Category: goals

2025 First Quarter Goals Updates and Second Quarter Goals

Here I am a day late. (Darn work schedules!) It’s April which means it’s the start of a new quarter. Out with Quarter One and in with the new!

Here’s a reminder of what I said I wanted to do in the first quarter of 2025:

Overall

Publish more consistently online and build online presence. ❌

Set up a newsletter (1/2)

Finish setting up Etsy account and shop. Start selling. ❌

Finish first MFA semester of 2025 ✅

January

Post daily on Music That Shaped Me. ❌

Post weekly on the blog and Medium ❌

Participate in NYC Midnight’s Short Story Challenge ✅

February

Post daily on the blog ❌

Post weekly on Music That Shaped Me and Medium. ❌

March

Post daily on Medium ❌

Post weekly on Music That Shaped Me and the blog. ❌

Extra:

I started a massive cleaning and decluttering project on my house. I cleaned and reorganized my kitchen and some of the closets.

🎉🎉🎉

Sooooo….

Overall, my goals weren’t in line with what life happened to throw at me. I made progress on a few things.

-I did write consistently online for 10 days.

-I did end up building a newsletter (with the help of a school project), but it’s not fully up and running yet.

-I did participate in the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge (and placed 5th— which means I’m in it for round 2! 🎉)

Second Quarter Goals

I guess it’s a good thing I’m posting a day late. Wouldn’t want everyone to think my goals are a joke! 🤭

 

2024 Wrap up

Is it finally gone? Did we make it through that awful year?

Ok, good.

The me at the start of 2024 and the me now are two vastly different people. In 2024, before the chaos hit, I had a lot of goals I wanted to reach and projects I wanted to get done.

A quick reminder of what those goals were:

Writing Goals

Write 1.5K-2K (Or 1 hour of time) daily one project at a time until Completed

Finish 5-6 Writing Projects

Finish 2 Editing Projects

Read 15 Books

Publish Consistently Online

Publish a Long Work

Personal Goals

Exercise/Get in Better Shape

Hydrate

 

“Overall, I’m excited for 2024 and all the new opportunities it will bring!”

via GIPHY

Is it wrong to want to simultaneously punch your younger self in the face and give them a nice tight hug to prepare them for what’s to come?

2024 was a fucking doozy starting from 6 days in. The hits were numerous and kept coming, blow after blow. Looking back at it now, it feels like I went a dozen boxing rounds, each more difficult than the last. You can read all about it on medium.

Needless to say, I didn’t get any of my goals for 2024 nearly as close as I wanted. Writing and editing and posting online took a backseat. Nearly everything but the basics took a backseat for a long stretch.

2024 was not the year of writing I wanted, but it was definitely a year of pain and growth and self-development. Between the grief, loss and new experiences, I learned a lot more about myself than writing could ever teach me.

While it sucks my goals had to take a backseat due to circumstances I could not control, I did have some small wins this year mostly unrelated to my goals.

I wrote about 80K in the first few months, until I stopped writing in March.

I finished 10/15 books but started more than 15 (if we count textbooks!).

I started the MFA program and basically had to re-learn how to learn now that my ADHD was first fully out to play and then somewhat better controlled.

I started gardening and crafting and doing things away from a screen.

I worked a lot on myself and learned a lot that will help me in the long run.

I’m hesitantly excited to see how things go in 2025.

January Result and February Goals

Finally! January is over and gone. This January was simultaneously the longest month ever and gone in a flash. Between unexpected family health issues, a crazy busy month at the day job and being creatively spent, I’m so glad we’re heading into February. I’m ready for a new month and new goals.

Here’s how I did in January.

January Results

Writing Goals

FOREWARNING: I did not complete any of the goals I wanted to complete this month. Family obligations and creative burnout hit me like a train.

Outline Open Projects

I did not outline any open projects like I wanted this month. It wasn’t the month for it and I was creatively spent.

Update Blog and other Platforms

I did not update the blog or any other platforms. This month was BUSY and any extra time I had was put toward relaxing. Eventually I will update the blog and other platforms but this was not the month for that.

Publish consistently on the Blog, Medium and Substack

I did not publish consistently throughout the month like I had planned to do. Creative burnout and January simultaneously being very very short and so impossibly long feeling did not help with deadlines or due dates.

Submit a Short Story to a magazine

I did not submit a short story to a magazine like I wanted to do. I got in my own head and let imposter syndrome swallow me and chew me up.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

Exercise did not happen at all this month and I’m really not happy about it. Between cold weather, poor time management and a whole host of other things, it didn’t happen.

Drink Enough Water daily (with the help of Waterminder)

I don’t think I drank enough water at all, all month. This month was crazy busy and hectic and I was not the best at taking care of myself.

Other

I started my Invisalign treatment after having brace for 5 1/2 months. The transition was not the easiest, but nearly 3 weeks in I’m starting to get the hang of what I can and cannot eat.

I was supposed to submit a work for NYC Midnight’s Short Story Challenge this month, but I was just so creatively drained, I didn’t even make the effort.

January was definitely a “Refill the Creative Well” month. I hopped back on the fan fiction train and focused on writing some fan fiction while I wait for a few works to be ready for edits. I also read two books this month and watched a lot of Star Trek with my husband. Now that January is winding down, I’m starting to feel the threads of creativity again.

Word Count: 32,953

I hope February is a better creative month for me.

February Goals

Writing Goals

Choose and make progress on an editing project for the month

I have several editing projects I would like to get through this year, some in the middle of edits and others abandoned for years. I would like to start chipping away at my massive pile of works to be edited and start/finish one this month. I have one project needing only a few more chapters to get through the first round of edits, but I also have a whole mostly finished series begging to be drudged up again. We’ll see how it goes!

Get back to posting regularly on the blog, Medium and Subtack

When I was posting consistently in November and December, I really enjoyed it. I would like to pick up the momentum again and keep it up throughout the rest of the year as I’m able.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

I would like to exercise more this month (wouldn’t we all?). I hope between writing projects I can remind myself to get outside and go for a walk or at least get some yoga in. 

Drink Enough Water daily (with the help of Waterminder)

I’ve been trying to be better with drinking water, but it’s not always the easiest. Hopefully this month I can make some positive steps in the right direction. 

What about you? What are your goals for the upcoming month?

 

2024 Goals

Here we are in 2024! A new year, with 366 (Leap Year!) new days to make things happen and reach some goals.

2023 was super productive and very successful. I hope to repeat the trend in 2024, only better because I’m taking what I learned in 2023 and refining it to better hit my goals.

Writing Goals

Write 1.5K-2K (Or 1 hour of time) daily one project at a time until Completed

Over the last few months of 2023, I changed my writing practices in an effort to be more efficient and not over do it. I overdid it, with massive word counts, but I did learn how to make my writing more efficient. I found I could consistently get anywhere between 1.5-2K words in about an hour, so I would like to make that a daily practice so I can finish some projects this year.

Finish 5-6 Writing Projects

This goal is a huge goal, but I have done that on purpose. If I continue at the pace I did at the end of last year (and with consistency rather than a crazy race to the finish), I can finish several projects. I’m leaving the projects open, not setting anything crazy, seeing what come along when it comes along.

Finish 2 Editing Projects

There are two projects I want to get through edits this year. The first is the edits from last year I didn’t quite get finished and the second is the novel I finished in December. I can’t quite edit as fast as I write (yet), but I’m hoping to improve this year.

Read 15 Books

Reading is one of the goals I definitely overshot last year. I started with 6 and then increased to 12, but read 19. This year, I want to split the difference and read 15 books. I have a few books left over from 2023, but I’ve been itching to get reading and improve my craft.

Publish Consistently Online

Over the last few months, I’ve upped my online publishing game and I’ve seen the results. I want to publish online consistently and get more exposure. I’ve got three places I publish and I want to stay as consistent as possible throughout this new year.

Publish a Long Work

This year, I would like to publish a novel. I’ve been saying that for years, but with years of practice behind me and the hope of more consistency this year, 2024 will be my year to publish. Whether indie published or traditional, I hope to have something published in the next 366 days.

Personal Goals

Exercise/Get in Better Shape

I make this goal every year, and every year I get fed up and give up somewhere in the first few months. I want to exercise (or at least walk) four times a week. I have a very important big party in September and I want to be my best physically for that and continue the habit for the rest of my life. I haven’t always been the healthiest, but now it’s time to change that.

Hydrate

In November, I started a water drinking challenge and it worked very well. I felt better, I wasn’t as fatigued and I didn’t have as many little aches and pains. I didn’t do the greatest in December (still drinking way too much coffee), but I want to continue tracking my water and hydration goals throughout the year.

January Goals

Writing Goals

Outline Open Projects

I have a lot of open projects from the last few years. I’ve learned I do better with an outline, so I want to outline the open projects I have and decide if they are worth continuing or if they should be put on hiatus so I can work on other things. From there, I will pick the project I want to work on for the next few months or so (depending on how long it takes to finish).

Update Blog and other Platforms

I’ve had the blog for a while and I’m branching out into other platforms. I want to create a cohesive experience where all my bios are inter-connected and easier to navigate. I want to update some things here on the blog and make the navigation more user friendly. Stay tuned for updates!

Publish consistently on the Blog, Medium and Substack

Publishing online has been a positive experience for me so far, now that I have been able to make a consistent publishing schedule. I want to continue to publish and build a routine and challenge myself to improve.

Submit a Short Story to a magazine

This goal, I’ve been thinking about for a few months now. I want to attempt to publish something through a magazine and when I last looked submissions weren’t open yet. They open this month, so I’m going to do something scary and submit.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

I want to walk and get outside for at least 30 minutes a day four times a week. It shouldn’t be too difficult if I stick to a schedule and make it happen consistently. Part of the battle is motivating myself to get it done. I’m hoping with a decent audiobook, podcast or album to listen to, I’ll be able to be more consistent.

Drink Enough Water daily (with the help of Waterminder)

Drinking water and staying hydrated has helped me feel so much better in the long run. I want to keep it up and drink more water consistently and improve my body from the inside out. Waterminder, an app I’ve had since 2020, is very helpful in tracking my water, and it’s really nice to see the pretty colors of all the different liquids I drink.

Overall, I’m excited for 2024 and all the new opportunities it will bring!

 

December Results and 2023 Year End Wrap Up

December Results

Finish To Have A Heart

I finished the first draft of the novel in December! I finished a day early too!

Now, it’s time to figure out what my next project is!

Publish more online

I have published a lot online this month. I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished over the last few weeks. I took a week off between Christmas and New Years (to write the rest of my novel), but I am excited to get it going again.

Looking forward to more opportunities in 2024!

Publish something

This year, one of my goals was to publish something. Technically, I do have something published (a poetry book that never took off or ended up on Amazon). It’s been a year of learning and growing, but no true publishing yet.

Next year is my year to publish!

Year End Round Up

Write Every Day of 2023

I managed to write every single day of 2023! 365 days of some kind of writing (and a lot of days it was a lot of words!)

I could not be happier and more proud of myself. I thought 2023 was going to be the year of edits, but it was still the year of writing too. I wrote and edited a lot this year. This is the year I truly felt like a writer who had my life together. I can only hope it continues.

Edit Three Novels

2023 was supposed to be the year of edits, and I gave it a good shot, but didn’t quite get 3 novel edited.

-Book of Poetry (edited in March/April)

-MAC/Book 1 (About 10 chapters left to edit)

Thankfully, I got a taste for editing over the year and now I know how to improve my craft over the next year.

Edit Twelve short stories

  • Congratulations- Written Jan 2015; Edited Jan 2023
  • H-E- Double Hockey Sticks- Written and Edited Jan 2023
  • Samson- Written 2014; Edited Feb 2023
  • Thanks For the Hand- Written and Edited April 2023
  • Mad With The Moon-written Feb 2021; edited June 2023
  • Love Lines- written Jan 2014; edited June 2023
  • The Way Out-Written August 2022; Edited June 2023
  • Room 1134- Written and edited July 2023
  • Honeydew- Written June 2020; Edited August 2023 and September 2023

9/12 short stories edited this year. I made an effort, and made some progress. I have plans in 2024 to take the next step with a few of the stories. Stay tuned for exciting updates in 2024!

Read Twelve Books

  • Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olsen- finished January 2023
  • All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban- Finished January 2023
  • The Will and The Wild by Charlie N. Holmberg- Finished February 2023
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas- Finished March 2023
  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas- Finished March 2023
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Mass- finished March 2023
  • Queen of Ruin by K.F. Breene- finished June 2023
  • Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid -finished June 2023
  • A Writer’s Guide to Persistence by Jordan Rosenfeld- finished July 2023
  • Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery- Finished August 2023
  • Soul of Smoke by Caitlyn McFarland-Finished August 2023
  • Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery-finished August 2023
  • Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery-Finished August 2023
  • Shadow of Flame by Caitlyn McFarland- finished August 2023
  • Anne of Windy Poplars by Lucy Maud Montgomery- Finished September 2023
  • Truth of Embers by Caitlyn McFarland- Finished September 2023
  • Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink by Gail Carson Levine- Finished September 2023
  • Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery-Finished October 2023
  • Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- Finished October 2023

19/12 books. I overshot this goal and I am so glad I did. I’ve read a lot of series this year and finished a few I started in 2022 or earlier. The joy of reading has returned after years. I feel such delight when I read a good plot twist or learn something new from reading. I only hope to produce the same in my readers some day.

Publish Something (Either Traditional or Indie)

When I created this goal, I wanted to publish a book, a novel, but that didn’t quite happen this year. Instead, I decided I would put out a short story on Amazon (self published) but I rushed it, so I ended up pulling it back down.

  • Love Lines- Short Story- Published June 2023 (And deleted October 2023)

While I didn’t publish a novel, and I pulled down the short story, I did start a substack (Music That Shaped Me) and I’ve been more consistent writing on Medium and here on the blog. While it isn’t exactly what I had planned for the publishing goal, it technically is publishing. I’m really proud of the consistency I’ve found in 2023.

Participate in Most (If not all) NYC Midnight Writing Contests.

  • Short Story Challenge
    This one was not that bad. 8 days was not enough time because I procrastinated and had to push to write and edit in the last few days to make sure it was submitted on time.
    RESULTS: 5th place. Moved to round 2.
    Round 2: I had so much fun in round 2, and I fully laughed at myself and was able to have fun despite the silliness surrounding it.
    RESULTS: Did not place in round 2.
  • Screenwriting Challenge
    This one, I skipped. I signed up for it with high hopes, but screenwriting and scripts aren’t really my thing under a deadline.
  • Microfiction (100 words)
    I’ve always really liked this one, and not only because it’s short. 100 words is extremely hard to tell a story in, but that’s what makes it fun. I really enjoyed having to write a suspense/thriller in 100 words or less.
    RESULTS: Placed 1st! 🎉 Moved on to second round.
    RESULTS: Did not place in round 2.
  • Flash Fiction
    This is the NYC Midnight challenge that started it all. I have such a fond enjoyment of this challenge and each and every prompt teaches me something new. This time was a genre I have never actually tried to write, so it was fantastic.
    RESULTS: Did not place in round 1
    RESULTS: Did not place in round 2
  • Microfiction (500 Word)
    This challenge I unfortunately did not take part in because I lost track of my days. There’s always next year (I hope)
  • Microfiction (250 word)
    Passed on this one. It was right after November and I was so excited about my novel still and didn’t want to break the excitement. I wanted to finish the novel and not start something new. I also forgot to sign up for it until it had passed, so oops!

    Finished Projects

  • Little Earthquakes- a novel based off of a Tori Amos album of the same name
  • Short Stories
    -Rocketman
    -Luka
  • Through the Walls- A short story and Poetry Collection (schoolwork)
  • Honeydew- A short play (Schoolwork)
  • Various Fanfictions of popular book and TV series.
    1. The Names That Bind- ACOTAR
    2. You Don’t Need to Love Me- ACOTAR
    3. Hidge Week 2018- Voltron Legendary Defender
    4. Shave and a Haircut and Two Bits of Advice- Anne of Green Gables
    5. Carried Away By Love- Miraculous Ladybug
    6. Futures- A Captain Planet Fanfiction
  • To Have a Heart- A 2023 NaNoWriMo Novel

Yearly Word Count: 483,720

2023 has been one of my best years yet. A lot of amazing things have happened, both writing and non-writing related and I am so happy with where I’m ending this year and starting the next.

Happy New Year!

See you in 2024! 

 

 

 

Writing Update: Change the Plan, Not the Goal

This past week, writing has been hard. It’s after November, so the post November writing slump surprised me yet again this year.

The goal was and still is to write “The End” in the novel I started in November by December 31st. The plan was to write 1.5K-2K a day until finished.

But last week was rough. The joy of writing toward a goal with friends in November was gone (the competition always seems to dry up in December). I reached the approximate middle of the novel (the muddy middle). Writing began to feel like a chore.

“I’ll do it later” was the excuse I told myself almost daily. “I’ll slog through it after work between 11pm and Midnight.”

I missed the goal on the 3rd of December and that set me off on a spiral of “Ugh’s”. But, despite missing the 1.5-2K goal, I did make just over 1000 words.

So rather than giving up and slogging through a larger goal, I gave myself a boon. I allowed myself to write 1000 words or approximately 30 minutes instead of my 40-45 minutes per day. I was gentle with myself, allowed a small break for a week, and the results were staggering.

After that week, a new inspiration came. A new drive to get to the end of the novel and make December the best writing month in years. I made it through several middle scenes that were intimidating, I added in a new plot I was playing with but uncertain about, and I made it through a few chapters at a more leisurely pace.

But, in order to make my goal of 50-60K for the month, that means I’ll have to write a little more in the next upcoming weeks and push myself a little further.

The new plan is 2K a day, or 60 minutes of writing broken up in 15 minute chunks throughout the day.

Thankfully, the little break motivated me to keep pushing forward and helped me find more joy in the project again.

It looks like this year, I will make my goal of writing 365 days a year. The excitement is palpable as we all reach the finish line.

See you next week!

 

November Results and December Goals

Just like finishing a chapter in a novel and moving on to the next, November has come and gone. Each day was filled with a flurry of words, with each day being a new adventure.

Here’s how I did on my goals in November:

November Results

Writing

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo went well for me this year, despite the hullabaloo going on with HQ and all the vitriol on the internet. I still don’t feel totally good about supporting something that has such serious obligations. Despite all that, I did finish the month out with more words than I started, I did attend write-ins and hopefully helped grow the love of writing in some of the new participants in my area this year. I managed to write 59,033 and dedicated 25.5 hours to my novel this year. I hope to continue the trend and finish the novel in December, or at least set up some habits for 2024.

Post more writing online

This month, I wanted to hold myself accountable and post at least weekly in several different places. Here on the blog, over on medium and also on Substack. This month, despite it being busy with NaNoWriMo, I managed to post every week in each of those places. It was hard work some days, but overall it was enjoyable. It was really freeing to sit down and write things and post them because it needed to be done. No overthinking this time. Post it and on to the next.

Personal

Exercise

There were a few days in November that I did attempt to start an exercise routine. I did not get as much exercise as I wanted, but I did make a solid attempt. For that, I’m proud. I’m excited to continue my attempts to exercise, especially since I found a way I can get exercise inside no matter the weather. I hope to try again in December and hopefully see some better results.

Journal

Journaling this month was almost exclusively related to writing and NaNoWriMo. It was nice to journal how the day went writing wise and what I was looking forward to and what I was struggling with. It was very helpful to keep track of my writing time and how many words I could get out in just a few minutes. It’s been surreal keeping track of my writing time down to the minute, but it’s also been very eye opening.

Hydrate

This month, to stay hydrated, I really started focusing on drinking water. I have an app that I’ve had for quite a while, but have only just started using again. I didn’t track very well at the beginning of the month, but in the last week of November I joined a 21 day hydration challenge. I love a challenge, so hopefully this will help me stay more hydrated and feel better inside and out.

Word Count: 66,725

Other

In November, I pretty much exclusively focused on writing as much as I could. Thankfully I’m done with school for the time being, and I could really take the time to focus on writing a novel. Fortunately, my area is full of other writers and we were able to get together weekly to help each other reach our writing goals. I also celebrated my Grandmother-In-Law’s 90th birthday and had a great Thanksgiving with my family. This has been one of the best Novembers yet.

December Goals

Finish To Have A Heart

I would like to keep up the pace and finish To Have a Heart by the end of December. I would like to get anywhere between 1500 and 2000 words a day (or about 40-45 minutes a day) of writing done. Depending on how far I really am in my outline and how far it takes me to get to the end, I might have to finish the novel in January, but I am going to do my best in December, despite the craziness of the holidays.

Publish more online

Over the past month, I have been fortunate to be able to publish many places online. I would like to keep up that pace and update at least weekly. It worked quite well last month, so once again, I would like to keep up that pace. Stay tuned for more content.

Publish something

This year, one of my goals was to publish something. Technically, I do have something published (a poetry book that never took off), but I would like to publish some work by the end of the year. That means I have some work to do in December.

Stay tuned for updates!

 

 

September Results and October Goals

September has come and gone in a blur of writing and not writing as much as I should have, work, personal accomplishments and everything else in between. If it was mildly important, it happened in September it seemed!

Despite the craziness, I did manage to accomplish a few goals.

September Results

Writing

Edits on Book 1

This month, edits went quite well. I made it all the way through my edits by hand, and slowly but surely I’m making it through the book chapter by chapter. With a month to go, I will definitely have to do another round of edits, I already know that, but I’m planning to still push forward and finish this round.

Publish Something

As much as I wanted to publish something, there’s still a lot of research to do. I had planned to publish a short story to Amazon, but I realized I would most likely have a better chance if I publish a few short stories at a time over multiple platforms. Plans have changed, but I still have the goal. Hopefully soon something will come from it.

Finish Chapters and Sections of Open Works

August was much better than September. September was busy with a lot of life changes and big plans, so finishing as many works as I did in August was impossible. I did finish a lot of parts of projects, mostly chapters of edits, but I still did pretty well.

Personal

Exercise

This month, I did get a few more days of exercise than usual, but there’s still a lot of improvement I want to make. I should be walking more, especially since it helps with stress, so I can only hope to be better in October.

Journal

Journaling was difficult for some reason this month. I had a hard time sitting down and figuring out what to write most days, since there was either so much or so little going on. I hope October will be a better month for journaling, even if I have to do a few days digitally.

Hydrate

This month, I was more aware of the need to drink water, but it wasn’t as easy as I thought. A lot of the days, I forgot to drink water, but drank coffee and tea and everything in between. I’m not sure what I can do to drink more water, but I am doing my best with reminders and at least bringing a water bottle with me when I go places. One of the snags I hit was somehow one of my water bottles needed to be washed and the disgusting taste associated with it turned me off of using it completely. I should really make sure my water bottle is clean and the water is cold, then I should be able to drink more.

Other

September was busy!

First, I officially graduated with my Bachelors in Creative Writing and English. I am not entirely sure what I want to do with it yet, or if I’ll even branch out at all. I have a day job I enjoy a lot, but perhaps some work on the side or something. I’m hoping to begin the master’s program next, but we shall see.

I did a small vows ceremony with my now husband and attended another wedding at the end of the month that is the start of a long (much needed) vacation. A vacation is the best way to start the busy time of the year that will be October and November. I have a lot of goals and I’m excited to take a small break before I push forward again.

Word Count: 18,841

October Goals

Writing

Finish Edits on Book 1

I have somewhere around 12-13 chapters to go based on the outline, but I know that is not correct. I actually don’t know how many chapters I have left or what I will end up with at the end of the month, but I am going to push forward. These will in no way be the final edits, but I want to get through them and have a clean slate when I start a new project in November.

Finish as many chapters/ sections as possible

In November, I plan on working on a totally new novel (that still needs a name) and having that be my only project. To do that, I am going to finish as many chapters as I can in as many works and hopefully pick them up again in December/January. I am excited to see what plot points I leave off on and I hope I’ll be more excited to pick them back up again after a little time away.

Preptober for NaNoWriMo

Starting a new project next month means prep time is needed. I’ve been playing with this idea for a few months now, writing down any and all ideas when the decide to appear. I have a loose idea of what I want to accomplish, but I want to make a solid outline and develop a few if not all the characters. I do like to leave a little room for surprises, but I am excited to prepare for something new.

Inktober

I am not an artist, but I do enjoy trying something different every once in a while. In the past, Inktober has been hit or miss and this year is no different. With everything else going on, I’m looking forward to having a little stress relief and doodling time, even if it’s not every day. Every little bit counts.

Personal

Exercise

I want to exercise more this month, even though the weather will be changing with the seasons. I want to try and walk more over these next few weeks and use it to help generate ideas, if not a good few breaks away from the craziness of my goals.

Journal

This month, I will be playing with typing up my morning pages. I will be traveling a bit this month and a little out of my routine, but that doesn’t mean I have to drop it entirely. I might not get every day, but I’m going to do my best not to miss two days in a row.

Hydrate

I need to drink more water. I am chronically dehydrated, or so I feel certain days, but I admit I can be a water snob. It needs to be cold, but not too cold, icy, but can’t have a taste to it. I’m trying to drink more water and keep my preferred water bottles clean. I’ve switched back to a bigger bottle for the meantime, so hopefully that will help me reach more hydration goals.

 

August Results and September Goals

August has been a whirlwind of great things. My writing mojo is back, I’m finishing projects and chapters of projects through hard work and dedication (even if it is 5 paragraphs at a time). August has been very productive and I couldn’t be happier.

August Results

Writing

NYC Midnight’s 500 word Microfiction Challenge

As excited as I was for this challenge, once again, everything outside of writing got in the way. Somehow, I lost a day and when I remembered to do it, it was already past due. I did not give the challenge the time, nor the mental energy it deserved. I suppose there’s always next year. I was really looking forward to it too, but sometimes things aren’t meant to work out. I still have a pretty cool prompt to write though, so there is one positive.

Edits on Book 1

This month, I made decent progress on edits. I got through 4 chapters, but the most important part is that I have a detailed plan to reach the end by October 31st. I have a direction, and I have time to put into it so I’m going to make it happen.

Edit One Short Story

For this month, I had the plan to edit a short story, but more than that, I wanted to get the story ready for publication. That meant breaking the goal up into even smaller goals.

Writing the first draft:

This story is an idea I’ve had for a while, and the same idea I used to write a play for my playwriting course. New developments appeared when I wrote it as a play, so I adapted it back to a short story. I was able to get this goal done in a little over a week. Completed 8/9

Creating a Cover:

This is something I’ve been playing around with for the last few months. I’ve really had a fun time creating covers for my works. It worked out perfectly that a few days to create the cover was enough to let the first draft sit. Completed 8/31

Editing the draft:

This month was the fastest I have ever written something and immediately edited it (except the NYC Midnight challenges). Giving it a little time was exactly what was needed and it really helped to come at the piece from multiple angles before this “final” draft. Completed 8/31

Coming up with keywords and writing the back summary:

This is something I’m not used to doing. It’s a whole new ballpark when trying to find the niche the story will fit best, but it’s also exciting too, because that means I’m growing and learning as an author. To be completed in September

Stay tuned next month for the full results.

Finish my last class of my Bachelor’s Program

After just over 2 years of school, I submitted my last essay and discussion board. It took a while, I liked every class or at least a part of a class, but this one I just couldn’t get into or enjoy. I expected it to be something it wasn’t, and with everything else crazy, I honestly got a little senioritis in the last class. Now all that’s left is to find out my grades and get my diploma and definitely take a break from any schoolwork for a few months. Hopefully, I’ll start my MFA next year.

Personal

Exercise

This month, exercise was definitely great stress relief. With everything else more organized, and building a routine, I started the month off strong and started exercising at least a few days a week. It really helped my mental health to take a break between writing projects and go for a walk or do some stretches. As the month wound down, I didn’t exercise as much as I wanted, but slowly, I’m getting back into it.

Journal

Journaling was very effective this month. I added a few more journals and techniques to my routine, and they seem to be helping. It helps to start my morning with journaling and reading and avoiding my screens for the first hour of my morning. I only missed one day this month, which was unfortunate, but does occasionally happen.

Hydrate

This month, I wasn’t the best at staying hydrated. I did pay more attention to my water bottle and how full it was, but I still drank mostly coffee and tea. Still, I’m making small attempts to be better and doing my best to find more ways to stay hydrated.

Other

In August, I finished my last class in my Creative Writing Bachelor’s Program. I’m currently waiting on my diploma, so not officially graduated yet, but patiently waiting. In addition to finishing my last class, I was quite productive and finished 23 chapters or parts of open projects. A little bit of writing every day helped to get chapters finished, projects finished and new parts started. I’ve also picked up a few other habits outside of writing that I’m not quite ready to share yet, but they are quite relaxing.

In addition to writing like crazy, I read five books in August, in two series I read concurrently. Three I’ve read before (a few times, but have never finished the series) and a new series I haven’t read yet, but that I have enjoyed so far. Keep an eye out for more book reviews hopefully, and more fun content on the blog.

Word Count: 68,627

September Goals

Writing

Edits on Book 1

The deadline is set for October 31st and I plan to get as much done as I can in the time I have left. It means getting a lot of edits done, and spending a lot of time in the world of story, but I am so excited to keep pushing forward.

Publish Something

This month, I would like to put something out into the world for publishing. I’ve been playing around with several avenues over the last few months and I’m getting closer to making things happen. With any luck, it will be this month.

Finish Chapters and Sections of Open Works

In August, I started working a little bit in each project, a big reason why my word count was so high in August and how I got several parts of projects finished. I would like to keep that up in September, and hopefully for the rest of the year. This has been my best writing year yet, and I want to keep it that way and keep pushing forward. Perhaps I’ll even finish more projects than I intended. We’ll see!

Personal

Exercise

As for the rest of this year, I would like to build an exercise routine. I’ve been attempting for several months, and making positive changes in the right direction, but this month I would like to get out and exercise at least 2-3 times a week. It won’t always be possible, but that’s the goal I am going to attempt this month.

Journal

Journaling has been a big help over the last few months. I want to keep it up and expand it even further than I have. There’s something about putting my thoughts on paper and writing through several gel pens that helps me sort my priorities for the day. Hopefully I’ll look back and laugh as I have with previous journals, or find more ideas, as I have in the past when I read them in the future.

Hydrate

Last month, I tried to hydrate more, and wasn’t the most successful. I am more aware of my water intake, which helps, but I would like to keep it up and drink more than coffee, tea and soda. I want to at least try to drink one of my water bottles (22 oz) a day of just water, if not more. It doesn’t seem like much, but it is a start.

I’m looking forward to a lot of things in September, creative and otherwise.

 

July Results and August Goals

July has been hectic for all the wrong reasons. From a class in school I do not like at all, to a whole host of medical and dental distractions, July has not been the month I hoped it would be. Still, I did what I could when I could. I did not hit the goals I truly wanted for Camp NaNoWriMo or editing, but I do have more progress than I had when the month started.

It’s not quite the win I wanted, but it is better than what I had at the beginning of the month.

July Results

Writing

Camp NaNoWriMo

Nothing seemed to go the way I intended this month writing wise. Camp NaNoWriMo gave way to school essays and work and anything else but getting words on a page. I did manage a few things, but this month definitely wasn’t my best writing month.

Edit 500 words of Book 1 Daily

Similar to my goals for Camp NaNoWriMo, my goals of editing didn’t seem to go well either. A little here and there daily, with only a few days of actually reaching my goal. As much as I would have liked to be successful (wouldn’t we all?), July simply wasn’t the month to be successful. I do have more words and did make progress, but it wasn’t every day this month as I had hoped.

Edit One Short Story

Editing a short story came at a surprising time at the end of the month in connection with the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction second round. While it wasn’t exactly the short story I had hoped to edit, it did get done. This month, I’m taking the wins where I can.

NYC Flash Fiction Round 2

This challenge is always fun for me despite the looming feeling of a deadline. This year, this challenge actually helped save my word count for the month. Between not feeling well due to multiple health issues that popped up, work being hectic and busy, and navigating negotiations for time off, not to mention how many project I’ve stalled on in the middle, this challenge helped renew my excitement in writing. While I struggled to get started, I did manage to write something decent and submit it before the deadline.

Personal

Exercise

The health issues (temporary, thankfully) did not help my will to exercise. There were a few days, mostly lake days where I exercised without issue, but while at home, I simply couldn’t find the motivation to exercise. Plus when you have all over body aches and just a general yucky feeling, exercise is the last thing on your mind. I hope the next few months are better, especially now that I know what the culprit is.

Journal

Journaling has been my saving grace this month. Sitting down every morning and getting my morning pages down before I truly start my day has helped me make plans and strive for goals. Journaling has helped me get my stresses and successes down on the page and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I started my 4th journal of 2023 and more will follow.

OTHER NEWS

In July, temporary health issues sidelined a lot of what I wanted to get done. Still, I did what I could when I could and while it wasn’t the perfect month, I did make progress. I got the start or orthodontic work, with braces on 6 teeth for a few months and man are the headaches with those intense sometimes!

I went to two amazing concerts: Train and Tori Amos and neither disappointed. I love live music and the concerts were a much needed mental and emotional reset.

I also made it through the halfway point of my LAST CLASS in my bachelor’s degree. A few more weeks to go and then I work through the graduation process. I am so excited to be done, but I am more excited for what is to come next!

Word Count: 23,175

August Goals

Writing

NYC Midnight’s 500 word Microfiction Challenge

I’m always really excited for these short challenges that inspire me to work on something new and finish it all in one go. This will be the first year I do the 500 word Microfiction because this is the inaugural challenge. The 100 and 250 word challenges are fun, so I can’t wait to see how the 500 word challenge goes.

Edits on Book 1

I need to make progress on book one, that has been dragging on for most of the year. I have a true deadline for the end of October and I’m going to stick to it. Even if it means that’s the only project I work on for a few weeks.

Edit One Short Story

I have a story I wanted to edit in July, but it simply didn’t happen. I hope to make progress on the story and hopefully finish it for the next step.

Finish my last class of my Bachelor’s Program

3 more weeks to go and I am already looking forward to the end of this class. It has not been my favorite, but it is the last, so after that I am going to relax and feel waaaay less stressed.

Personal

Exercise

I would really like to get back into exercising in August if my body will let me. Pain more days than not kept me from exercising, but I desperately want to get back into it, so I can feel healthier again and hopefully less stressed.

Journal

Journaling has been very helpful this year. Some days it feels monotonous, especially on the days I simply wake up and go to work for most of the day. Still, journaling helps me realize my goals and put them on paper.

Hydrate

I’ve been really bad at staying hydrated, especially as the months get hotter. I would like to drink more water and hydrating drinks than just coffee throughout the day with a sip of water here or there. With the headaches I’ve been getting from the braces and the fun of relearning how to eat certain foods, it’s been a goal to hydrate more.

Here’s to kicking butt in August!

 

June Results, Halfway Check-In, and July Goals

And just like that, we have now reached the halfway point of the year. Where has the time gone?! June was a month of ups and downs, but thankfully mostly ups. Here’s how I did.

Writing

Edit One Arc of Book 1

I didn’t quite edit a whole arc of book 1 like I wanted, but I did make some decent progress. I managed to finish 2 chapters this month and I have a solid plan for next month to keep the edits moving. Editing is different from writing, and I am giving the project the time it needs to be the best version of itself.

1000 Words of Summer

I wanted 1000 Words of Summer to be successful for the whole two weeks, but I fell off the productivity wagon toward the last few days. I did manage to finish one project I’ve been working on for the last 8 or so years, so that was a win. Attempting to get 1000 words a day in another project after finishing the other project was like pulling teeth. I do still plan on shooting for 1000 words a day in July. I guess it wasn’t a complete failure.

NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge

The NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge, the challenge that started it all in 2020, went well this year. I worked on a brand new project of 1000 words or less in a genre I don’t normally write in. I got to flex my writing muscles and get used to putting more work out there. I had fun doing it, especially because I got to subvert a fairytale in the best ways. Results come out at the end of next month, and I am already excited for round 2.

BONUS: NYC Midnight’s 100 Word Microfiction Contest

This goal is one I totally forgot about. The results came out for round 1 and I placed 1st!!! I went onto the next round, which was difficult with so few words, but I made a solid attempt. I’m not entirely sure when results come out for this round, but hopefully I will be more prepared if I go for the next round.

Personal

Exercise

Exercise in June has been hit or miss. Some weeks I’ve been on it and kicking butt. Others I barely exercised at all. I need to get back to it and be more consistent, if not to look better than to feel better mentally. I started an exercise regimen that I thought would be nice, but it was unorganized and messy. Hopefully I’ll get back into Yoga and walking again.

Journal

Journaling in June was fantastic. There was a day where I almost didn’t make it, because I left my journal at home. Instead of letting the habit go, I journaled on my computer. It wasn’t totally ideal, and I want to keep it all on paper if I can, but it works in a pinch. I hope to keep up the habit for as long as I can.

Word Count: 41,959

Whoa! Halfway Point Check-In!

Write Every Day of 2023

January: 100%

February: 100%

March: 100%

April: 100%

May: 100%

June: 100%

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep up the progress and keep writing something every day.

Edit Three Novels

Slowly making my way through edits on Book 1. At this point, I might not make 3 novels by the end of the year, but I am going to do the best I can.

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep editing and moving forward.

Edit Six short stories

  • Congratulations- Written Jan 2015; Edited Jan 2023
  • H-E- Double Hockey Sticks- Written and Edited Jan 2023
  • Samson- Written 2014; Edited Feb 2023
  • Thanks For the Hand- Written and Edited April 2023
  • Mad With The Moon-written Feb 2021; edited June 2023
  • Love Lines- written Jan 2014; edited June 2023
  • The Way Out- Written August 2022; edited June 2023

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Goal update to 12 short stories this year. 5 to go!

Read Twelve Books

  • Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olsen- finished January 2023
  • All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban- Finished January 2023
  • The Will and The Wild by Charlie N. Holmberg- Finished February 2023
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas- Finished March 2023
  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas- Finished March 2023
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Mass- finished March 2023
  • Queen of Ruin by K.F. Breene- finished June 2023
  • Daisy Jones and the Six -finished June 2023

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep Reading. 4 to go!

Publish Something (Either Traditional or Indie)

EXCITING THINGS ARE COMING!

Participate in Most (If not all) NYC Midnight Writing Contests.

Short Story Challenge

Round 1: 5th place. Moved to round 2.

Round 2: Did not place in round 2.

Screenwriting Challenge

SKIPPED

Microfiction (100 words)

Round 1: Placed 1st! 🎉 Moved on to second round.

Round 2: Results pending

Flash Fiction

Round 1: Results pending

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep participating and enjoying the process.

Finished Projects

  • Little Earthquakes 2016-2023
  • Short Stories
    Rocketman 2022-2023
    Luka 2022-2023
  • Various Fanfictions
    Names That Bind 2023
    You Don’t Need to Love Me 2023
    Hidge Week 2018-2023
  • Futures– 2015-2023

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Finish more projects as able.

Word Count: 217,132

July Goals

Camp NaNoWriMo

Once again it is time for Camp NaNoWriMo. This month, I hope to finish a project or two that have been languishing in my folders. For my goal, I would like to hit 40K. Realistically, I would like to get around 1000 words a day to keep the momentum up, in this project and a few odds and ends in other projects.

Edit 500 words of Book 1 Daily

For the last few weeks of June, with the 1000 word goal a fay, I attempted to get 500 words of edits. For the few days I was successful, it really helped move the novel along, especially through the boring middle bits. I hope with luck and practice and dedication, I can get through the edits with a bit more speed.

Edit One Short Story

I’ve had a lot of good luck editing short stories in June. I would like to keep the momentum up in July and keep getting short stories ready for the world.

NYC Flash Fiction Round 2

I enjoy this challenge as much as I do because there is an automatic second round. I’m excited to see how I do in round 1, and I’m excited to see the new prompt for round 2. 1000 words is the perfect amount to play with to write a short piece. I do enjoy long pieces, but a short piece now and then really helps me build my writing muscles.

Personal

Exercise

Exercising has been one of my wishy-washy habits over the last few months. I would like to make it a more steady habit and feel better about doing it. One of the first things that disappears when I’m stressed is exercise, as counterintuitive as that sounds. I would like to make it more permanent in July.

Journal

Journaling has really helped me over the last 6 months and I hope it continues to help me over the rest of the year and far beyond that. I’ve had to get creative with how I journal a few times over the last few months, with some days feeling like pulling teeth, but I still continue to make progress.

What about you? Any fun goals planned?

 

May Results and June Goals

May has definitely been a month of highs and lows in several areas. For the first few weeks, writing and editing were not my priority. But I picked it up toward the end of the month and managed to be rather successful in my goals.

May Results

Writing

Edit One Short Story

Unfortunately, during the month of May, I did not edit a short story. This month was a strange month, with very little motivation until nearly halfway though the month. Time got a way from me this month with all the other projects I had to complete, such as homework and work. While it wasn’t a short story, I did manage to edit a few poems for a school project.

Edit An Arc of Book 1

This month, I was not able to edit a whole arc in the novel, but I did get two chapters done. I made some decent progress and now I have a plan for June. Not every month has to be an entire arc, and I am pleased I’m getting back into it and making positive changes again. Even if the editing is going a little slower than usual.

Finish A Project (of any kind)

This goal was easier than I expected. I finished a short story rather unexpectedly in the first few days of May. With the completion of the short story from December 2022, my monthly short stories for 2022 are now completed. Thankfully, I didn’t finish just one project this month, but multiple. I finished a few shorter pieces as well.

2023 is the year of finishing things and edits.

Personal

Exercise

Exercise over the past few months has been hit or miss, mostly miss. This month was no exception. This month, it was easy to feel like time got away from me. The first thing to go when time gets away from me is exercise. This wasn’t the best month for exercise. With any luck, June will be better, or at least I can start a better routine.

Journal

Journaling in May was a little different than the past few months. I managed to journal every single day, per my goal. I also added reading a few pages of my older journals to the mix as well. I got some news regarding work that put me into a foul mood and I had a similar situation in the past, so I made it through most of my previous journals from 2019/2020 and compiled some data that might come in handy later.

Other

In May, on the weekends I wasn’t working, I did a lot of traveling. It’s always nice to take mini vacations when I can get them.

I also have several new ideas. I’m itching to work on them, but I want to give them the time they deserve. Instead of jumping right in like I usually do, I am letting them sit in my idea folder for now. Hopefully soon, I’ll be able to work on a few new projects. For now, it’s edits and finishing the projects I have.

Speaking of finishing things, I am a class and a half away from graduating with my Bachelor’s degree. I honestly never thought I would get here. I attempted 2017-2019, but it was a program I detested. Now I love it.

I am excited for what comes next!

Word Count: 37,134

June Goals

Writing

Edit One Arc of Book 1

Now that I am back into the swing of edits, I would like to get some chapters completed in June. With any luck, I will be able to get an arc done or at least 4 chapters, but June will be quite a busy month, so we’ll see how far I get in edits.

1000 Words of Summer

1000 Words of Summer is returning for 2023. Jami Attenburg of Craft Talk started the project 6 years ago. For two weeks, I attempt to get 1000 words with a ton of other writers. In a way, it’s like a shortened version of NaNoWriMo in June. I’m stoked for another challenge and a deadline.

NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge

The NYC Midnight Challenge that started my patronage of NYC Midnight has returned. This is the third year I am participating. I could not be more excited! As an added bonus, it takes place during 1000 words of Summer, so I have at least one project to work on during that time. This is my favorite challenge of theirs so far, 1000 words is the perfect amount of words to get a story down, but not make it too verbose. I am excited for more challenges.

Personal

Exercise

I have been working to find why exercising has become so challenging. Mainly it’s been time and weather. Hopefully with the changing weather as we get closer to Summer and maybe a bit more time management, I’ll be able to get more exercise. Walking outside is my favorite form and I would love to get more of it when I can.

Journal

Journaling has been one of my most consistent habits of 2023 and I feel so much better for it. It’s been fantastic to get my thoughts down on the page and not have them floating around in my head wreaking havoc. I have found I’m excited to journal every morning and I look forward to it instead of dreading it like I did a year or two ago. I’m steadily making it through notebooks. The goal is the same, I would like to journal every day in June.

April Results and May Goals

This year, April wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be. Usually April is my worst writing and creating month, but not this year.

This year, I decided to embrace the mantra of “Fun!”. I often stress too much about little things and things that don’t matter. Thinking like that has made me regret a lot of things and miss out on opportunities, so now I have decided to change my outlook and find the fun in what I can.

Here’s how I did in April.

April Results

Writing

Edit Another Arc of Book 1

April simply wasn’t the month for editing. Not because of the usual reasons of April being filled with grief, but because other projects demanded my attention and seemed more fun. I did as much as I could, but I needed a break from editing. With any luck, in May I’ll return to it with more gusto.

Camp NaNoWriMo/35K in book 3.

While I didn’t do really any work in the book I was supposed to be working on for Camp NaNoWriMo, I did manage to get more than 35K in all the projects I’ve been working on. I’m still counting it as a goal reached, because 35K+ spread through everything I’ve been working through this month has been spectacular.

Poetry

Poetry as a goal was hit and miss. I did finish my poetry class for my bachelor’s program and did write/edit a good grip of poems. I did work on a few poems at the beginning of the month and make decent progress, but in no way did I work on Poetry every day like I had planned. Still, some progress is better than none.

NYC Midnight

This goal is a double add on goal. I had the NYC Midnight 100 word Micro-fiction contest planned, but forgot to put it as a goal. That went well, with only 24 hours to write and edit 100 words and tell a story. Another competition that came back as a surprise was the NYC Midnight Short Story Competition. My submission from January got 5th place which meant I got to go onto Round Two. I submitted that story and had so much fun with it. Things are starting to get exciting in the writing world for me.

Personal

Exercise

Exercise was a little better in April. I started making a conscious effort to go out for a walk when I could and get some kind of exercise in. It was nowhere perfect and nowhere where I wanted to be, especially as the month wound down. When I did exercise, I did pick up the pace more and added a little jogging to my usual walks. It makes me feel a little better and so far it has seemed to help me reach my goals quicker. I used to hate running, and I still do, but not as much.

Journal

As much as I wanted to make this a perfect month, it didn’t happen. There were days where it was impossible to make it to the page for one reason or another. A few were travel related, another was work related. Overall, in April I missed 4 days. Hopefully, in May I won’t miss any.

OTHER NEWS

In other news, as I mentioned, I finished another class for my bachelor’s program. This effectively means I have two left. I’m getting closer to my dream and I couldn’t be more excited. I am looking forward to what the next few classes hold and possibly what might be coming after that.

I have a creative project in the works that is getting closer and closer to being done and being out in the world. I can’t say much right now, but once I can I will be shouting it from the rooftops and blasting it all over wherever I can.

My dental work is finally done, with the permanent implant in, so no more horrible plastic whole mouth fake tooth retainer. I could not be happier, even though my mouth still feels “naked” after weeks without the retainer. I’ll eventually get used to it.

I have picked up another creative hobby in singing and while I’m not as good as I was in high school with daily practice in the choir room, I do feel like I’m finally finding my voice and not trying to imitate others. That’s a big milestone for me. While no one may hear me for a while, I do enjoy singing in the car as I drive to and from work.

Word Count: 45,696

May Goals

Writing

Edit One Short Story

I have a massive list of short stories to be edited, even though I have done more than I thought with the last few NYC Midnight competitions. I would like to work through another one this month and add it to my list of completed works for the year. 2023 is the year of editing, even if I didn’t do much of it in April.

Edit An Arc of Book 1

May means it’s time to get back to the serious work of editing. I didn’t do much in April, for a lot of reasons, but now I’m ready to get back to it and keep the progress moving forward. With any luck I’ll be able to make it through a few chapters in May.

Finish A Project (of any kind)

I have a lot of open projects that I’ve had for a long time. I think the oldest project I’m working on right now I’ve been working on, on and off since 2015. I would like to get some of my older projects done and out of the way so I can start something new. Knowing my luck and the class I am currently in, the project I finish might be related to school, but I’m ok with that. It will be some kind of fiction. Perhaps I’ll even finish two or three projects.

Personal

Exercise

I feel like now almost halfway into the year, I am starting to build a better routine. While I haven’t been able to get out every day and exercise, I at least think about it and make a plan. I don’t always stick to the plan, but I’m hoping in May I’ll get out more and notice more positive changes in my body.

Journal

April was not the best month for journaling, but I hope May is better. I feel so much better when I get my thoughts out of my head and down on paper. There are several days when it gets repetitive, but the journaling still does help. I would like to not miss any days during May and then keep the trend going for the rest of the year.

Yearly Goal Update!

On the first of January, I put out a few goals. I’ve been super productive so far, so I have to update one of the goals.

The original goal was to read 6 books during the year. As of March 31st, I hit that goal.

The new goal: read 6 more books for a total of 12 this year.

Who knows? I might hit that goal in 3 months again, which means I’ll update it then.

Reading for me tends to come in waves, but I always like to push myself, so there it is.

6 more books to read in 2023!

February Results and March Goals

Another month down, 10 more to go!

For being such a short month, February sure was busy. Between schoolwork, actual work, and writing and creating, the month was the most successful month yet.

Here’s how I did in February:

February Results

Writing

Edit One Short Story

This month, I did manage to edit a short story, but still have yet to type it out by the time I’m writing this. The short story I chose, as with a lot of the short stories I’ve written over the years, needed more work and more attention than I could give it in one month. Mainly, it needs a lot of rewrites. Thankfully, I have a direction and I know what I need to work on to make it shine. I’m counting this as a success.

Edit 4 chapters

Four chapters were edited this month, right down to the last minute. I am now 4 chapters closer to being done with the first novel I’m hoping to edit in 2023. I’m really enjoying the good bits I get to add, and some I’ve been surprised to find. I’m learning so much as I go.

Finish a short story from 2022

I’m super happy with my progress this month. I was able to finish the short story from 2022 pretty early in the month. There is nothing as awesome as finishing a project that is either slow moving or gives me trouble. The short story from November 2022 definitely dragged, but now I can say the first draft is done.

Personal

Exercise

This month, exercise was not my top priority, nor was it easy to come by. With the rainy weather, an illness and training for work, I didn’t exercise more than I exercised. I’m hoping I can improve over the next few months, maybe when the weather gets warmer and stays nice.

Journal

In February, I managed to write in my journal every single day. Some days were easier than others. Some days I’m sure I wrote complete garbage, but journaling at least lets me get it out of my head and on paper. After writing for the last 2 months, I’m three quarters of the way through the first journal of the year.

Other

In other news, I finished another class for my Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and started another. As much as I thought I would enjoy playwriting, I’m glad it’s done. I learned all I could from the subject, but there were a few factors that did not make the class as enjoyable as I would have liked. Now I’m off to Poetry.

I also finished reading another book, so keep your eyes out for another book review.

This month, I finished a project I’ve been working on since 2016. 2023 is the year of editing and finishing things and I couldn’t be happier. The first novel of 2023 is finished.

Here’s to so many more!

Word Count: 32,297

March Goals

Writing

Edit One Short Story

Editing one short story a month seems like a decent pace for what I want to get done this year. Especially since I’m more focused on editing my novels. I’m interested to see how much I can get done this year.

Edit 4 chapters or finish the current Story Arc

Over the last few weeks of edits, I came to the realization that instead of editing in order, it was really nice to edit as far as story arcs go. So far, each arc is a few chapters and editing in those snippets make the editing go faster and the story smoother. This month, I’m hoping to get through the funeral arc.

NYC Midnight Screenplay Challenge

I signed up for the NYC Midnight Screenplay challenge even though I didn’t really enjoy playwriting. This is a challenge from NYC Midnight that I haven’t done yet, but I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’m interested to try something new and see how I do.

Finish a Short Story from 2022

I have one last short story to finish from 2022. December wasn’t a great month for writing a short story. Now that I have time (yeah, right!), I’m hoping to get the short story done and close out the projects from 2022. With any luck, I’ll finish it and be able to add it to the list of short stories I can edit throughout the year.

Personal

Exercise

Last month was not the best month for exercise. With any luck, this month will be better and I won’t be down with a cold for 10+ days. I’ll be happy if I get 3x a week for this month.

Journal

I’ve really enjoyed journaling over these last few months. It’s been helping to get thoughts on paper and not keep them bottled up in my head. I’ve noticed an increase in my creativity and in my joy. I hope to keep the trend up.

Wish me luck!

January Results and February Goals

If you are reading this, it means we have all made it through the first month of 2023. January has been my most productive month so far, and that’s not just in 2023, but for a long time. I’ve been able to set a routine and keep making progress little by little. I’ve never been happier.

Here’s how January went:

January Results

Writing

Participate in the NYC Midnight Short Story Competition

This month, The NYC Midnight Short Story Competition went well—Once I got my butt in gear. For the first few days, I took my time, then realized how soon the deadline was. I panicked a bit, then did a mad dash to the end and finally submitted it. At first, I wasn’t sure I would do well with the prompt, but now that it’s done and looking back, I did the best I could. Now I can’t wait for the results and of course, the next NYC Midnight challenge.

Edit One Short Story

This month, I did edit a short story. (Actually I edited two if you count the NYC Midnight submission). I have to say I quite enjoyed it. The short story I edited was one from January of 2015. So far, it has been amazing to see how far I’ve come in my writing. One down, several more to go. I’m starting to remember that editing isn’t as easy as writing, though it is quite informative.

Edit Three Chapters

For quite a bit of the month, I wasn’t sure I would make the three chapter goal. I had a few long chapters to work on and some days not a lot of time to work on them, especially with homework and other duties. I’m pleased to say, I did get three chapters done (with one day to spare). Sometimes, it’s better to let the editing process surprise me. A chapter ended sooner, which means I get to add another chapter and really lay on the romance (my favorite!)

Personal

Exercise

So far, exercising has been going well. I did a long streak of 8 days in a row, then there was a not so great streak of a few days I missed due to inclement weather. Now, I’ve been doing my best to make it out and at least walk every day, or at least three days a week, like I wanted, but some days it isn’t easy.

Journal

I had to work at it, and force myself to journal when there were tough days, but I managed to journal every day in January. I really enjoyed sitting down with myself and journaling through any thoughts or concerns I had. By the end of the month, I was actively excited for my journaling.

Now I have to keep everything up through the rest of the year.

Bonus

This month, I also wrote a few plays for my current class. Once I got the format down, I didn’t absolutely hate it. I have had experience writing plays and screenplays in the past, so it was fun to be able to jump back into it in an educational setting. I got to adapt one of my previous short stories, so that was another version of editing and tweaking that I really enjoyed.

I also read two books this month. I’m working on another book review to post, but the first one is up already.

Word Count: 25,260

Here’s what I hope to accomplish in February:

February Goals

Writing

Edit One Short Story

Similar to last year, I want to edit a short story a month. It worked last year with writing them, so why not do a year of editing? Last month went so well, I can’t wait to get started! The hardest part will be choosing which story to edit!

Edit 4 chapters

After a trial run in January, I think I have this editing thing down. I want to see if I can get 4 chapters edited, which is about 1 a week. I am hoping that some chapters will be shorter and take less time to edit, so maybe I can add on a few extra, but I’ll have to wait and see how the month goes.

Finish a short story from 2022

I have two short stories I still need to finish from 2022. The story for November and December. I would like to finish at least one of them this month, and then perhaps the other one next month. With a few paragraphs a day throughout the month, it shouldn’t take me too long to make decent progress and get at least one of them finished.

Personal

Exercise

Even though I didn’t manage to exercise every day last month, I did manage to average at least 3 times a week. I have noticed I feel so much better when I exercise and more creative. I would like to get out and walk or do some form of exercise at least 5 days a week.

Journal

In January, I managed to write in my journal every day, and it definitely improved my mental health. I would like to keep that up and write every day with no excuses.

2023 Goals

A new year has started and I am so excited to have a whole new blank canvas of 365 days to accomplish some new goals. This year, I have decided to do something different as far as goals go, and I’ve added more than just writing goals.

Writing Goals

Write Every Day of 2023

Even though I have never been successful, I would really like to attempt to write every day. I would like to do my best to build a habit and stick with it.

Edit Three Novels

2023 will be the year of editing. I have several editing projects started, but have yet to finish them. I would like to start working through my catalogue of novels I’ve written over the last few years and hopefully get them ready for a publisher.

Edit Six short stories

Same as above, 2023 is the year of editing. I would like to do more than six short stories, but I don’t want to get too overwhelmed either. I’m keeping the bar low, especially since I know I’m not the best at editing.

Read Six Books

Reading is a big part of being a writer. I enjoy reading, and I find it refills my creative tank when I need it most. I have a feeling I’ll read more than six books, especially if this year is anything like last year, but once again, I would rather set the bar low and overshoot it rather than fail it spectacularly.

Publish Something (Either Traditional or Indie)

I’m hoping with all the editing I’m planning on doing this year that I can get something published. I’m hoping for Traditionally published, but I have been doing more research into indie and hybrid publishing, so we shall see what the next year holds.

Participate in Most (If not all) NYC Midnight Writing Contests.

I really enjoy the contests/challenges that NYC Midnight puts on. I intended to compete in all of them last year, but timing wasn’t always the best, or school got in the way. I’m hoping to get a better handle on it this year, so I can be successful in all of the challenges.

Personal Goals:

Graduate With a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing

My tentative graduation date is October of 2023, so I’m looking forward to continuing my education in this next year. I’m not entirely sure what my plan is after I graduate (whether I do an MFA or not), but I’m excited to get my Bachelor’s degree.

Exercise at least 3x a week

2023 and beyond, I want to take better care of myself. I’m not getting any younger and with the amount of sitting I do for work, and writing, and school, I want to prevent any health issues down the road. I’m hoping for at least 5 days a week, but sometimes that isn’t possible. I want to build a routine that I can stick to and exercise (most likely walking/hiking) is a step in the right direction.

Journal Daily

Over the past few years, I’ve been journaling on and off. Putting words down on the page helps get the craziness out of my head. For the last few years I’ve been slacking due to crazy work schedules. Now I’m looking forward to getting back on track and taking care of my mental health as well.

How I Plan to Reach Those Goals in January

Writing

Participate in the NYC Midnight Short Story Competition

Luckily, the first NYC Midnight competition happens to take place in January. Last year, I couldn’t make it, due to homework being due, but I have a better plan for schoolwork and work, so I hope it doesn’t interfere with the competition this year.

Edit One Short Story

I enjoy editing short pieces like short stories. I’m hoping to get at least one edited this month, but hopefully I will be able to edit one or more. I have a feeling editing the short stories will be like writing them was last year, with maybe the editing not getting done in the 30/31 days of the month, but spanning a few months at a time.

Edit Three Chapters

Three chapters doesn’t always seem like a lot, but I think that is what I can accomplish in a month with school, adjusting to a new work schedule and everything else going on in January. As stated above, I’m hoping for more than three, since I do have a lot of editing this year, but we shall see how the first month goes.

Personal

Exercise

At least three times a week to start, and then see how it goes. I might change this goal based on how the month goes.

Journal

No excuses, I want to write a journal entry every day of January and hopefully beyond that.

How about you? What are your goals for 2023?

December Results and 2022 Year End Round Up

I cannot believe another year of writing has come and gone! This year has definitely had its ups and downs, but I’m happy I’ve been able to do what I love in writing and creating.

December Results

One Short Story

As much as I wanted to write a short story this month, writing was a bit of a chore. Between all the preparation of reducing my hours at my current job and all the preparation of getting everything settled for the new job, writing took a bit of a backseat. There were several days where I didn’t even write at all. So unfortunately, I still have one and a half short stories that I’m taking with me into the new year.

Continue Edits

December wasn’t really the month for edits. Between finishing up final papers for school, getting everything ready for a new job, and wrapping up things at my current job, things got quite a bit hectic. Though I did make a more solid plan to make sure edits do get done.

Poetry

It took me a little while to get into the groove with the poetry contest, but I finished at least 18 poems and submitted them to the contest just before Christmas. I really enjoyed writing and putting together something I haven’t done in a while. Returning to poetry was fun, and something I might continue into next year.

Non-Writing Related

In December, a lot happened. I worked my butt off at my job, plus filling out paperwork for the new job and eventually started that job right after Christmas. I wrote poetry and technically published said poetry. I wrote some flash fiction and published to Medium.

While this month wasn’t a spectacularly big word count month, it was a big month as far as preparing for the future. Besides publishing to Medium and signing a publishing contract for poetry, I also opened an Etsy store and truly looked in to publishing some of my previous works.

In personal news, I got engaged. I couldn’t be happier.

Word Count: 10,341

Year End Results

As far as the whole year goes, I feel pretty successful. I didn’t manage to reach all of my goals, but I put in a good effort and have a lot to show for it. I feel like I’ve made large leaps and bounds compared to where I was at this time last year, and I hope I’ll have even more to show for it when we reach this time next year.

Here’s how I did on my goals for 2022:

Write Every Day

As hard as I tried to write every single day of the year, it just simply wasn’t possible. Something would come up, or lack of motivation would strike. That being said, I feel like I did the best I could given the circumstances.

January: 100%

February: 100%

March: 83%, with 26/31 days

April: 86%, with 26/30 days

May: 93% with 29/31 days

June: 100%

July: 77% with 24/31 days

August: 80% with 25/31 days

September: 80% with 24/30 days

October: 87% with 27/31 days

November: 100%

December: 55%, with 17/31

Total/Average: 87%, with 317 days of writing.

Short Story a Month

For the short stories, I didn’t always finish them in one span of 30 days, but I did finish 11/12 I set out to do. I think that’s pretty impressive.

Violet

Angie

Sinead

The Red Flower

Trifecta

Fairytales

Inventors of Tomorrow-NYC FF contest round one

Mess is Easier-NYC FF contest round two

The Goodbye Girl – First piece of fiction written for my bachelor’s program

The Way Out

Two of a Kind

Write/Edit Six Novels in 2022

Writing and editing was my big goal for 2022. I figured I could get a lot more done than I did. Due to time constraints and other goals and projects (like school and a full-time job), I did not finish or edit as many projects as I had planned to. Still, I’m happy that I finished the projects I did finish.

Magic and Romance – Finished June 2022 (First Draft)

Ghost House Heart – Finished October 2022 (First Draft)

Speaking From the Soul: Poems of Places Yet Explored – Finished December 2022 (First Draft)

Read at least Four Books

Surprisingly, reading was easier than I expected it to be. I haven’t really kept a great reading schedule over the past few years, whether it was due to school or a hectic work/life balance, but I was quite pleased to get back into reading. Maybe I shouldn’t have spent more time reading than writing, but I have no regrets. I read a lot of great books this year.

SpellMaker by Charlie N. Holmberg- Feb 2022

The Phantom of the Bathtub by Eugenia Riley – Feb 2022

A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene- March 2022

A Throne of Ruin by K.F. Breene- March 2022

A Kingdom of Ruin by K.F. Breene- March 2022

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter- April 2022

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy-September 2022

Dis-Harmony: A Jigsaw Collection of Misguided Dating by Rachel R. Kovach- September 2022

Love and Lexapro by Emma Alexis Woodard- September 2022

Creative Challenges

For 2022, I had planned on competing in every NYC Midnight competition. As hard as I tried, once again with a busy schedule and hectic life, it simply wasn’t possible to compete in all of them. I did very much enjoy the ones I did compete in though.

NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge: Did Not Compete

This challenge, I signed up for, but had to drop out at the last minute due to procrastination and homework. Unfortunately for the time being, homework and school has to come first.

NYC Midnight Microfiction Challenge (100 Word):

This year, the microfiction challenge was quite fun. I started out with a genre I don’t usually write and had fun with it, even if it was a bit crass. In the first round, I scored 13th place, which meant I got to go on to round 2 and write another 100-word story. I didn’t place in round two, but I had fun writing it and getting feedback.

NYC Midnight Microficiton Challenge (250 Word):

This is the first time I’ve competed in this challenge, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I’m not used to 250 words, but it does give a lot more to play with than 100 words. I’m looking forward to the challenge that round two brings in the upcoming year.

NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge:

This year, I got to write in a genre I’ve never written in before for round one. I enjoyed it and got to play around with some fun futuristic elements. In round two, I got to experiment with some really dark themes and actually scare myself with the piece I wrote.

NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge: Did Not Compete

NYC Midnight Short Screenplay Challenge:Did Not Compete

NYC Midnight Rhyming Story Challenge: Did Not Compete

I signed up for this one, but due to several other obligations (mainly homework) I was not able to actually write and submit anything. Instead, I have the prompts saved up for some future plans.

Year End Word Count: 216,988

November Results and December Goals

Thank Goodness November is finally over. I usually love November for the intense joy of writing, but this November has kicked my butt in too many ways. I’m excited we’re now in December, a brand new month, with brand new goals, but that also means the year is wrapping up. Time to get my butt in gear and finish the year strong.

Here’s how I did in my goals.

November Results

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo could have gone better this year. With oral surgery, a wedding to attend, antibiotics, cough medicine and everything else that went on this month, it was a struggle to find the time and the energy to sit down and write words. At one point, I was even close to 10K behind, but I slowly started to crawl my way back and try to make a dent in the actual novel I should be working on and not all my side projects. Thankfully, the last day of the month, I crossed the finish line on multiple projects and reached the 50K mark.

Continue Edits

This month, edits were stop and go. There were a few days where I was consistent in editing, and then there were more days where I wasn’t consistent at all. Unfortunately there were a lot of zeros on my spreadsheet for editing, but I expected that with it being NaNoWriMo and all. Drafting is definitely quicker than editing and usually gives me more words. But I did learn a decent trick over the last few weeks of editing backwards and keeping the story fresh in my head. Hopefully it helps me edit more words as we roll into December.

One Short Story/Finish a Short Story

This month, I worked a little bit on everything. I started a new short story and added that to my ever-growing list of short stories for the year. I finished two short stories this month and nearly caught up in my short story per month quota. By the end of the year, I hope to have 12 short stories that I can edit next year and see where they end up.

NYC Midnight’s 250 Microfiction Competition

The NYC Midnight Microfiction challenge went well. I was able to throw it together in a few hours, right in the heat of COVID and more than enough cough medicine to kill a horse. The genre was romantic comedy and I hope I caught enough romance and comedy to make it shine in only 250 words. Now I wait for the results.

Word Count: 50,721

Toward the end of October, I fell down my stairs and had to nurse that back to health with a metric ton of Ibuprofen and Tylenol. Then the first week of November I had oral surgery and had a tooth removed and had to take antibiotics and narcotics (which always make me queasy), then finally the week after that, COVID finally caught up with me and kicked my ass. Toward the end of the month, when I finally started to feel like myself again after a few days off, I managed to catch up on all my projects for the month. I really found the community of writers in my local area which helped me find the final push I needed to get some things done.

For the first time, I published some of my microfiction to Medium. You can read it and follow me here.

December Goals

One Short Story

I already have my idea for the short story in December. I already have a good portion of the short story from November mapped out. I’m hoping to work on both in the next month and finish my goal of 12 short stories this year strong. It’s been a really good year for short stories and I’m looking forward to adding another story to my ever-growing list.

Continue Edits

Edits are picking up again after NaNoWriMo and now that I have a direction, I’m ready to get moving and make as much progress as I can before the end of the year. I’m thinking if I spend at least thirty minutes a day doing some kind of editing, I’ll have more than I started with at the beginning of the month.

Poetry

On a whim, I signed up for a poetry competition. I’ve been looking for more publishing opportunities, and that will hopefully include poetry one of these days. The goal for the competition is one poem a day for 21 days. Either way, if I manage to get a few poems down, it’s more than what I started with at the end of the month.

What goal are you trying to wrap up by the end of the year?

September Results and October Goals

We’re in the slippery slide of the last part of the year. How are we already in October??? September felt like it just started yesterday, and yet here we are.

I had a lot of goals in September. Here’s how I did:

September Results

Write One Short Story

September was an awesome month for short stories. I didn’t finish the short story that I intended to finish, but I did write and submit my first piece of fiction for my Bachelor’s program in Creative Writing, and that just so happened to be a short story. I’m quite proud of it. I’m still working on the short story for August, but I’m making progress there too.

Continue Edits on Book One

I continued edits on book one and finished a chapter. While I still didn’t make as much progress as I would have liked, I did begin to set up a routine and find balance between writing and editing. I now have a routine and a daily writing/editing time and I’m making sure I do everything I can to keep it. Now, I just have to continue making as much progress as I can on my edits.

Instagram Writer Friends Challenge

September started with the best intentions. I posted for the first nine days of the Writer Friends Challenge and then life got in the way. I kept meaning to catch up on the days I missed, and then next thing I knew, September was over. I’m hoping next time I attempt I’ll have more success.

NYC Midnight’s Rhyming Story Challenge

The NYC Midnight Rhyming Story Challenge is still going. I thought it was only in September, but it ends today. Typical me, I have procrastinated on it all week and now the deadline is tomorrow. I’ll have to provide an update sometime in October.

In September, I also managed to finish two books and start a third. Strangely, even though I usually read fiction, I read two non-fiction/memoirs. I also started a new class and submitted my first creative work for my writing program and it felt so good. I also set up a routine for writing, to make it feel less hectic, so we’ll see how that goes for the end of the year.

Word Count: 20,187

October Goals

Inktober and Writetober

October is always busy for me. With Inktober and Writetober and Instawrimo going on all at the same time, it’s going to be a busy month posting to social media. I hope I can keep up along with everything else I’m working on this month. I’m not the best artist as far as drawing goes, but I like to give it a shot every year and have a little fun with it. Writetober is exciting because it’s fifty words or less, which makes it fun to tell a story in as few words as possible.

Finsh Ghost House Heart

I’ve been working on Ghost House Heart on and off since 2020. I have finally made some progress and I can see the end. I have two chapters left and I’m excited to finally say I finished the first draft. I’m ready to move on to something else, like the novel I plan to write in November for NaNoWriMo.

Continue Edits

I’m still working on edits, but now I have a routine and I know where I’m going with the edits. I’m hoping to make more progress before November rolls around and hopefully get through the halfway point.

Prepare for NaNoWriMo

November is fast approaching, whether I like it or not. This year, the past few months have flown by with school and work and everything else in between. I have a loose idea of what I’m writing, but it never helps to prepare sooner rather than later.

(Possible) NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Challenge Part Three

I’m still waiting on results from round two. Round three is not guaranteed yet, but I’m hoping I can participate this year. I really enjoy the challenges from NYC Midnight. For now, this is only a possible goal.

October is going to be busy for me! What are some of your goals?