Goals: Make Them When You Really Need Them

Howdy,  Pamela Tracy here, and I gotta tell you, across the cyber highway, everyone’s writing about goals. No, not everyone.  I’m not.  Er, okay, I”m writing about them just not making them.  I didn’t make a single goal come midnight Dec 31/Jan 1.  

Oh, and the people who didn’t make goals, many of them are urging me to come up with a “word” that will represent 2017.  A word.  Really?  Just one.  No, no, no.  I’d need a word for work, for home, for the eleven-year-old when once again I find a juice box/ otter pop wrapper/chip bag stuck into the cushions of my couch.  Here’s a word:  Ew.   Here’s another word: Grounded.  Here’s another word: Tired.  Here’s another word:  Happy.  

Happy, that’s right.  I’m so very happy that I have an 11 year old.  So, picture me erasing all those words and instead lecturing about “Never buying you another juice box again?”  “Next time I WILL ground you!” and/or “Of course I’m not too tired to play another late night game of Clash Royale with you.

Cheryl and I spoke about this.  About what we’d write.

Some clear goals I made were when I started seriously writing, which was not at midnight on December 31st.

Oh, yes, I can make goals

1. Learn how to write a finished book that was readable/publishable
2. Sell to Harlequin
3. Win a Rita
4. Have a book turned into a Hallmark movie
5. Make a living as a writer

I did number one and two.  I’ve finaled for a Rita.  As for number four, often when I write, my brain is turning my book into a Hallmark movie.  Sometimes I rewrite whole scenes because I know how the movie would have to go.

As for making a living... 
Well, I’ve worked two jobs since I was in college, at least if you count summers where I had both day and night jobs (which is why I’m not too sympathetic when I hear students say they can’t afford college.)

Do I still have five goals?  Yes.  After 25 books, I have...

1. Learn how to write tighter/better/engaging books. (It never gets easier)
2. Keep selling to Harlequin
3. Win a Rita (please, please, please)
4. Have a book turned into a Hallmark movie (please, please, please, please)
5. Make a living as a writer (My husband keeps asking about this one.  Ummm).


So, how about you?  What are some of your writing goals.

Pamela's next book
Which is hopefully engaging
and is published by Harlequin
and will be entered in the Ritas
and that would make a wonderful Hallmark movie
(Let me tell you who would play the hero and heroine)
and 'nuff said.

Comments

  1. Pamela, I am happy to hear that one of your goals is to keep writing your engaging books! I believe you know that when Paula Eykelhof suggested that I consider submitting a proposal for Heartwarming, the two books she sent me to convince me to do so were one of yours and one of Roz's. Needless to say, I was sold!

    As for goals, I am admittedly a goal-oriented person; however, I have never set a new year's goal/resolution (or a word). My goals just happen when they need to over the course of the year.

    I noticed you didn't share any "words" in this post about your pup! :)

    Best wishes for your upcoming release . . . including for a Rita win and a Hallmark movie contract! :)

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    1. LOL, I remember you telling me about receiving Roz's and my sample books. I'd loved Paula. She's a class A lady. As for Lucy the dog, nope there are no words. She's doing better, just so big.

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  2. I would love for one of your books to be made into a Hallmark movie too, Pamela. Have you seen their line-up for Saturday nights this month? Who needs to go to the movie theater.
    One of my goals for this year is to sell another book to Harlequin...time will tell.
    Happy New Year!

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    1. They won me over this Christmas. I don't get to watch television much, hardly at all. The only new show I watch is The Good Witch. But the Christmas movies. I was a happy camper over my Winter break. I'd sit with a TV tray in front of me watching Debbie Macomber's Trading Christmas while writing the Harlequin that is due the 31st.

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  3. I always have a word because it's like a talisman for me and I've enjoyed it for several years. I like your goals list. I'd love to see your books on the Hallmark roster, too--they'd look good there!

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    1. There's at least a dozen Heartwarming that HAVE to be made into Hallmark movies, if not more (I'm behind on my reading). I'm finishing up Cheryl's last one now (only stopped to read a middle grade book so I could help my son with a report).

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  4. My goal for writing this year is to simply fill all my work time with productive writing. I did that last year, and I got a LOT done! So I want to do the same with 2017. My work time is sacred, and I respect it.

    Here's to your future RITA win and that Hallmark movie! :)

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    1. Patricia,
      Productive, hmmm, if were to have a word that would have to be it. I remember an author telling me that she writes for two hours a day. I queried how much she got done and she said "Sometimes I... and sometimes I...). I'd love to be able to meander :) But, I set a word count for every day. If I get it done early, then I can relax in the evening. If not, I'm writing at night too.

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  5. Pam! You brought back so many memories when my son was 11, I'm still laughing. I set goals all the time, but Kate is right. They are like letters in the sand. Things in life change a great deal in a given year that those goals are washed away and many times, tougher ones must replace the old ones.
    As a writer we just keep plugging along.
    Have a great week!!!

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    1. Hmmm, now I'm trying to remember what show had the opening about sand being washed away... Was it a soap opera? LOL
      So true about tougher ones replaces the old ones.
      I'm loving the age of 11. He'll be 12 next month.

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    2. Days of our Lives! And good luck with 12...I liked it with mine, but have I heard stories. :-)

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    3. Hah! I'm soooooo impressed that you remember.
      No, no stories

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  6. Pam, any of your books could easily be Rita winners or Hallmark movies. Both of those are so dependent on luck. At first I thought my one word for 2017 would be "hopeful" but maybe I'll change it to "luck". I don't know how many of this year's Hallmark movies I saw, but most reminded me of Heartwarming or other lines I'd recently read. And I thought the books and movies were really stellar. Wishing everyone a very good year.

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    1. My favorite book of yours, Roz, is the one where an urn was found, and there was a mystery along with the stellar romance. Which one am I thinking of?

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  7. Pam, great post! I've tried to set writing goals beyond just finishing the book on time. But like Catherine mentioned, life gets in my way too much. And when I don't make the goal I tend to beat myself up and then I get even less accomplished. I like Patricia's notion of just being as productive as I can with my writing time. But I'm stuck on something else you referenced above - Really? After 25 books you're telling me it still doesn't get any easier?

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    1. LOL, it would make a good article. When I started writing, I wasn't married and didn't have kids. Meeting those two goals (getting married; having kids) sucks ALL the spare time out of my life. But, they also gave me a lot to write about. Oh, and the hero research is hands-on. Can't beat that.

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  8. Great post, Pamela. Even when the kids are grown, it doesn't end. My husband is now retired, which I thought would mean I'd have more time for writing since I have someone to share the chores. He does chores, but he wants to talk about it. He can't grasp that even though I'm in the same room, my mind is in the fictional world, and he keeps dragging me back to reality. But I wouldn't trade him for the world.

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    1. LOL, my favorite is when I want to do something and my husband says, "Shouldn't you be writing?" Never mind the free evening I had where he wanted me to help him figure out online banking or come to Lowes with him because I had to help pick out the new toilet (which of course he picked out like I knew he would).
      Men, ya gotta love um... guess that's why we write about them.

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  9. Goals? Nope. Well, maybe hitting my deadlines. I do have a word. Expectation. And as for that Hallmark movie...from this blog to God's ears! :-)

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    1. I have a mallet, want to hit the deadlines together?

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  10. Pam! Do you have an agent? Couldn't he/she promote one of your books to Hallmark? If not, try it yourself! I think RESILIENCE is a good word. Whatever happens, you'll get up again. Happy Day, Everybody.

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  11. I do have an agent, but I think there's a certain tier of writer that makes it to Hallmark. What do the rest of you think?

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  12. Pam, my writing goal never changes. I just want to come up with the next book idea. As far as one word, I'm going to go with gruntled. If disgruntled means unhappy and discontented, then gruntled must mean happy and content, right?

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    1. LOL, years ago I wrote an elementary curriculum guide and I used the word ruly. I thought since unruly was a word, ruly had be one too. The editor said "no."

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