Guest Post: Aim, Shoot, Bull's-Eye: Writing Targets for the New Year

 I don't often do guest posts, but the moment I read Kenda Turner's words on writing targets, I knew they had to be shared. If you're like me, her post will get you writing (guilt-free!) all year. Kenda blogs over at Words and Such. Take a minute to go visit.

 

Photo courtesy of Photobucket

Aim, Shoot, Bull's-Eye: Writing Targets for the New Year, by Kenda Turner.

 

I know it's just semantics, but I've decided to set writing "targets" rather than resolutions for the new year. The "dart board"--what I'm aiming for--is to write every day. No matter how much,  how little--my goal is to at least hit one of four targets every day. Each is represented by the graduated concentric circles of a dart board. (I wish I could diagram this, but such design skills aren't in my repertoire yet!)

The four targets include:

1. The Bull's Eye: Write 1000 words. I hope to hit this mark more often than not in the upcoming year. But that is the real prize, and often hard to attain. So if circumstances--like life's challenges away from the computer--preclude this then I'll aim for...

2. The Inside Ring: Write two pages. Linda Sue Park, author of the 2002 Newbery Medal Winner A Single Shard, in an interview over at Cuppa Jolie, said: "My most valuable tip came from Katherine Paterson, who wrote in an essay about how she tries to finish 2 pages a day. I read that when I was starting work on my first novel, and it was a huge light-bulb moment. I thought, I can do that! I don't know if I can ever write a whole novel, but I sure as heck can write 2 pages a day. I've written every single one of my novels that way, and I'm positive I never would have written even one if I hadn't read that tip." Still and all, though, if time is at a premium on a busy day, I will at least shoot for...

3. The Middle Ring: Write for 15 minutes. Dan Goodwin, at Coach Creative, says: "Create every day and you get used to starting creative sessions quickly and easily. They become a routine, a habit, and you begin before you've had a chance to procrastinate. The less often you create, the harder it becomes to get started, and the more excuses and 'urgent' tasks that have to be done before you create begin to stack up...(so) start today, set aside 15 minutes, make an appointment with your creativity, and write it down. Do the same tomorrow." Yet, being realistic, on days I can't even do that I will at least...

4. The Outer Ring: Write ten words. This from Mary E. Pearson, on a  guest post at Dear Editor: "When I feel like I can't move forward, I will do all kinds of things to help me keep going, like...Trick myself. I sit down to write and tell myself I only have to write ten words and then I can get up and do whatever I want guilt free. TEN. That's all. But I have to do it every day." She says it's amazing how allowing yourself ten simple words more often than not jump starts the writing process and you end up writing more than you thought you would.

So there you have it, my targets for 2011. Every day, hit at least one. Now my aim might be poor at the beginning. After all, I haven't been all that consistent in the past. But with practice, who knows what  will come. I'm looking forward to finding out!

What are your writing targets for the upcoming new year?

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. --Vita Sackville-West

 

Kenda Turner is an aspiring author who has written a MG historical fiction with two more MG ideas on deck ready to be plotted. She's been published in such children's magazines as Children's Digest, Children's Playmate, and Boy's Quest. She's also been published in two Cup of Comfort anthologies. Her best friends in 2011 promise to be a notebook and pen so she can write anywhere.

Writing Goals for 2011: Part 1- Making Time to Write

 Setting aside time to write is the most important writing goal you can make. Without actual writing time, you'll never type "the end", query an agent, or make enough money to call your writing a business. But how do you actually make time to write? 

First up, let's hear from you. Last week's post garnered insightful comments from several readers. 


Too many goals? Amy Sullivan points out that she sets too many goals. Depending on your personality, that can get overwhelming. On the other hand, Janette Dolores finds that writing lots of goals keeps her moving forward. Which works better for you?


Maintaining enthusiasm. Janette also mentioned that sometimes it's hard to keep motivated by goals all year long. Choose your goals carefully. Make sure they're not so difficult to reach that you'll give up too soon. A goal like this: "Get published in 2011" sounds wonderful, but there are so many steps involved, it can overwhelm a writer. Which brings me to the next reader point:


Break your goals into manageable pieces. Krissy Brady takes the step of taking each goal and making smaller, monthly goals. The "get published in 2011" goal is easier to accomplish when broken into smaller goals like "finish writing Act 3", "find a good critique group", and "research good query letters". (See Krissy's blog for a free author's seminar this Wednesday.)


Some other words of wisdom from writers in the trenches:


Are you "called" to write? How do you know your desire for writing is not just a passing fad? Author Mary DeMuth shares ten ways to find out.


What if you work full time? (and have kids?) Author Kate Messner, author of nine books in three years, lets us in on her secret of writing when your life is busy.


Writer's Digest boils it down to four ways to make time to write. See if any of them will work for you.


Sometimes, part of the answer is finding a time of day that is most conducive to your writing. Author Camy Tang gives tips on figuring out what time works best for you.


Is writer's block getting to you? Try the advice of author Becky Blanton, who wrote for a year while voluntarily homeless. She's got four ways to write despite writer's block.


And author Susan DiMickele boils it down to the best motivation of all. The mom/wife/lawyer/author shares how her love of writing helps to keep her at it. Even on the bad days.

Do you have more ways to find time to write? 

Agent Friday: Jennifer Jackson

Jennifer Jackson has been an agent with the Donald Maass Literary Agency since 1993. Her area of concentration is science fiction and fantasy, though she also represents romance, women's fiction, mystery, suspense, and young adult fiction.

What I like best about Jackson's blog is her weekly post on queries. She shares the number of queries received each day, along with the number of partials requested. Though the numbers may seem discouraging to some, it's a great dose of reality for writers, and encourages me to make sure I keep working on my craft.

If you look at Jackson's latest query post, you'll not only see the small fraction of queries that receive a "yes", but also her notes that will help writers refine their own queries. Things like making sure the agent represents the genre you write. Actually finishing (and polishing) the manuscript before querying. And running your query through a spell check before hitting send. If you want to know more about queries, scroll through all of Jackson's "query wars" posts for a great education on what not to do.

The queries you send should not be dashed off in a few minutes. Though it seems like a simple business letter, remember that this is the first example of your writing an agent will see. Treat your query somewhat like your manuscript. Revise and edit the letter multiple times. Ask your critique group for suggestions and changes. Your query should take weeks (at least) to tweak before sending it off to your carefully targeted agents.

The other part of Jackson's blog I like are her entertaining Agent Manners posts. Jackson holds forth on everything from conference etiquette, to submissions and synopses. 

Most of all, Jackson seems truly excited about being an agent, even after years in the business, and weeding through thousands of queries a year. Read her post, The Pleasure of Agenting, to get a glimpse into the aspects of the business that keep her going.

So here's a question for you: What do you consider to be the pleasures of writing? Something good to think about on the last day of the year.

Writing Groups: Savvy Authors

Our next writing group is Savvy Authors, a group for both published an aspiring writers. The free version of membership allows users to enjoy the forums and articles on the site. Many more options are available for a membership fee.

Whether you join or not, here are a few articles that will give you an idea of the information offered. I'll definitely be back to read more from Savvy Authors.

How to Build a Hero. A great article on how to make your hero easy to sympathize with, yet exciting. It comes with some great lists for must-have qualities in your hero.

Learn to Be a Careful Critic. Learning to critique the writing of others is an important skill. The author gives tips on thoughtful analysis.

Things I've Learned from Writing Contests. Believe it or not, you can learn more about your writing if you "lose" a contest, than if you win.

When Words Get In the Way. Is your manuscript bloated with too many words? Does touching the delete button put you into a cold sweat?

Getting the Joy Back. Have you lost your drive to write? Maybe the break you took over the holidays is threatening to extend into a major writing hiatus. The articles' author details seven ways to get back on track.

It's Not a Competition. Honest. For writers who feel threatened by the success of others, a great perspective.

These articles are just a small sample of what Savvy Authors has available. Check them out. 

Nominate Your Favorite Writing Websites

 I subscribe to Writer's Digest Magazine. The issue I look forward to the most is the May/June issue that features their 101 Best Websites for Writers. I'm usually familiar with many of the websites listed, but there are always a handful I've never heard of before.


And that's where you come in.


Writer's Digest comes up with the list based upon nominations from you, the writers in the trenches. If you'd like a copy of the 2010 list, sign up for the free Writer's Digest newsletter. As you navigate the internet, you've surely come up with a few websites that you seek out again and again. 


It's time to share them with the rest of us.


But you don't have much time. The nominations are due by January 1st. That's Saturday. So do it today. Look through your bookmarks, your blog reader, your lists of not-to-be-forgotten sites, and pick a few to share with others. 

To nominate a website, you'll have to send an email with the web address and a sentence or two about what you like about the site. Send your email to writersdigest@fwmedia.com . You can nominate as many sites as you like.

The 2010 list contained the following categories:
-creativity
-writing advice
-general resources
-jobs & markets
-online writing communities
-everything agents
-publishing & marketing resources
-genres & niches
-just for fun 

Who knows? The one you nominate might make it into the top one hundred and one. It's time for me to nominate a whole bunch. What about you?

I Wrote a Novel. Now What?

So, you accomplished one of your major goals this year. You wrote a novel. 

What do you do next?

Do you send it off to an agent or editor and sit back to wait for a contract? Do you start the sequel? Set up  a fan page on Facebook?

Typing "the end" is really just the beginning. When I began writing several years ago, I mistakenly thought that finishing my novel gave me the right to look for an agent immediately. These days, agents want to see work that is polished, not a first draft. And seasoned writers will tell you that the real writing happens in revision. It's when words are finally out of your head and on the page, that you can actually do something with them.

There are many things you can do once you finish your novel. But I've boiled them down to two essentials.

Revise. Set your manuscript aside for a month before you begin. You need a little distance from it. Writing teacher and author James Scott Bell suggests printing it out and reading it like you would someone else's book. It's surprising how much I miss when I edit on the computer. For more tips on revisions, check this Nanowrimo page.

Books like Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Manuscript Makeover, and Revision and Self-Editing can help you know what to look for in your manuscript. Once you've combed your manuscript several times, and have improved it to the best of your ability, it's time for the next step.

Other Eyes. This is where you step out (perhaps with fear and trembling) and let other people read your novel. Family and friends do not count. It's important to get honest feedback from people who already know how to write. Your friends will only be impressed that you actually wrote a novel, and most will think it's great, no matter how many problems there are with your plot.

No, what you need are people who are strangers. People who will give you the brutal truth about what works and what needs changing. People who aren't worried about hurting their relationship with you. You'll win in two ways: your manuscript will become stronger, and you'll develop the thick skin you need for the road ahead. If you're looking for a critique group, here are several to choose from.

Where are you at with your novel?

Writing Your Goals for 2011: Make a Plan You Can Follow

The beginning of a new year is a magical time. Twelve blank calendar pages stare back at you, full of possibilities.

This moment of promise is the best time to set goals for the new year. To think about the "big picture" of where you want to be writing-wise at the end of the year. 

One of the reasons for setting goals, is to have something to shoot for. Without goals, we tend to walk in circles--busy, but not making any progress. 

Last December, I wrote out my writing goals for 2010. I used a printable form, and kept that sheet tacked by my computer all year. I tried to review my progress each month to see how I was doing. So far, I've accomplished half my goals for the year. I plan to do better in 2011.

For each of the five Mondays in January, I'll do a post on different kinds of writing goals to set, with resources for each:

Writing: setting aside time to write, and choosing goals for what to write this year.
Financial: this may be the year to set up your writing as a business; keeping track of income and expenses.
Querying: setting goals for how and when to query agents this year.
Workspace: your "office" influences how effectively and how often you write. Get it in shape to help jump start your writing.
Learning: setting goals for educating yourself on the craft of writing, whether reading books and blogs, or attending workshops and conferences.


Are you planning to set goals for 2011?

Christmas Week: Time for Resources and a Rest

 I don't know how many of my readers celebrate Christmas, but I do. Whether it's a special time of year for you or just another day, everyone needs a little downtime. I had considered scheduling blogs for the week, but my computer made the decision for me. It turned itself off on Sunday, and will not restart. 

So as I enjoy a week of family time, baking, cooking, and sledding, I hope each of you take a break from the business of writing. For those of you who can't give it up completely, here are eleven of the year's best articles on writing from Writers Digest. If you're not signed up for their free weekly newsletter, go take care of it right now.

17 Writing Secrets
Basics of a Solid 3-Paragraph Query
Your Novel Blueprint
What Agents Hate

8 Basic Writing Blunders
Publish Your First Book After 50 

9 Questions to Ask Your Main Character 

The Anatomy of a Writer's Website

10 Tips for Querying an Agent
Finish Your Novel in 4 Simple Steps 

Steve Berry's 8 Rules of Writing

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, and that my computer will be working next week!

Agent Friday: Nancy Coffey

When an agent accumulates nearly 40 years in all aspects of publishing, you expect them to have a few words to say. Nancy Coffey sure does. The founder of Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation maintains a blog giving writers a glimpse into an active literary agency.


Since many of us will be preparing queries for agents at some time, I thought I'd gather Coffey's wisdom on the subject.


Do your research. Even if querying seems years away for you, start compiling a list of agents who are interested in your genre or subject matter. If the agents blog, or are featured in interviews, narrow your list, keeping the names of agents who seem like people you'd love to work with. No matter how awesome an agent sounds, never send them a query for a genre they don't represent. Coffey shares her tips on how to research an agent, noting their "pattern of interest".


Study successful queries. Though a query is basically a one-page business letter, the debut authors who garner the interest of agents are those who spend weeks or months tweaking their queries until they're nearly perfect. Analyzing the elements of queries that got a positive response will help writers improve their own. Coffey shares some examples of great queries that will help.


Learn the parts of a good query. Did you know there's such a thing as the Killer Query Checklist? Find out if your query contains these must-haves. On the other hand, you don't want a query that shares too much. It's a balancing act.


For more on query letters, check out The Query Letter Demystified. Have you found some great resources for query letters?