GOALS - The First Step

[queenoftheskies]

Hi. I'm Janice. And, I'm...gulp...a writer. Still.

I guess the first step is that I admit to myself that I was actually writing even when I refused to write because I suck.

I might have resisted the first day or two and only flung down a few words here and there the first week. But, then, I couldn't stand it any more.

Because I cannot NOT write. Writing is like breathing. If I quit, I die.

Okay, got that out of my system.

So, I'm beginning at the beginning in establishing my goals...taking stock of what I have to work with...both in my writing, my skills, and myself. Cause it's time to either get serious about this or admit that I can't cut it.

So, I started, once again, with an INVENTORY of my writing. Updated my list from the end of April with what little I've written this month. Bolded the ones I'd added or changed. And, counted words.

I was actually surprised. I'd written 19,155 words this month. Not exceptionally shabby. Bad for me, but...

This time last month, I had 48,000 words at this point. But, still, for almost a month of "not writing", it's not a complete loss.


X'anali Series:

Novels

Rosemont	87,220 words
The Magic Within	100,432 words
Gateway to Eternity	98,330 words
Shades of Distant Past	85,271 words
Yami No Tenshi	52,653 words
Dawn of Destiny	83,305 words
Judgment Day	30,365 words
All That Glitters	30,218 words
Guardian Force	22,268 words
Cataclysm	22,209 words
Angel in Waiting	11,132 words
Birth of a Queen	10,196 words
Dumps, Dives & Divas	10,063 words
Eden	9,466 words
Book of Revelations	3,782 words
Seasons Greetings	2,182 words
Sorrow's End	1,959 words
Long Way Home	1,835 words
Forgotten Goddess	1,726 words
The Edge of the World	1,215 words
Silver Dreams	763 words
Totem	668 words
Ascension	468 words
Spirit Beast	394 words
Flight of the Thunderbird	386 words
The Littlest Warrior	373 words
The Spellsingers	305 words
Crystal Dreams	265 words

Novellas

Beyond the Darkness

22,556 words

(finished)

Short Stories

First Date	9,918 words		(finished)
Angels of the Season	7,619 words
The Waystation	2,969 words
The Crystal Keep	287 words
Faith, Hope, and Love	3,363 words
Into the Light	1,518 words
Love Eternal	2,195 words
The Legend of the Queen of the Skies	306 words

OTHER Novels

Check Mate Series

Pawns of Destiny	29,224 words
White Knight	810 words
Alone	151 words

Evolution Saga Series

Wildfire	52,998 words	(VERY rough draft finished, needs fleshing out LOTS)
Retribution	19,280 words
Chaos	5,269 words

Non Series Novels

Super Mom	11,006 words
The Sword and the Spirit	14,049 words	(finished 10+ years ago. Have this much typed in.)

Erotic Romances

Once in a Blue Moon	10,823 words	(finished as a short story. Expanding to novel form.)
Under the Desert Moon	7,246 words
Afterglow	153 words
Illegal Aliens	129 words
Blood Moon	42 words

OTHER Novellas

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory

10,465 words

OTHER Short Stories

Split Milk	1,491 words	(finished)
The Day After Rapture	1,050 words
Once in a Lifetime	526 words	(finished)
No Room at the Inn	175 words
Quoth the Raven	168 words
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...	57 words

That's what I've got to work with...so far.

I'm fighting back new ideas. I have enough to work with here for a while. So the only thing new I hope to let pop out would be a short story...even though I don't excel in that arena. I do want to learn.

As I take inventory of my skills and abilities as a writer, I must determine which to finish and which of the finished work to revise and set free.

Oooooh...the setting free part is going to be bad....

Isn't it?

Comments

[greenlight711.livejournal.com]

Holy crap you're prolific!!!!! *jealous* way to go! :)

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

When I have active brain cells, I can write lots.

But, lately, however many months, with crap going on at work, I just don't seem to get a lot actually accomplished.

And, that's what I want to do. Accomplish.

Did that make sense?

[greenlight711.livejournal.com]

yep, yep, know exactly what you mean. sounds like you need to focus on one project and see it all the way through, since you have all these strings of stuff hanging out there. best of luck to ya!

[sybaelle.livejournal.com]

Gee, now I'm going to have to go get word counts on all my stuff and post it.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. Do it!

I'd LOVE to see what other folks write.

It's really neat to get a feel for the ebb and flow of other writers' projects.

[ultharkitty.livejournal.com]

Hi. I'm Janice. And, I'm...gulp...a writer. No kidding!

That's an amazing total. Good luck finishing more :)

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

I'm hoping to get the first novel in my series, as well as the first trilogy, finished this summer.

The work situation is obviously going to be settled by then. My brain can rest itself and be ready to go.

Hooray! Finishing things would be very, very good.

[navicat.livejournal.com]

Yay! Many lovely words :)

I feel proud of myself. Yesterday, when asked by intreview person what my dream job was, I actually said...to write professionally and be published. Normally I keep such things to myself because I'm scared of sounding like an idiot "hey, I'm a writer...but never published anything".

So I understand!

Plus Because I cannot NOT write. Writing is like breathing. If I quit, I die....exactly!

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's sooo cool. Congratulations!

And, obviously, it worked out well for you, cause I saw on your post that you got the job!!!

HOORAY!