Why Set a Goal?

 Why set a goal?

Setting goals is something my husband and I disagree on. He would rather not set a goal. He has his interests and feels that if he pursues those interests, taking things in stride, he will accomplish great things. He is an easy going guy and very good at what he does. I am the complete opposite, wanting to create direction in my own life and not just take what’s given to me. I can be a little intense, but I typically get what I want. Surprisingly, we are both fairly successful in life, so I’m not going to say that setting goals is the only way to go. I know it’s an odd argument to have, but we also disagree about keeping a positive mindset (a different topic for another day)--which I think is an even stranger thing to disagree about.

I will say this though, many research studies support the theory that goal setting is one of the most important things to help you reach your full potential as a writer and as a human being in general (especially if you find that things don’t come to you especially easily). 

In Mary Kay I learned that goal setting is a lot like archery. 

If you were with a group of people and someone gives you each a bow and an arrow, telling you to shoot it, arrows would end up everywhere. However, take that same group of people and place a target at the front of them and tell them to shoot--some people would miss it completely, some people would hit part of it, and some may hit right on the bull’s eye. The difference?

In the first scenario, there is no target and therefore no focus. We can be doing activity after activity (shooting arrow after arrow), but have no real direction, which takes us wherever our arrow flies. Which may or may not be great. If you have seen the movie Parasite, you know that this way of life can sometimes end in tragedy. Well, maybe that’s taking this analogy too far. 

In the other scenario, we know exactly where we are aiming and even if we miss the target, we are heading in the right general direction of our goal. If we continue shooting those arrows, maybe learning and developing as we go, making adjustments as needed, we know that we will eventually come close, if not hit the bull’s eye at some point.

So how do you know what goal to shoot for?

If the room is full of targets where do you aim first?

My advice, pick the closest target.

Let’s say that you want to be a bestselling novelist, but you are just getting started with your writing career. That target for the bestsellers list is about fifty yards away. Though you may hit the target from this far, it’s a good idea to aim for something a lot closer first. Here are some ideas:

• Attend a class at a college or writing conference like Storymakers to get some basic writing tips and learn how story works. 

• Read a certain number of novels in the genre you are interested in writing so you understand what sells in that particular market. 

• Sign up for writing websites like Storygrid.com or newsletters like David Farland’s Kick in the Pants.

• Read writing blogs like Tara Lazar’s Writing for Kids While Raising Them

• Join a critique group.

• Begin writing! This, obviously, is the most important part. Remember consistency is the key. To become more consistent check out my other articles on Calendaring and Baby Steps.

I hope that your bow and arrow take you to great places. You have wonderful things to accomplish. Your writing is important and with a goal, you are so much more likely to reach your target (no matter what my husband might say). 

What are your writing goals? Do you have a big destination in mind? Let me know in the comments. Beginning on the right path starts by making a decision and stating it. Let’s do this thing!

Calendaring

  In my last article I talked about calendaring. When I was eleven years old my brother gave me my first Franklin Covey planner. At the time I thought it was the oddest gift to give to an eleven year old, especially to me—since I didn’t deem myself a very organized person. But I decided that since I had it, I would use it. That planner has proven to be the most impactful gift I had ever been given. It became such a tool to me that I soon began referring to it as my “life.”

I organized everything from homework to activities. It taught me to use a calendar, which to this day seems to be the most effective way for me to manage my time. I have moved from paper to digital and I love it! Since my schedule is right on my phone, it makes taking it with me a lot easier—not to mention entering recurring tasks and events is a dream comparatively. 

There are so many options for calendaring, from your typical day planners to online calendars. In another article I’ll review some of the calendaring apps and tools out there and rate them, but really, it doesn’t completely matter. I believe that the most important part is that you write things down. “The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory,” as the Chinese proverb goes. 

So, how do you use a calendar effectively? How do you get your work stuff done and have time with your family and friends? Most importantly: how do you balance writing with everything else in between? Here’s a basic breakdown of how I do it. I’m sure there are other ways to make calendaring a beneficial experience, but this may be a good starting place.

Set a designated day and time to fill out and review your calendar 

(add it to your calendar as an appointment if you need).

• On Sunday evenings I go through emails and fill in my kids' school events, deadlines, and other appointments, typically focusing on the entire week at once. Throughout the week I add things immediately after I set them up—otherwise I tend to forget. 

• Each night I review my schedule for the next day and line things up if needed so I'm ready for the morning.

Schedule in all of the “must do’s”

• Start with work, school, meetings, and appointments. Take into account travel and prep time.

• Add in meals and important chores.

• Using the gaps, fill in your writing time.

Schedule in the “want to’s”

• Plan time for the people you care about.

1. I’m going to spend time on this one, because I think it’s important and it’s where I’ve had to do the most work personally. 

I’m constantly diving into one project or another and my husband loves nothing more than sitting down, watching TV with a big bowl of popcorn, and just enjoying time with me. Luckily he’s a good communicator and I’m a fairly decent listener. He told me that he was missing that time with me, so I made him a deal that I would watch TV with him one night a week, no distractions, if we danced to a song after every show we watch (since we met Swing dancing and I never want that to stop.). So every Monday night we have a special little night where we watch a TV show and dance to one song. We call it, “Do Nothing Night” and it’s something we both look forward to every week. 

We also have a slated Date Night for either Friday or Saturday night at about 6:00pm, depending mostly on our older kids’ schedules for babysitting. 

It may not be spontaneous, but it will happen more often than not if you have the time allotted—and that is what’s most important.

• If you have other hobbies that you want to explore, schedule time for those.

• Leave open spaces in your schedule. This way you’re prepared with time for “other” things and emergencies. Also it gives you flexibility and you’re less likely to experience burnout. It’s good for your brain to see and experience down time.

The biggest benefit of calendaring is the ability to see, at a glance, how busy you are and where you have writing time. 

Even if you only have a fifteen minute time slot (typically me), that is time that can be well spent. A calendar can help you make and keep your appointments, especially the writing appointments you make with yourself. Try it out! Who knows, it could be the most important skill you’ll ever acquire. You’ve got this! 

What type of calendar do you use to manage your time? Do you have any tips on calendaring that I didn’t cover? I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment.

Baby Steps

      Now that we’ve committed to doing better with time management, the key is getting consistent. I’ve written an article about this before, but it really is tricky, especially with outside forces working their way in. Although, in some people’s cases it could be that there aren’t enough outside forces and we think all day, “I have plenty of time to get to my writing. I will do it later.” Both of these scenarios make for a difficult time with getting consistent and in both cases boundaries are important. Boundaries with others and boundaries with ourselves. As well as taking advantage of our pockets of time.

     When I talk about boundaries I am referring to drawing the line between needs and wants and how to make this work for you in your writing. This book, Boundaries: When to Say Yes When to say No To Take Control of Your Life by John Townsend and Henry Cloud, is really good. Be aware that if you read it, you'll see who is taking your time, who doesn’t respect your boundaries, and who does. It changes the way you see people, but it also does a great job of teaching you how to work with those people. Mainly, I find, the best way to set a boundary with my writing is to use a schedule and stick to it.

     Scheduling writing time is important for a few reasons.

It makes it feel more important.

     Like a doctor’s appointment, don’t schedule something during your writing time. This is set aside for work. Make sure to talk to others like it is an appointment also. If someone asks you to do something during your writing block of 10:00-12:00, simply say, “Sorry, I have an appointment from 10:00-12:00, but I can meet you before or after that.”

It helps you focus on your writing.

     This way your life isn’t taking over your writing. Sometimes the guilt factor sets in when we are in charge of our own schedule. We feel bad for not spending time with our kids, significant other, work, other talents, etc. But the writing needs to be done. If we have a set timeframe on when to write, we know that we will get done eventually and we can take care of our other obligations when the time comes. The guilt basically melts away.

It helps you turn it off.

     This way your writing isn’t taking over your life. Do you ever get into the guts of a scene and not want to stop? I hate to crush a creative moment when my time frame is coming to a close, when everything feels right and I’m in the groove. But typically this groove happens when everything is going right. The scene is working, the tension is amazing, it all is flowing. I suggest that stopping in the middle of a scene like this is the best thing to keep that momentum going the next day. It gives you something to look forward to tomorrow. 

     In brackets, write what you’re imagining will come next in brief summary, so you don’t forget, and turn off the computer or typewriter or scribbling pen. You can continue to think about it during your pockets of time, since brainwork is important work, but focusing on the rest of your life is also important. Believe me, your family or day job will thank you. This may be the hardest part for most of us, but with practice you will see the benefits.

      Now that you've got some tips under your belt go ahead an put them into practice. Of course, these are just suggestions. You know yourself best and if your system is working--keep going! Good luck with managing your writing time. I know I'm still working on balancing creative writing versus non-fiction, but it's something that will come with time and practice. 

     What are some basic tools you use when you are managing your time? Leave a comment below!

   

Time Management for Writers

       Writing is a creative process and creative people don't tend to enjoy combining words like "time" and  "management." It feels so strict. So rigid. We like to allow the urge to write to hit us and let the creative juices flow until they run dry. We have to get into the zone, to move with the ebb and flow of our minds and allow the house go to pot in the process. Believe me, I know. My house isn't immaculate--far from it, but the problem with waiting for the urge to hit us, is that many times it doesn't. 

    Many other times, we do anything--everything we can to avoid allowing that urge to come anywhere close to us. We clean, we hang out with friends, we watch TV, we bake, etc. Then we wonder why we can't get to our writing. Why can't we just consistently write our book? It doesn't make any sense. Well, I'm going to start helping you identify what's going wrong and how to fix your habits so that writing can happen more often, preferably every day.

    How do I know anything about time management? I was trained on it and taught it for over 15 years. Not consistently, but in my role as an Independent Beauty Consultant, then as a Sales Director, and a Senior Sales Director--I had many trainings and LOTS of experience with this concept. Not only that, I love it. I am passionate about being organized. Why? Because it's not a natural talent of mine. I started this journey when I was eleven years old and my brother gave me my first Franklin Covey planner. It sparked something in my brain, something that I knew I needed and ever since then I have been honing the skill. It wasn't until 2000 that I began really learning how to put it into practice with my business and what I've learned has changed who I am and my productivity. This is something that can be learned and you can learn it!

    Since beginning this writing journey in 2012, I have written over thirty picture books and two and a half novels by writing every day. Between helping my five kids, leading the children's organization of my church, volunteering at my kids' schools, decorating wedding cakes, painting wall murals, attending critique groups, leading an online productivity group for writers, and everything else that I do, most of the time, I only have fifteen minutes of time to write every day. But the key here, is that I have fifteen minutes to write every day. I can usually squeeze it in. It is very, very rare that I don't.

    This blog will be dedicated to the ins and outs of managing your time so you can fit it in, but my first tid-bit is to make a decision. It's important. Just thinking, "Oh, yeah. I should do that," is very different from saying, "You know what? This is what I need in my life. I am going to do it!" Something I was taught in Mary Kay is that it's the decision that counts. You can start a diet in the middle of a bag of chips. Just close the bag and decide it's time. So here we are. Time to make a decision. Will you take charge of your time so you can fit in more of what you want to do? I know you can! Together we can do this!

Submission Smarts?

     You know how I decided to make November NaNoSubMo? At the time it seemed smart. I thought I'd submit while everyone else was writing. The problem was, I didn't really think it through. As the rejections roll in and I'm getting ready for the holidays, it does make me wonder what I was thinking. Who knows, maybe I'll land my agent just before Christmas and I'll be the happiest woman in the world, but I probably should have re-thought my strategy. I kind of hope that agents create rejection letters, but hold onto them until after the holidays and just send them out the second week of January. Although, I'm pretty sure that's not the case.
     I posted earlier that many agents don't accept queries between November 20th and January 1st. In fact, out of forty-one agents I only saw three that were closed to queries and two of those were prior to November 20th. I think it just depends on the agent. This can happen at any time during the year. Maybe they have so many clients they can't take on another writer, or they are back-logged and need some time to catch up, or they have personal issues they're dealing, or a myriad of other reasons. The fact is, if your story is ready--send it out (I can say this now, because I'm doing it). If the agent isn't accepting manuscripts, they will sometimes say when they'll be open for submissions again. Write this on your query tracking sheet and submit to them when they're ready.
     Luckily I'm not doing this whole submitting process by myself. Because of the four critique groups I participate in, I have a few friends that are published, agented, pre-agented, and submitting at the same time. As my rejections began rolling in, I asked my friends what their ratio of form rejection to personal rejections were and they told me that the majority of the rejections are form.
     To date I have ten form rejections. No personal rejections yet. Of course I wonder how I can strengthen my manuscript, second guess if it's ready to submit, and go through the gamut of questioning my sanity (as I think most authors do), but amazingly, knowing that most of the rejections are form rejections helped me deal with these types of rejections better.
     Another thing that has helped me a lot is the series of submission videos from Cyle Young, an agent at Hartline Literary. He talks you through the submission process and explains a lot of what agents go through in the process of unsolicited manuscripts. In one of the videos he explains that form rejections are just easier as an agent. Sometimes people who get personal rejection letters don't accept the suggestions that they're given, they get upset, and then write mean letters to the agent who was just trying to help them. If you're given specific feedback try to look at it with an open mind and see if there is value in the words, don't spurn that gift.
     We'll see over the next weeks where this submission process will take me. Maybe it'll just be another chance for me to review my work, polish it a little more, write some different (hopefully better) books, and continue on my path. I hope that you all view your submission process in the same light.
    If you have input on form rejections versus personal rejections, I'd like to know. Comment below so we can move forward on this trail together!

10 Things I've Learned in the Querying Process

     I am a little over two weeks into my NaNoSubMo and have submitted three stories between thirty-two agents! That is thirty-two times better than I have done in the last year and an all-time record for me. I have learned a LOT in the process. Here are ten things I want to share with you:
1. Having multiple works in my back pocket has made the querying process SO much easier. I feel like a rejection of one work isn't soul-sucking. It's one book I can revise and submit to a different agent later. Like Rick Walton said, "My approach is to have twelve manuscripts out at a time. If one comes back rejected then 1/12th of my dreams are dashed. But I just send it out to the next person and forget about it. It's not too hard to have that many picture books out. . ." I don't have that many manuscripts out personally. I actually have out two picture books and one middle grade novel and a few more in my pocket that I'm revising for submission this month. Maybe not twelve, but at least five that are close to being ready. I have thirty-three manuscripts in my portfolio currently. That's what writing every weekday for the past seven years has given me. Even if it's just fifteen minutes a day, I've done it. I want to talk more about consistency, but that's a whole other blog post.
2. It's important to double, triple, and quadruple check the submission guidelines and your submission materials. It's hard to be precise. I've made some mistakes. Some are doozies! Especially with multiple manuscripts out. I've accidentally emailed someone that wanted a form query. Luckily they emailed me back to tell me to use the form. I've submitted four chapters, though my fourth chapter was a copy of my third chapter (so they got two chapter three's instead of chapter three and chapter four). I even went so far as to cut off my twenty page submission in the middle of a sentence. K. Don't do any of those things. Learn from me. Recheck everything! Even with those blunders, some agents will be forgiving and look past it all. My friend got an agent even after she realized she'd accidentally changed her entire query font to purple.
3. It's helpful to have everything ready before querying. Keep in mind that each agent knows what they want specifically and will state it in their submission guidelines from their particular website. Here is what most agents are looking for, in varying forms:

• Query Letter (I tweak this for each submission)
• Bio (This is usually included in the query, however some forms ask for it separately)
• Pitch (This is usually a one liner, but not always)
• Synopsis (This is usually 500-700 words for novels, varying upon the type of story you're writing. Picture books it's about a paragraph.)
• Writing sample (Usually between one to four chapters)

4. Refine, tweak, and polish all of the above. Don't write a first draft and send it out. Put it through a critique group--maybe multiple critique groups. Trusted individuals that give you constructive criticism are gold mines. You cannot resubmit the same work later unless it has been requested. Put your very best effort out into the world. Give yourself a fighting chance!

5. Submit in small batches: There are lots of agents out there! Because we're learning, we don't want to burn all of our bridges in the beginning. I have a friend that submitted her story to one hundred agents before getting feedback from a critique group. Don't do this! Submit small. One high on your list and about five to ten in the middle to bottom of the list. This will help you gauge your writing where it stands. Based on the feedback you receive, you'll know how ready your work is. If you're getting all form rejections, it may be a good sign that your writing isn't exactly where it needs to be right now. If you're getting back lots of personal rejections, then you're close. If you're getting full manuscript requests, then you're right where you want to be.
6. Not all agents are a good fit. This of course makes sense. Instead of submitting to every agent, look carefully at who and what they represent. If you read their information online (there's usually lots of places to search for them), and they don't sound right for what you write, scratch them off the list. That's one less rejection you'll have to endure. Plus it will save everyone some time and effort in the process. You want to LOVE your agent in the end, not just have someone that "will do."

7. Not all agents are open to queries. This one was the most surprising parts of the whole process. I took a list of the "Top Middle Grade Agents" and began researching. I spent three hours of work looking through the different agents, their blogs, their client list, their book list, and their website only to find out they weren't open to submissions. Look at this first! Don't waste your time.
8. There is a great chance to build a MASSIVE "to read" list. As I go through and research agents I am finding all kinds of great literature that I just want to sit and read. I have discovered some GREAT stuff. The School for Good and Evil, Wolf Hollow, and Crenshaw all are stories I never would have found otherwise. There is so much great literature out there that sometimes it can seem a little intimidating. But remember, all of these authors started in the same place we're all starting in! They kept writing, learning, and submitting.
9. Track your submissions. Especially if you're submitting multiple manuscripts it's important to write it down. I have an excel tracking sheet with different tabs. Each tab represents a different manuscript. As I research agents I'll think of which story best fits that agent and that is who I will submit to. I have columns that read like this:

• Agent name
• Publishing house (I usually link the website here for easy access later)
• Looking For (PB, MG, YA, Adult)
• Submission info (I link this also)
• Query Date (When I send in my query materials)
• Average response rate (some will say 2 weeks others 8 weeks, some will say they WILL respond, others say if you haven't heard from us, consider it a "no." I just like having this information handy)
• Estimated response date
• Response
• Date sent in Full MS (For novels. Usually Picture Books are sent in full during the querying process because they should be short.)
• Why I like them for my story (Usually I cut and paste here from interviews, articles, their website, etc. Just for my reference. Or if they're a perfect fit, I'll say that here as well. I have a few of those.)

10. Have an attitude of learning. That has been the most helpful thing for me. I am educating myself on the industry. I am learning what different publishing houses are in the world, what they represent, what other books are out there, how they're written, and how this whole process works. I understand that I'm not going to be perfect. I'm going to mess up. Maybe my work isn't strong enough just yet. But that doesn't mean I've failed. It means I have more to learn--which I can do. We all can! Keep pushing forward. I've begun my climb and will keep on going. I hope you do too!

What are some things you're learning or have learned in the submission process?

NaNoSubMo

Oops! I did it again! I started looking at submitting last year and then I got caught up in my
manuscripts again. I’m not going to lie--I submitted once this past year. Submissions just
feel like they’re taking away from my creativity, so I just write. I write and write and edit and
critique. I’ve got a great group of writers that support me and help me become better. I am
learning so much and producing so many great things. I just need to submit them. Really,
truly. So here is my commitment, yet again, which I will stick to: 

Instead of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month: 50,000 words written on a new novel
in one month), I’m doing NaNoSubMo (National Novel Submission Month: 60 submissions
for various works put out to agents in one month). I will also be writing articles for my blog
and critiquing fellow writers’ manuscripts.

In June I was able to attend Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR) in Sandy,
UT. I don’t know if you notice a blog post trend here, but it always boosts my enthusiasm for
blogging. Anyway, Kristyn Crow taught a Morning Workshop on Picture Books and it seriously
blew my mind. 

I have been actively learning about writing since college (I won’t give away my age with that
one), and in this one class I learned more about my craft than all of the years previous.
Granted, I write Middle Grade Fantasy as well, but Picture Books have always been this
elusive concept that I haven’t really understood until this class. I thought I understood, but
after attending her class, I realized that I didn’t--not really. I HIGHLY suggest attending
anything that she teaches, because she knows her stuff. And not only that, she knows how
to TEACH and encourage, which I’ve realized are the most important parts of it all.

Each day, her lessons were more and more amazing, but the one I’m finding most useful right
now, was her class on publishing. She answered questions, taught us how to self-edit, told us
that we need a good critique group, taught us how to learn the market (which is basically:
study what’s on the shelves at bookshelves and what are the ALA awards winners and
Amazon Bestsellers), and most importantly how to look up agents to represent different
genres. She suggested two ways to search for agents: 

1. Literary Marketplace (LMP): a free online resource for writers, which has all of the
information and more on how to get published and which agents are best for your genre.
This site is super useful, though a little tedious with the multiple links and the constant
nagging to put your name and email address into their system--which I did twice before
I realized they tell you to do that on every page.

2. Agentquery.com: Helps you find out about the agents. Visit their websites. Choose one or several

who represent work similar to yours.

I am proud to say that since the beginning of November I have tripled last year’s attempts at
submissions (yes, that’s three for those of you that question your math skills as much as I do).
All of which are for a picture book that I’ve been working on since February. I haven’t queried my novel
yet. I was going to. I really was. But when I got to the submission form I realized I wasn't ready. I
hadn’t written a synopsis of my story yet. Advice from a friend was to read Save the Cat Writes a
Novel, which has great advice on query letters and synopses. So that is my next step. How are you
doing in your trail to publication? Would you like to join in my #NaNoSubMo? Let’s do this together!
I’d love to hear about your journey as well.