2013 Goals: July Status Report

July is one of those months that got away from me! Between working feverishly on lesson plans and taking a vacation, I fell a little short of completing my goals for this month. However, instead of beating myself up over it, I am choosing to be thankful for some much needed rest.

While some things were pushed back on the to-do list, others remained front and center. Even with so many distractions, my writing is never far from view.

1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.

As of yesterday, the third draft of Novel #2 is complete! All clean up edits are done and I now have a relatively polished manuscript. YAY!

I am admittedly behind on this goal (I wanted to be done by early July), but I’ll still take the victory. Next up, I’ll be doing another read through, but I don’t anticipate many changes. I’m at the point where I’ve done all I can on my own. It’s time to put it out there and see what happens.

2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.

Still on the shelf (and that’s okay).

3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.

This goal is still technically on the shelf (to allow time for Novel #2), but as with last month, I am still writing a lot of poetry.  Photographs I took over the summer continue to be an enormous source of inspiration. Perhaps, a poetry contest or a journal submission is on the horizon.

4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2

My mini-goal for July was to complete the short synopsis for Novel #2, but unfortunately I only have half of a synopsis. However, I made some good headway on something I struggle with, so it’s not a complete failure!

Despite struggles with the synopsis, I am still happy with my query letter draft. During the month of August I’ll be putting it to the test. See Goal #5 for details.

5) Continue building author platform

Last month, I thought about spending more time on Twitter. Then, I realized it was more of a distraction than a pathway towards my goals. Twitter has it’s benefits, but I’m in the process of deciding how much of a role it will have in my future as a writer.

Facebook, however, has proven to be a great way to connect to other writers and promote my blog. I love reading about the successes of fellow writers and I find their stories to be very motivating. I may spend a little too much time on Facebook, but in many ways it’s time well spent!

Aside from social media, I’ve decided to participate in WriteOnCon this year. On August 13-14, WriteOnCon opens with forums, online conferences, query critiques, and advice from agents.  With a section dedicated to YA, I figure I have nothing to lose by submitting my query letter for Novel #2. Agents from well-known agencies visit the forums, while also participating in online workshops. This is a great opportunity for exposure, so I’m going to jump in with both feet.

My Facebook Page has grown from  312 to 322

On Twitter, my followers have gone from 534 to 531 (understandable, seeing as I really haven’t been tweeting)

Thanks so much to all my followers. Your support and encouragement means so much!

As with June, this month was another good one for new blog subscribers. While my daily stats are low, watching the subscription number rise is motivation enough to keep posting.

6)  Read three books on the writing/publishing process.

I’m still happily entrenched in the world of Maisie Dobbs. I’m probably going to stay there until I catch up to the latest installment!

7) Inspire others to keep writing.

As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!

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How are you doing on your 2013 goals?

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c.b.w. 2013