Hey Folks,
Not sure what today will entail. Editing for sure, and probably writing. Otherwise who knows.
Well, I took an unscheduled trip to the grocery, a pure pleasure in my “new” 1995 Toyota Taco(ma) pickup. Then back here to post a photo of the pickup on Facebook. Then I wrote the topic below, and finally moved to the edit. It’s 11:30 a.m. already.
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Well, I edited off and on while playing with my pickup. It’s an overcast, cold, glum day here today, so the babies stayed inside during most of it.
Topic: Goal Setting (and Letting Go)
I’ve been so involved for so long in setting goals, then striving to achieve them, that I sometimes forget to Just Let Go.
That is especially true in the final few months of a year because I’m striving to meet annual goals and/or play catch up on those.
For example, I set a goal for this year to write a novel per month. Yeah, well, that one ain’t gonna happen.
But that’s all right. I’ve finished 9 novels, a novella, a nonfiction book and 47 short stories. I wrote all but one of those (a novel) wholly within this year. I also compiled and published 4 short story collections, three with 10 stories each and one with 5 stories.
I’m happy with all of that. So far. (grin)
I still have 10 days to go, beginning tomorrow. That should mean at least two more stories and (I hope) at least the start of a new novel.
But if it doesn’t, that’s all right too. As part of my ongoing retraining as a writer, I’m learning it’s all right to let go sometimes.
I love Christmas, though I came late to loving it. I have learned, and am learning, to cherish moments with individuals and groups, writers and nonwriters, and there is no better time of the year than this to both cherish and practice that concept.
Especially in this still-PC time, cherishing Christmas is a little challenging at times, but that makes it all the more attractive to me. Call it a personality flaw.
So let me pause here for a moment to wish each of you a very merry, happy Christmas season and Christmas day. If you celebrate it, so much the better. If you don’t, that doesn’t cause it to cease to exist, and I still wish you all the smiles and hugs and fellowship the season brings regardless of your beliefs.
As for me, for the next 11 days (including today), I intend to Just Let Go. I’ll get done what I can, whether editing or writing or folding laundry or cooking or loving my friends and family.
And sincerely, thank you for being along on the trip.
Of Interest
From BookBub, here’s their Top 10 Book Marketing Articles from 2016: https://insights.bookbub.com/top-book-marketing-articles-bookbub/
If you need a quick way to search public records (for personal reasons or for research) there’s a database, searchable by state, at http://www.courtsystem.org/.
Not much else out there.
Today’s Writing
Back tomorrow.
Fiction Words: XXXX
Nonfiction Words: 500 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 500
Writing of “”
Day 1…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXXX
Total fiction words for the month……… 21254
Total fiction words for the year………… 700948
Total nonfiction words for the month… 11610
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 269510
Total words for the year (fiction and nonfiction)…… 970458
Edit Totals
Day 1…… 51 pages. Total to date…… 51 (+16 in the bank)
Day 2…… 26 pages. Total to date…… 77 (+7)
Day 3…… 41 pages. Total to date…… 118(+13)
Day 4…… 38 pages. Total to date…… 156 (+16)
Day 5…… 73 pages. Total to date…… 229 (+54)
Day 6…… 40 pages. Total to date…… 269 (+59)
Day 7…… 36 pages. Total to date…… 305 (+60)
Day 8…… 00 pages. Total to date…… 305 (+25)
Day 9…… 38 pages. Total to date…… 343 (+28)