This will be the last post I make this year. I am looking forward to the New Year and the challenges it will bring. In an effort to get my writing back on track, I have spent this past year on a journey of discovery of sorts. I have learned that with adulthood comes reality and that reality can sometimes hamper the creativity I had as a child. I have learned I love research, well, I've always kind of known that, but when I was doing research for the women's history book, I was absolutely in heaven. And finally, I learned I write better fiction and it comes more easily when I have non-fiction contracts going.
I continue my love affair with writing. I know it is something I am meant to do. I don't always feel like I am very good at it, but it is the one thing I always come back to. I continue to get discouraged, but I have things I want to accomplish, so I'm not going to let depression, disappointment, or discouragement derail me. A friend once told me, "you can feel sorry for yourself for 15 minutes, then stop and move on." I'm working on it. Sometimes I go for 20 minutes. :-)
One thing I do know is I will continue to study and hopefully improve. I am sneaking in reading some writing books in my spare moments. Some days I have to go back and read what I read the day before, but I'm not in a race with anyone. I figure even if I'm a turtle, I'll get to where I want to go eventually.
Got to 25,000 words today. Exact count is 25,043!!!! I wanted to reach this goal by the end of the year. That's in 28 days!!!!!!!!!!!! Not too shabby, if I say so for myself. Have my goals set for this book already for next year, but for those who are interested, here is my entire goal list for 2011.

1) Finish up the Home Based Business Book
2) Lose 60 pounds
3) Complete research on women's history and have 3/4 of that book written by 12/30/11.
4) Complete one of my fiction books-The Grave Hunter series
5) Finish all my crochet and knitting projects currently on hooks and needles.
6) Write a children's book on the state of Oklahoma.
7) Send out three query letters per month.
8) Get two new proposals completed and in the mail.
9) Stay in closer contact with friends.
10) Improve my marketing skills for my books.

Well, there it is. Got a lot to do in 2011. A little nervous, but excited at the same time. The challenges will be enormous, but if I stay focused and do what I am supposed to do every day for 356 days of the year, I'll get there. I have long range goals and my yearly goals are only stepping stones to those bigger ones.
I hope you will set goals and stretch yourself next year. I believe we as humans can really do anything we set our minds to, if we're motivated enough and want it badly enough. I do. How about you?
I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year and may that new year bring you health, wealth, and may all your goals be attained.

Til Next Time~
Keep Writing

Good Lordy, good Lordy. I've gotten my words in today. Officially I am at 21,370. I wanted to have 20,000 done by Christmas. Looks like I made it. As I've said before, not sure how many of those will have to be axed, but at least it's something. I wrote a hysterical section this morning. I have an imaginary room, that my painter is giving a bid on. He is supposed to measure the walls and then the floor to get the ceiling square footage. I have decided to have a friend read the section to see if she can understand it. If she can't, it will have to be rewritten. Well, it's going to have to be rewritten anyways, but----
Yesterday, I worked on the women's book outline. Getting ready to tighten it up here in a bit. Want to have that done by the first of the year, so I can get on those two sample chapters.
And yes Nita, I also want to get on the fiction book. You know the one.
After I get my words for all projects today, I'm going to organize this office. There are books, files, Christmas Cards and stacks of papers everywhere. Going to do some journaling too later.
Also for those of you in to crafts, I started knitting myself a hat last night. Should finish it tonight. It's not holidayish, but I'm going to wear it tomorrow anyway.
Off to finish up today. Til the next 5000 words, keep writing.

Tada! I have made it over 15,000 words. I estimate that about 3,000 of those will have to go, but at least I have something to take away when I need to. As I have been plodding along, I have found that if I work every day, even a little a day, the next day is much easier. I have taken a day off here and there, but if I am doing things around here, I feel guilty because I am NOT in the office getting my words done. The good thing though is, I feel driven to get to my computer and get the words down. I'm also looking at dividing my days to write my non-fiction in the morning and do my fiction in the afternoons. Right now, I haven't stuck to a strict schedule because of the holidays. I've also been trying to get the office organized so I can find things like research for the women's history book, the information I've gathered for the two tour guide books, and handouts for the classes I'm going to be teaching beginning in January. Busy, but that is what I need right now to keep my mind occupied. In the meantime, raise a glass to me. Word count is growing.
Keep Writing!

Whew! Another week down and I'm over 10,000 words, 11,019 to be exact. I worked over the weekend, but was off yesterday. Today when I started it was a little rough. I think I probably wrote crappola. A writer friend of mine said on the days I write poorly, two weeks later, I won't even be able to tell. Sometimes though I write so poorly I'm sure I'll be able to tell.
Today it seemed as if I was writing the same thing over and over again. I went back, deleted sentences, rewrote them, read others that I used the same words from the previous sentence.
It seems I am writing disaster copy. Ha! You know the kind that comes rushing in and you know once the storm is over, you are going to have to be the one to clean up the mess.
I may have over 11,000 words, but I know 2,000 are going to have to be axed. I guess that's a good thing considering I've only been working on chapter 1. I still have 9 more to go. If I keep progressing like this, I'll have a 90,000 word book when I only need 60,000.
Oh well, it's like an editor once told me, "it's a whole lot easier to cut, than to add." That's what I tell myself at the end of every day.
Until next time~
Keep Writing!