Goodbye 2015, and Hello 2016!

Wow. What a year 2015 has been. I laid out a plan for myself back in April, and I think things are coming along rather nicely. Of course, I'm not even halfway through the Baker's Dozen Experiment, and completing that will be my main goal for 2016.

So far, I've published 3 items, a total of 5 short stories in those publications. I've also posted 21 chapters of Chains of Nect to Wattpad and my blog. Here's hoping I can keep the momentum going through the next year.

Of course, I had to sit down and reassess some things. The Baker's Dozen Experiment will continue, however, I've decided to pause my progress and posts on Chains of Nect. I have other projects that I feel need to be moved to the forefront, especially since my reception on Wattpad hasn't been strong. This doesn't mean I'm not willing to change my mind, if enough people request for me to continue Chains of Nect. Feel free to post here or use my contact form to request I continue it sooner rather than later. If enough people ask for it, I'll definitely shift things around!

I will have one final chapter of Chains of Nect that will be posted to Wattpad on January 1, and subsequently posted to my blog on January 6.

Aside from that change, here are some highlights of my goals for 2016:

❧ Publish 9 more short stories for the Baker's Dozen Experiment
❧ Publish my novel Mind Behind the Mind to finish off the Baker's Dozen Experiment
❧ Complete a revision of Dead As Dreams
❧ Write a Fractured Fairies Christmas story for next December
❧ Start writing Thorns Entwine the Blade, the sequel to Mind Behind the Mind
❧ Draft 2-3 other short stories
❧ Find some beta readers for the Mind sequels (if you're interested please contact me for more info - you do not need to be a writer to be a beta reader!)
❧ Blog once per week - stay tuned for The Adventures of Karriya the Wizard!
❧ Continue critiquing, participate more in Broad Universe and on Kboards
❧ Read, read, and read - I'd be happy to take any recommendations

So, here's hoping 2016 is as productive as 2015. May the toddler be an angel, the eldest child not whine, and the kittens become fat, lazy non-tree climbing cats. Oh, and the house self-clean itself. Too much to ask for? Nah, I don't think so (as I listen to the toddler freaking out at her older sister).

Also, if you're a writer who would like some camaraderie while working toward monthly goals, please join us in the Writing Quest group on Facebook. I'm now running it as a group instead of separate monthly events, and anyone is welcome to join!

I hope everyone has a happy start to 2016. What are your hopes and dreams for the year to come?

Rolling Into 2015

Oh, here it comes...my annual goals post! It wouldn't be a new year without one. ;)

Looking back at 2014 briefly, I'm at least happy to see that I've made progress. I'm through Ch. 24 on my first revision of Dead As Dreams. Nice progress for someone chasing around a 1-year-old all day, dealing with the needs of a 6-year-old, attempting to give attention to a husband, and making sure the house doesn't fall down around all of us (I'm not sure how successful I've been on that last one - something always suffers - ha). Along with revisions, I wrote a few chapters on a new novel, got back into the swing of critiquing, and re-did my website. Go, me!

I'm hoping I can keep up the momentum for 2015. And yes, I do have my 2015 One-Year Plan drawn up. Here are the highlights:

❧ 5-10 Writing Related Hours Per Week (this is a lot while tending to that aforementioned 1-year-old, honest - more hours per week as she gets older)
❧ Read 3 Hours Per Week
❧ Complete 1st Revision of Dead As Dreams by July 31, 2015
❧ Complete through Ch. 27 2nd Revision of Dead As Dreams by December 31, 2015
❧ Synopsis of Dead As Dreams
❧ 10,000 to 20,000 Words Added to Another Novel
❧ Edit and Revise Current Completed Short Stories
❧ Complete 3-4 Short Story Rough Drafts
❧ Keep Short Stories in Slush Piles
❧ Indie Pub 2-3 Short Stories by Year's End
❧ Add 1 Part to 1 Ongoing Story on Wattpad Per Month
❧ Keep Critiquing
❧ Blog Once Per Week

Not too crazy of a list, I hope. I've mostly been hitting my monthly goals lately, so I'm confident I can manage most of the above. I'll try to do a rejections gathered tally when I do occasional updates here - I want to see how high I can get!

I'll of course still be running Writing Quest. January is already up! Come join us if you have some writing goals of your own.

What are your hopes and dreams for 2015?

NEXT UP: Lavender Legacy - Ch. 4

Fun With Words

Yes, I realize I'm nearly a week late in posting. As it stands, better late than never the way I've been feeling.

I haven't made any progress with my writing projects, although I did complete a critique for someone. And I've been reading a lot.

I'm starting to feel a little better, though, and I'm hoping I can start chipping away at revisions for Dead As Dreams either later this week or next week. I'd love to get a full revision done by mid-June, since I plan to go to the In Your Write Mind retreat, and I'd like to be able to pitch. We'll see how things work out.

Since I've been dealing with morning sickness, though, I thought it would be fun to examine the term. Morning sickness is a true misnomer. For most women, morning sickness doesn't just happen in the morning (mine is actually worse at night). So, why is it called morning sickness? From some of the stuff I've looked at on the internet, my guess is it's because most cases doctors observed happened in the mornings.

But since my brain doesn't like to shut off, I thought of another interesting way the word "morning" could be perceived. Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. The first trimester could be considered morning, the second afternoon, and the third evening. Most morning sickness (except for some extreme cases that can last the entire pregnancy) happens during the first trimester. So, it's during the "morning" portion of pregnancy.

Do I think too much? Maybe. But it's still fun to consider, in my opinion.

OK, enough about silly words. It's still not too late to join Writing Quest - May for those interested!

NEXT UP: At this point, no clue! Some time in June there will be another Magic Is Reality, Reality Is Magic entry, but I can't promise exactly what I'll post before then. ;)

Online Critique Workshops

As mentioned in my previous post, it's beneficial to give and receive critiques, no matter what stage of writing you are in. Sometimes it's difficult to find the right place to exchange critiques, though. You will have to test groups yourself to find a good fit for you.

Below is a list of online critique workshops. It's by no means comprehensive, and many of the links lean towards science fiction, fantasy, and horror, as those are the genres I am more knowledgeable in. Sometimes you can find critique partners via writing forums as well.

Online may not work for you--search for critique groups locally as well, or start one yourself. I found my critique partners through my M.A. program (we exchange via e-mail, but I've met them in person during the residencies or retreats).

Also keep in mind, if you form a local group you are likely to have people with many genres--this is not necessarily a bad thing! We can learn a lot from critiquing outside of our genre as well. OK, on with the links:

Critique.org - This includes the Critters workshop. Recently, many new workshops have opened for a lot of genres. No cost. If you have questions about how it's run, feel free to ask me, as this is the one on the list I actively belong to for short story critiques.

Hatrack Writers Workshop - This one is off of Orson Scott Card's website, hosted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury. The information I read does not state it is genre specific. No cost.

Online Writing Workshops - Currently only have a SF/F/H workshop, but have had general fiction and romance in the past. First month free. $49 per year. Yes, they charge, but I know they have been around a long time - it could be worth it for some people (at least you get a month free to test it out).

Critique Circle - Another big one that's been around for a while. All genres. No cost.

Other Worlds Writers' Workshop - F/SF genres. No cost.

Coffeehouse Select or Casual Critique Communities - Looks like all genres. No cost.

Short Story Writers' Group - Only short stories and poetry. All genres. No cost.

Science Fiction Writers Workshop - Speculative fiction only. No cost.

Fiction Writing Brainstorming & Critique Partnership - This is a fledgling group on Facebook, but it has a lot of potential! All genres. No cost.

Some writing forums where you may be able to exchange critiques or find critique partners (there are countless forums out there, don't be shy to use Google):

Absolute Write Water Cooler
Forward Motion for Writers
Author Nation


NEXT UP: Born to Write!

Critiques = Invaluable

Any past Tips & Prompts can be found on my website: Writing Tips & Prompts.

Writing Tip #2 - Critiques = Invaluable

If you want to improve your writing, there is nothing more valuable than receiving feedback on your work. No, not something like "your writing sucks" or "this is great" - constructive criticism, tips and suggestions on how to improve in various areas of writing like characterization, plot, story, and even grammar.

A lot of critiquing is subjective. Not everyone will suggest the same things, but not every reader will read your story or novel and see it the same way. So, you'll need to pick through the comments and decide which ones you think will work the best. It's another good reason to get feedback from more than one person. Likely if everyone says to change a certain aspect, you better pay attention and change it!

Receiving feedback isn't the only way to see what you need to improve on, though. Critiquing for others is just as important. By noticing things in the work of others, it brings perspective to your own writing.

Many times when I'm critiquing, I find myself giving feedback on the things that I am working on or things I have finally learned to fix in my own writing. And sometimes when I notice a bump in someone else's work, it's the first time I realize I've been making the same mistake.

No matter how much you write, how many times you put words to paper and spin stories, nothing will ever be perfect. I don't think anyone ever grows out of needing feedback from other writers. You will improve, though, and you'll be able to look back at an old piece of writing and say, "I've gotten so much better!"

The sky's the limit, right? What limit? ;) Critique, ask for critiques, and know that you are doing so to shine and sparkle up your writing a little more each time.


NEXT UP: Links to online critique workshops.

Critters Workshop - Expanding to Other Genres!

Apologies for the lack of a blog post last week. My daughter and I were really sick all week (I will spare you the disgusting details), so I am behind on everything.

I've mentioned before that I belong to Critters online workshop, for SF/F/H. A few months ago, the Critter Captain (Andrew Burt), decided to create some new workshops, stretching into other genres. Yes, some of the new workshops have been up and running for a while, but I figured this would be a good blog topic, just in case some people still don't know about it. =)

If you're interested in taking a look at the new workshop offerings, you can find them all at http://critique.org/ Not only are there workshops for mystery, romance, and non-fiction, but also for other types of media, like videos and music. You need to sign up for each workshop separately, though. So, if you're looking for a place to exchange critiques, this is a good place to start!

Speaking of critiques, I have some novel chapters to read. Happy critiquing all!


NEXT UP: A mid-season look at Fringe.