tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post6120763092937734086..comments2024-03-28T06:13:46.092-05:00Comments on Operation Awesome: Winning the Bronze MedalDena Pawlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14444683810125395220noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-52177685935744785202012-07-23T16:25:52.376-05:002012-07-23T16:25:52.376-05:00Since I will have published two articles by Decemb...Since I will have published two articles by December, my next goal is to have a picture book in print. But, I'm sure, when that happens, I will admit contentment with "Just one more published"!Jarm Del Bocciohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16734893974122730211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-67165108632407307372012-07-22T16:18:42.739-05:002012-07-22T16:18:42.739-05:00I get that too. -_-
Congrats on getting your nove...I get that too. -_-<br /><br />Congrats on getting your novel out there. ^_^Aldrea Alienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05652344290376563676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-40237323554022921372012-07-22T15:46:10.130-05:002012-07-22T15:46:10.130-05:00I tend to consider most of my goals as steps: If I...I tend to consider most of my goals as steps: If I do this, it's a step up for me to do THIS, but I'm unlikely to get THIS accomplished without first doing this. Then, one day, I'll get to that and THAT (which will likely turn into a new THIS).<br />That being said, my ultimate goal is to have one particular story published. That'll be my gold medal. ^_^Aldrea Alienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05652344290376563676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-46968073641827283472012-07-22T14:54:56.066-05:002012-07-22T14:54:56.066-05:00Great post and great comments. It's always po...Great post and great comments. It's always powerful to me to hear other writers' perspectives from various stages of the journey. My goals used to include getting paid for my writing and getting recognition or validation. Fine. Won some recognition in contests and got some money for it, but nobody got to read the darn stories and I realized something was missing without that. My goals right now? Get my own, original fiction published and get an agent (not necessarily in that order). After that, the goals will change. Good to remember.Cynthia J. McGeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00117497921942534828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-84739653411876077712012-07-22T10:52:20.886-05:002012-07-22T10:52:20.886-05:00What a great post. I've always wanted an agent...What a great post. I've always wanted an agent and have recently been rather depressed and frustrated by my query journey. My work has been repeatedly praised by agents and then rejected for not being 'markettable' to the big publishing houses. I had to make a choice: change my stories, change the way I write to be more market friendly, or stick to my dark and quirky guns and seek alternative publishers. I decided to go the indie route and have a YA sci-fi novel coming out early next year. While I'm a little disappointed to be told my writing is great but not 'sellable,' I also feel like I won because my somewhat odd stories are making it into the world even if my paperbacks won't be on the shelves of major stores. Got to be happy with that for now and see what happens next :)Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06288802923434609582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-73692324532388478952012-07-22T10:49:56.092-05:002012-07-22T10:49:56.092-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06288802923434609582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-85066292329125420772012-07-22T10:12:28.188-05:002012-07-22T10:12:28.188-05:00Good ideas, Ava and Laura -- interim goals that ar...Good ideas, Ava and Laura -- interim goals that are marked and remembered even after they are achieved.Kell Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18089691866850131698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-8105371384926873212012-07-22T09:17:17.631-05:002012-07-22T09:17:17.631-05:00What a great analogy!What a great analogy!Angelica R. Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09448717076699744259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-31954646810087236822012-07-22T08:51:17.303-05:002012-07-22T08:51:17.303-05:00I agree that the goal posts are always moving. Whe...I agree that the goal posts are always moving. When I started writing, the goal was to banish a bad dream by writing it all down. Suddenly, the goal shifted, and I wanted to write an entire novel. By the time I finished that, I had an idea for the sequel, and the goal was to write a second novel.<br /><br />I dove into the publishing world and educated myself on the market, finding an agent, and learning what is expected of an author before they are published (learning about the query process was an eye opener!).<br /><br />All of a sudden, my goal was to write a novel that had a chance of commercial success. The first two I wrote became my "practice novels." Since then, I've written two novels in a new series, and half of a third. I've found wonderful crit partners and beta readers, polished the first novel in the new series, entered writing contests, and put myself out in the world as someone who is serious about my writing. The next goal: Find an agent or editor who loves my stories as much as I do.<br /><br />If your goal from the start is to be a multi-millionaire bestseller, you're going to quit in defeat before you even finish writing the first novel. My goal changes constantly. Every time I reach it, I push it out just a little bit more. It sits just out of my reach, like a carrot dangling in front of a stubborn donkey.<br /><br />Right now, I'd settle for just qualifying for the Olympics. I'll worry about medals after I make it into the show.Laura Hughes, MittensMorgulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934132671168843593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961445666519156260.post-19046673757226501112012-07-22T08:19:04.232-05:002012-07-22T08:19:04.232-05:00Very interesting post! I'll never forget watch...Very interesting post! I'll never forget watching the Winter Olympics one year (I forget when it was) when an American snowboarder was about the win the race and she was way ahead of the other boarders and did a trick on the last ramp in victory...then crashed. She still won silver, but as the reporter put it, she'll always be remembered as the boarder who lost gold, not the one who won silver. <br /><br />As for writing, in her "Letter to Baby Author Me" post, Ally Carter suggested that you actually write down five goals/achievements that would make you happy. That way, when you achieve them, you remember that those were things you once dreamed of having and you can avoid the temptation of replacing your goals with bigger ones without celebrating what you've already achieved.Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.com