“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” Mark Twain

No Looking Back: A Goals/Progress Update

FIRST - I'm looking to make some changes here at the blog, and I'm seeking help/ suggestions. Check out my coNUNdrum over at Connecting Now. Would love your thoughts/feedback!
I usually write these posts a day before they go live, but it didn't work out that way today. This one I began writing just before 3pm on August 1 (we'll see when it goes live). And it might have looked a bit different if I HAD written it yesterday. But I'll get to that later.

I'd have to say, overall, that I did fairly well in the goals department this month (she says before she looks at the goals she set for herself! ;) ). So, let's check out what I wanted to have done by today.

As always, directly from last month's goals/progress post.
  1. Get my Handmaiden To A Princess plot and characterization straightened up and get to writing
  2. Write four biblical fiction devotionals for my project with Jennifer Slattery
  3. Send out four more queries for Ailing Body, Nourished Soul
  4. Keep up with my new responsibilities as blogger for the FaithWriters blog (check it out!)
  5. Three blog posts average a week
Well... I worked on plotting, though not as much as I'd like. I have the bare bones basics of a twelve-step plot (found it in the Seekerville archives - it's actually a Janice Thompson post - LOVE IT!) for Handmaiden to a Princess and have fleshed out seven of the steps.

I managed to write FIVE biblical fiction devos this month (woowoo!) - though I still have some work to do re: getting three of them critiqued through ACFW. Only six more to write! I also kept up with the FaithWriters blog (LOVING writing over there - hope you'll stop by!) and managed 19 blog posts this month, which is just over four a week. So, good there :)

And I sent out three queries (not four) - and all three have been rejected. Two of them today. Yeah, I'm a little down, but I know God's timing is perfect. I still have two more to send to, and I'm feeling more and more nudged by the Lord that this may not be my first published book. And that's okay.

Hope THAT isn't in MY rear-view mirror!
So, enough looking back (LOL that was a LOT of looking back, wasn't it? Oh well).

Here are my goals for August:
  1. Finish fleshing out my 12-step plotting and most of the rest of the "prewriting" stuff and get to writing Handmaiden to a Princess
  2. Write four biblical fiction devotionals for my project with Jennifer Slattery
  3. Send out two more queries for Ailing Body, Nourished Soul
  4.  Four blog posts average a week
I think I'll leave it at that. I have other goals, but they're not TECHNICALLY writing-related.

Thanks for reading and praying along with me. I really am making progress. (and don't forget to stop by Connecting Now and help me with my conundrum!)


Riding God's Grace On Rough Roads

4 comments:

  1. and managed 19 blog posts this month, which is just over four a month. So, good there :) -- I think you meant just over 4/week, yes?

    You're doing great, Jo! And soon the kids will be in school and you can really hit things! Go, Jo, Go!!!

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  2. LoL, I wondered too, Laury. ;-)

    Way to go, Jo! You're cranking right along considering it's summer break! =]

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  3. Wow! I'm impressed, great job!

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  4. Your stamina continues to inspire me. As do the references you point out (man, that Seekerville site is COOL!)

    Will head over to CN and check out your letter. I'm intrigued and curious about your statement that AB, NS won't be your first published book. Will pray for direction and continued energy, Jo dear. And I'm LOVING you over at the FW blog. That Lynda had some pretty big (and funky) shoes to fill ;)

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