Challenges and goals

I know. It’s pretty late into 2011, but so what?

Like that common saying, better late than never.

Well, the ones of you who read my last post, know there are days that I simply can’t concentrate. Then, what better than a challenge to spicy things up? Everyone feels more compelled with a challenge, right?

I have two CHALLENGES up right now: the 1000 words a day challenge and the reading challenge from goodreads.

The first one was created by writer and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Sometimes I think 1000 words a day is too few, but, seeing as there are there days I write 5k and others I write none, it seems like a good challenge.

In her website, Debbie ask writers to display this badge on the side of the site (as you can see on mine right there —>) if you’re really trying to write a thousand words each day for at least 6 days a week. The thing is, I can’t write 6 days a week. I write 5. My family demands my full attention during weekends, and hey it’s my family, so I happily agree. Seeing as my intention is still true about writing 1000 words each day for 5 days, I will leave the badge there (I hope Debbie allows it).

If I can get 1k words a day, that’s 365k per year, which could lead to 4 or 5 novels! That’s a great number … I hope I can keep up with it.

The other challenge is from Goodreads. The widget for it is also on the right side of this blog —>

I set it up to read 36 books this year. That’s 3 per month. I can do more. I normally do more … about 48 (4 per month) or 60 (5 per month) … but, in case this year I didn’t get close to that for one reason or another, I set a lower number.

Now, for my GOALS.

I have a few.

First, I’ll try to post on this blog twice a week. On Tuesdays (or a day before or after) I’ll publish a normal post, about writing, reading, publishing, about me and whatever is going with me, etc. On Fridays, I’ll post about my WIP, ideas, outlines and editing/revisions.

Posting about my WIP also entices me to write more … imagine how embarrassing it will be if I get to Friday and I’ve only written 500 or 2000 words for the whole week? Yeah, I don’t want that to happen.

My second goal is to get 2 or 3 more manuscript ready (that means critiqued, line-edited and copy-edited) by the end of the year.

I want to get published. Soon. How, I still trying to figure out. I constantly think out going indie. But trying a e-first small press also crosses my mind. However, I don’t think about trad publishing anymore. The problem I see: the price of the books (more on that on a future post).

So, with 3 or 4 manuscript ready by the end of the year, I can start self-publishing … or, if I change my mind, while writing the second and the third, I can try and send the first to a small press. I have time to worry about that part later … right now, I’m all about WRITING!!!

What do you think of my challenges and goals?

Cheers,