2017 New Year Writing Goals: Get Organized and Seek Publishing Opportunities

If your New Year's writing goals include getting organized and seeking out publishing opportunities, here are two items that might be helpful:

The first comes from the Literautas blog, which offers a free download of a printable 2017 writer's calendar and/or writers' planner. The calendar and planner are easy to download, print, and use, especially if you like to hold a physical hard-copy planner to chart your writing progress.

The second is a reminder of the Rock Springs Review anthology contest, which includes an opportunity to win prize money and be included in the anthology. The contest seeks works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Due to the New Year's holiday, RSR editor Judy Stock has extended the deadline by one day. For complete submission guidelines, e-mail Judy Stock at RockSpringsReview@gmail.com.

Wishing you and yours a joyous and prosperous New Year!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe it's already 2015. The Christmas holiday seemed to whiz by, and after fighting a cold I'm just catching up. In fact, I'm late wishing everyone a happy new year, but I'm determined to get back on track.

At the end of last month I downloaded my writing planning calendar and have set my writing goals for 2015.

One new goal is that I've committed to journal each day in 2015. In the past I've journaled when I've traveled or at times in my life when I needed to record special or emotional events.  But this year I'm taking a structured approach.

Here's how I plan to stick to my journaling plan:

One page per day.
At the end of the day.
Journal and pen sit on the table next to the lamp that I turn off each night before turning in, so I won't forget to write.

After two days of success I think it might work.

How about you? Any new or improved goals for 2015?

Free Writing Resource: Planning Calendars from Literautas

Here's a gift you can give yourself without feeling guilty -- and it's free!

Just in time for Christmas, the generous folks at Literautas, whose motto is, "If you like writing," are giving away downloadable writing calendars.

For 2015 there are three varieties: wall calendar, desk calendar, or monthly planner

Last year I used my 2014 monthly planner to:
* Record upcoming deadlines
* Document my monthly goals
* Have a visual displays of what I'd accomplished
* Help account for my monthly income and expenses

So, if you like free, here's a link to the Literautas blog, where you can find directions on how to download the calendar of your choice.

Happy writing --  and planning!

Happy New Year - I've Already Missed One Goal for 2014

Happy 2014, everyone!

I try not to make New Year's resolutions because I have a hard time sticking to them. Instead I set goals. Apparently, I'm not so good at keeping goals either.

A few of my writing goals for 2014 are to: submit something at least monthly, meet all deadlines, and get to critique group early.

On the positive side, I wrote, edited, and submitted an essay for an anthology yesterday. Checkmark! That accomplishes one of my monthly goals.

Another on the positive side: Last October I taught at a writers' workshop. One of the things I asked the students to do was write down their three-month writing goals for October through December. I gave them envelopes to put their goals in and had them address the envelopes to themselves. I promised to mail the envelopes to them around the first of the year. Instead, on December 30 I put stamps on the envelopes and mailed them back to the students so they would receive them around January 1. I'm counting that one as being finished early.

Also regarding my goal to the meet all deadlines. The past couple months I've been judging a contest with two categories--fiction and nonfiction books. I was asked to have my selections by the end of December. There are twice as many novels as nonfiction books. I sent off my nonfiction selections this morning. I'm almost finished reading all the novels and plan to make my selections before my cataract surgery next week. So, I missed having all the books judged by the deadline, but that's not too bad because the awards ceremony isn't until the spring. I'm not getting paid to judge, but still I had hoped to make the first deadline.

About being on time.

Well, I had planned this post for yesterday but Dillard's was having a big one-day sale with 50 percent off sale merchandise.

Perhaps my biggest goal for 2014 should be to focus and not let distractions get in my way.

2012 Writing Hits and Misses

As promised in my last post, here is a list of my significant writing accomplishments for 2012.

In addition to my successes, I've included notes about submissions that didn't make the mark.

 

Contest Wins

1st Place: 2 essays, 3 short stories

Erma Bombeck Global Humor Writing Contest: “Honey, Can I Borrow Your Garter Belt?”

CCMWG Nonfiction Contest: “The Magic of Writing”

 

MWG President’s Short Story Award: “Under the Bottle Tree”

Coffee and Critique Contest: “Sins of the Daughter”

OWL Mystery Short Story “Sins of the Daughter”

 2nd Place: 1 flash fiction, 1 blog post

MWG Conference /Saturday Writers Flash Fiction Contest: “A Lovely Shade of Pink”

MWG Conference/KC Writers Blog Post Contest: “Writing Tips from a Contest Judge”

3rd Place: 1 essay, 1 memoir

OWL Essay Contest “Twice Blessed”

OWL Memoir Contest “The Latin Book”

 HM:  1 essay

CCMWG Nonfiction Contest: “A Fine Day in November”

 

Note: Three contests I entered (Highlights, Green River Writers, and Springfield Writers Guild) didn't garner any wins at all. In addition to my wins at OWL and MWG, a few entries in different contest categories did not receive recognition. 

 

Publications (doesn't include book reviews and author interviews)

Articles: 2

“Writing Tips from a Contest Judge” on Walrus Publishing Website

 “All About Writing” in MWG Newsletter

Essays: 3

“Take Your Clothes Off and Other Critique Group Advice” on WOW! Women on Writing Friday Speak Out

“The Magic of Writing” in Well Versed Anthology

“A Fine Day in November” in Well Versed Anthology

True Stories: 2

“A Just Man” true story w/photograph in Life Lessons from Dad

“Unexpected Joy” reprint in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Gift of Christmas

Short Stories: 5

“Keeping the Faith” in Cactus Country II

“Look Back, But Don’t Stare” reprint in Writing on Walls Anthology

“Time to Get Your Jingle On” in Fifty Shades of Santa

“Canned Beets” reprint in Cuivre River 10^th Anniversary Anthology

“Stairway to Heaven” in Shadows after Midnight

Recipe/with accompanying story: 1

 “Donna’s Hot Glow Wine” recipe and story behind the recipe on Panera Bread Co. Website 

 

Note: I submitted a few other essays to anthologies last year. At least one of the anthologies was published in 2012 without my submission, so I missed the mark there. I'm still waiting for the results of the others. 

 

 

Professional Activities

 

January:

Panelist for “The Story Behind Saturday Writers” at Saturday Writers meeting

Spoke on “Beyond Networking: The Importance of Building Relationships with Other Writers” at Catholic Writers of St. Louis meeting

February:

Open Mic Reading at Sage Books in St. Charles

March:

Presentation “Think Outside the Book: How Writing Short Stories Can Get Your Work Noticed” to Sisters in Crime (St. Louis Chapter)

 

April:

Read “Honey Can I Borrow Your Garter Belt?” at Washington-Centerville Public Library in Ohio

Special Guest at Erma Bombeck Workshop at University of Dayton, Ohio

May:

Read at Launch Party of Well Versed in Columbia, MO

July:

Attended marketing presentation by Liguori Publications at Catholic Writers of St. Louis Meeting

August:

Interviewed by Jennifer Brinker of the St. Louis Review for Feature “The Pen is a Mighty Sword” about Catholic writers in St. Louis

October:

Evergreen Cemetery Tour/staff discussion in Bloomington, IL, with All Saints Writers Group in preparation for AS 190^th anniversary heritage celebration

November:

Workshop presentation on “Structuring Short Stories for Passion and Profit” at the CCMWG Write Direction Conference in Columbia

December:

Participated in “Chicken Soup for the Soul, Canned Soup for the Body” book signing at The Book House on Manchester Rd.

 

Note: I didn't include my critique group or writing meetings.

 

***

 

While I'm pleased with my accomplishments, the intent of this post is to offer encouragement to other writers and show how the time spent writing and submitting eventually pays off -- and there's always room for improvement.

 

How about you? Any significant writing accomplishments you're particularly pleased with last year?

 

 

Declutter/Enhance: A Different Approach to my Writing Life

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it’s 2013.

Last year was a productive one for me --- I think because of something I decided to do early in 2012 --- to change the approach to my writing career.

My intent was to declutter my writing life while enhancing it. The plan was to focus on what I enjoyed doing or what improved my bottom line and eliminate activities that created anxiety rather than fulfillment.

With only 24 hours in each day, I knew something had to give.

First, I scaled back on book reviews and author interviews. While I love to read and discover new authors, doing so took away from my personal writing time, so I took on fewer freelance assignments. Understandably, my income from that revenue stream decreased, but my personal writing time increased.

With my newly “discovered” time, I submitted to more markets. While I had my fair share of rejections, I also enjoyed a measure of success. I also entered more contests and happily won a few --- including one big one in the spring.

Next, I cut back on social media time. My blog posts decreased from 184 in 2011, to 117 in 2012. Strangely, my page views during 2012 more than doubled, and for a few months, they almost tripled. The largest increases in page visits occurred after I won first place in the Global Humor Category of the Erma Bombeck writing competition and when I was interviewed in the St. Louis Review. The drawback is that I haven’t visited blogs of my friends as much as I’d like.

Lastly, one of my goals for 2012 was to be a more engaged member of the writing community. This meant participating in readings, speaking to groups, and tapping into the spiritual side of my writing life. While this wasn’t a money-making venture, it has been gratifying. I’ve renewed friendships with writing friends and met some amazing new writers. One surprising benefit has been activities with my parish writing group. Although we are small, we share some lofty ambitions, including writing scripts for our parish’s 190^th anniversary heritage celebration in 2013.

Overall, I believe my declutter/enhance approach has worked, and I plan to continue along the same path in 2013, with a few modifications. I will still blog and visit blogs of friends, although not as often as I’d like. With rare exceptions, I am taking a break from book reviews and author interviews. I plan to get outside more, spend time with friends and family, and see more of the world -- which should give me even more to write about!

Later this week I will post the fruits of my 2012 writing labors, broken down by: Professional Activities, Nominations/Awards, and Publications.

For me, this new approach has been a positive experience. How about you? Have you made any changes that have benefitted your writing life or personal life?

Sowing Seeds to Succeed

This spring, my writing career has blossomed because of writing seeds I planted in the cold, dark days of winter. 

One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to expand my horizions by submitting to more publications and entering more contests. I'm happy to announce that my plan has already begun to come to fruition.

On January 12, I entered an essay in the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition.

On March 1, I received a call from Debe Dockins of the Centerville Library in Ohio informing me I'd won first place in the Global Humor Category. 

This photo was taken at the April 18 Erma Celebration.

From left are: Debe Dockins, Contest Coordinator from the library; Christina Cahall, First place winner, human interest, local; Tracy Beckerman, syndicated humor columnist and guest speaker; Donna Volkenannt (me), First place winner, humor, global; and Gina Sandoval, First place winner, humor, local. Winners received cash awards, the winning essays were published on the library's website, and the winners were honored guests at the Erma Bombeck Workshop at the University of Dayton, April 19-22.

Back to my 2012 Goals: On January 15, I submitted two nonfiction pieces to the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild Well Versed Anthology Contest. In March, I received notification that I'd won first place and an honorable mention in the nonfiction category of the contest.

On May 6, 2012, the 2012 Well Versed anthology was launched in Columbia, MO.

The photo on the left is Judy Stock, president of the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild; Linda Fisher, editor of Well Versed 2012; and Donna Volkenannt (me), first place winner in the nonfiction category.

During the launch, more than a dozen readers shared their poems, essays, and short stories with those present. The afternoon flew by, filled with friendship and food and fun.

Lou Turner and Marcia Gaye drove to Columbia with me. Two of Marcia's poems won in the poetry category, and she had a total of four poems included in the anthology.

Here's Marcia reading one of her poems.

Critique buddy Alice Muschany also won two prizes in the nonfiction category, both of her essays are included in the anthology. Alice couldn't make the trip to Columbia, but I was able to pick up her certificates and prize money.

I hope this post and these photos can inspire some of my blogging buddies to write, submit, and enter more.

Who knows? The story, essay, or poem you are writing today could blossom into a beautiful flower later this year.

Crazy for Calendars

This time of the year I go crazy for calendars.

I can't help myself. I justify buying them or picking up my complimentary copies from church or businesses because it's a way for me to get organized for the new year, keep up with family and school and sporting events, and track my goals, plus I just love calendars, especially pretty ones.

Today at Barnes and Noble I spent some time looking at the calendars, which were reduced by 50 percent. That's my kind of sale. I didn't buy one, but I've got my eye on a couple and might return later if I can justify buying another one, even if only to look at the pretty pictures. (I'm easily amused.)

I feel guilty wanting to have another calendar because I already have these:

2011 Saints from the Catholic Extension, which has been "providing Catholic calendars for nearly one hunderd years." Got this one after Mass from our parish. Each month has a large photo of a saint with a saying from them. This family calendar will be posted above the phone to jot down events.

Weekend Projects 2011 from True Value "Start right. Start here." Picked up this one while paying for keys at the local hardware store. It includes a checklist of monthly projects and things to do around the house. I'll give this one to Walt. He's our weekend projects guy.

2011 black pocket planner with my name embossed in gold from the Lakota children at the St. Joseph's Indian School, where I donate money sometimes. This one goes in my purse. The folks from St. Joseph Indian School keep sending me free stuff and I feel guilty if I don't send money to pay for the free stuff they send.

2011 Reading Writers calendar. It's free and a very handy way to track submissions and deadlines. I'll print off a copy for each month and keep in a folder or post on the bulletin board in my office to track deadlines and payments.

Blue Mountain Social Butterfly downloadable calendar from Blue Mountain Arts. For birthdays, anniversaries, and such. You have to register to receive it, but it's free and pretty and reminders are delivered to your PC (or laptop). Some folks might hesitate wanting to do that, but I'm trying it to see if it helps me stay on top of events.

So far, that's it, but it's not even January 1st yet, so I'll probably give in and buy a couple more. And I haven't been to the Hallmark store lately, where I usually pick up a free pocket planner.

How about you? Any favorite calendars to recommend?

Win a Copy of MYSTERIES OF THE OZARKS

Today in St. Peters, MO: Snow flurries, low -3 degrees. Okay, the snow is lovely, but the frigid temperatures aren't so great.

2010 Stop/Start Update: It's only been a week since the beginning of the new year, but I'm already making headway on my "Stop *itching and start pitching" goal to eliminate clutter and get more organized. Yesterday I put away Christmas decorations and finished taking down the tree, ran several errands, and read a few chapters of a book written by the author I'm writing interview questions for by Monday--and reviewing by Thursday.

But, what have I done for You lately? How about a contest to win a copy of Mysteries of the Ozarks (Volume I)?

The anthology has nineteen short stories from writers with a connection to the Ozarks. It was published several years ago and includes "The Shape of a Heart," a short story of mine. I was paid cash (a check, actually) for the story when it was published--and even received a royalty check later on. The publisher (Skyward) has since gone out of business, but as the company was selling off assets, Ellen Gray Massey, the editor of the Mysteries of the Ozarks series, purchased several boxes of the anthology. She called to tell me she was selling contributors' copies at her cost--but I would have to come get them. Ellen lives in Lebanon, Missouri. So, the summer before last, Walt, the kids, and I stopped by Ellen's while returning from a vacation in Branson. I bought (actually Ellen was almost giving them away, it was such a deep discount) several copies of the anthology--which, except for the ones I have already donated to charities--are sitting in a box in my bedroom.

So, here's what I'm going to do that will help us both. I will give away one copy of the Mysteries of the Ozarks (Vol I) to someone who posts on my blog between now and the end of the month. That way I'll get more organized, and you can win a book with 19 wonderful mystery stories. The winner's name will be picked at random. Good luck!