Posts Tagged ‘goals’
No, I’m not trying out for the pro wrestling circuit. (They call that the WWE these days, anyway.)
The WWF I refer to is the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood‘s famed Winter Writing Festival.
Four years ago, the fabulous Rubies decided to organize a writing festival to get us through the darkest winter months … a writing festival that, unlike NaNoWriMo, doesn’t take place in a month with a major holiday. (Surely created by a man who didn’t have to cook Thanksgiving dinner …)
Also unlike NaNo, the WWF doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Your goal is to earn 50 points by the end of the festival period, Jan. 10-Feb. 28. The best part? YOU pick your own goals. If you need to focus on editing instead of writing new words, you can.
Because you say how you earn a point, it’s pretty hard NOT to “win” the WWF. And you get to hang out with/be inspired by a great group of writers. Win-win!
Here are the ways I’ve decided to earn points.
Each of the following is worth 1 point:
– Write 300 new words on any WIP (as indicated by Scrivener) OR
– Make revisions to 1 chapter of Love&Baseball3 where needed, per my TMP editor OR
– 30 minutes combing through galley proof of BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER (when I get it) OR
– Pay my RWA and NARWA dues OR
– Jump in on at least two WWF 20-minute writing sprints in one day OR
– BICHOK for 45 minutes straight (no Internet checks) OR
– Read 1 of the RITA books I’m assigned to judge OR
– Prep and schedule 5 promotional tweets or FB entries for myself and friends (1 for me, 4 for friends) OR
– Take 5-10 minutes to slow down, mediate, do a few yoga poses OR
– Write a post for my writing blog
To earn a bonus 5 points:
– Finish the first draft of TROUBLE IN PARADISE
– Complete NARWA’s chapter affiliation paperwork (with help from the treasurer)
– Sell 2 to 5 paperback copies of DIVA IN THE DUGOUT when I go to my first book signing event, the Chocolate Affaire, in Glendale on Feb. 8
Despite my goal to boost my online presence, it’s been too long since I’ve written a blog post.
I can’t say it’s all bad, because I have been busy writing … and rewriting … and getting rejections … and rewriting some more.
Since I last blogged, I finished the first draft of a novella, struggled with a paranormal romantic comedy and prepped an entry for the 2013 Golden Heart. (Fingers crossed on that one.)
I also assumed the helm of my local RWA chapter, NARWA, and jumped into the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival again.
My RSSWWF goals, as posted in the opening ceremonies post on Jan. 10:
- Revise at least 5 pages in the novella I want to submit March 1.
- Revise at least 5 pages of my the rest of my GH entry (in case it finals).
- Read an article on character-building & figure out how to apply it to my stories above.
- Do something presidential (chapter admin duties).
- Pay my NARWA/RWA dues. The president has to stay current!
- Network by reaching out to a fellow writer in some way – via Facebook, twitter, blog comment
Plus additional goals left over from last year (they still apply, so why not?):
- Read/give feedback to CP OR
- Read one article in one of the many unread issues of RWR I have on file OR
- Write a blog post of at least 150 words for my writing blog, Love & Laughter. Posts for the weight loss blog don’t count. OR
- Read one of the GH entries I just received for judging OR
- Do something/anything to further my writing career (like entering an online pitch contest, attending a chapter meeting) OR
- Spend at least an hour a day, BICHOK (not playing online)
That’s what I’ve been up to, and what I’ll be doing for the foreseeable future. What are you doing to make your dream come true?
The big day’s finally here: The start of the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival.
It crept up on me so quickly that I didn’t have as much time as I’d hoped to craft my goals — so I’m going to build on last year’s list. With a few modifications, it’ll work again.
Here’s the quick and dirty list:
- Write at least 500 words on WIP OR
- Edit at least 10 pages OR
- BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard) for at least 30 minutes without Internet distractions OR
- Craft winning query letter for one of my two 2012 GH entries (so I can be ready if I final again) OR
- Read/give feedback to CP OR
- Find a contest to enter and prep entry OR
- Read one article in one of the many unread issues of RWR I have on file OR
- Write a blog post of at least 150 words for my writing blog, Love & Laughter. Posts for the weight loss blog don’t count. OR
- Read one of the GH entries I just received for judging OR
- Pay my RWA dues. They’re due by Feb. 28 at the latest OR
- Register for RWA National Conference OR
- Get a massage. (If I could afford to do this one once a week, I would — but it’ll more likely be once during the entire festival.)
They seem like simple goals, I know — but I’m setting myself up for success. If I can’t make time to do one (or more) of those things each day, I’d better give up on writing.
What is my WIP, you ask? That’s a very good question. I still seem to be suffering from the story ADD I developed last March.
Currently, I’m expanding/editing Brad & Erin’s story with an eye to a specific submission. I also have plans to add to Dave & Melinda’s story, which is right at 50K now. Eventually, I want to get back to Beth & Cody, too — I only had about 20K left to write when I got derailed. Surely Beth has some redeeming qualities (though the Golden Pen judges were doubtful). And then there’s my NaNo novel starring Van and Allyson. I finished the 50K rough draft, but it needs major help.
See? Story ADD.
Guess with no shortage of projects, I’ll always have something to do! I’m ready to get down to work and have some fun. See you at the RSS.
Golden Heart finalist calls will come out in less than three months.
But that’s not the “it” I’m talking about (yet). It’s almost time for the annual Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival.
The festival starts on Jan. 11 and runs through the end of February — an extra day, with this being a leap year.
Okay, I cheated: This is the 2011 badge, from my old writing blog. But I will be participating again this year. I plan to give some serious thought to my goals before posting them here.
That’s the great thing about the WWF: You determine the goals. If you want to throw in there “get a massage,” you can. Of course, it makes sense to have most of them be writing-related — it is the Winter Writing Festival, after all, not Relax-a-palooza.
Come, write with me and the Rubies. You can get a lot accomplished while having a blast.
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