult novel – I’ve written a bit more, but not much
• completing part 3 of a short story for adults – I’ve written a bit more, but it’s not finished yet
• writing a new Christmas-themed short story for adult readers – started last week, and I think it’s going well! Only the first draft, but it’s coming!
• making a list of publishers to submit to, and submitting something at least twice a month – haven’t done well on this at all, but I did make a note of when some of the new market guides will be published, and plan to buy at least one, so I don’t always have to rely on library copies. I think it’ll be a good investment.
• participating in at least 3-4 writing contests – none yet, so I better figure out which ones I want to enter. I discovered last night that I’d missed one I’d hope to enter this year.
• meeting with my writers' collective(s) once a month – I haven’t been totally consistent with either group this year, though doing better with one than the other. Hopefully back on track now!
•  leading my church's Creative Writing Team, and writing for its projects – No problems here, and I’m planning for our 2012-13 projects even as we speak. Obviously it helps to have deadlines and accountability!
• attending one writers' conference focused on children's writing, and one focused on writing for adults – I’ve registered for a children’s writing conference, and hope to attend an adult one as well. A few I’ve wanted to go to just haven’t worked out in terms of timing and/or location.
• (possibly) signing up for a writing class at my local community college – not likely to happen this year. We have a lot of expenses right now and are hoping to save up for an overseas trip – the first for me and the kids – in 2013.

I’m still not putting the Pick Four goal-setting method to best use, but I did discover a better way of tracking my to-dos (Not better than Pick Four, but better than any other online technique I've found so far). Check out teuxdeux and see how easy and effective it is! I’m also realizing that prayer is so important in achieving goals of all sorts. Prayer was crucial in reaching my weight loss and fitness goals this year, and I am applying that approach to my writing now as well. When we seek God’s direction and glorification, we can be sure He is faithful to honour our requests!

(For more of my writing, check out my website and blog.)