I should have posted this days ago, but we were traveling and then I had to go away for a job this weekend. I probably could have blogged this from my phone, but I was lazy.
Speaking of which, lazy was the name of the game in May. I don’t think I got anything accomplished goal-wise. We were gone for two weeks on a road trip to Texas, and – as I always am when I travel – I was optimistic that I’d be writing during the whole trip. That’s because I like to ignore a very basic fact about myself: I can’t write when I’m traveling.
First of all, I get car sick, so typing a novel from the passenger seat of a moving vehicle is out. Secondly, I’m usually too busy taking in the trip to dream up any fiction. Usually the writing really gets into high gear when I come home. I have big hopes for this week.
Let’s look at my lack of progress, goal by goal.
Finish the second draft of my novel by April (September.) Revision went swimmingly in April. Then May happened. I had a lot of final-grading to do and then there was vacation. So not much progress there. None, actually.
Get it sent to agents before summer. Let’s try to get it sent in before fall, shall we?
Send out at least three short stories. I sent out one last month and was rejected. I sent out none this month, so I wasn’t rejected at all and that’s sort of a plus, right?
Read one two novels a month in 2012. I don’t think rereading my favorite bits of Dune counts. I did begin reading Swamplandia! by Karen Russell, but due to the aforementioned carsickness, didn’t make much progress.
Make at least $20 off a piece of fiction. Done in March.
Other goals: I also set to work on two of my big conflicts this year: My feelings about my faith and my issues with anxiety. Although traveling the U.S. tends to make one feel a little more spiritual, I don’t think I worked out any real faith-related issues. I did some work this past weekend that requires both faith and an ability to be spiritual – more on that in another blog post – but I wouldn’t say I reached any personal resolutions. As for anxiety, I did a lot of relaxing in May. Does that count?
1) Sometimes you need time off from your goals! You know, time to recharge. so what if you didn’t get anything done on your vacation? That’s why it’s a VACATION. I never write on vacation, unless it’s journaling (all about the vacay) or jotting down notes my writer’s journal.
2) I sent out three stories in May! All to the same journal/contest, but so what?
3) My little sis bought me Swamplandia! for my birthday last month. We should totally read it together.
Thank you! : ) I can be a little hard on myself when I’m not writing.
Good for you for sending out three stories in May!
We should definitely read Swamplandia! together. I have to have it read for a writing group meeting in July and have read only one chapter so far. Want to read it this month?
YES! I haven’t started yet, so I need to catch up to you.
I’m also planning on (FINALLY) reading the Hunger Games trilogy, The Marriage Plot, and Out of Oz. (Not necessarily in June, and not necessarily in that order, though.)