On the Way to 2011: Embracing My Writing Life

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Barbara McDowell

It is never too early to set goals.  When wandering past Sharon’s The Sunlit Desk  discussion on her creative goals, I was inspired to make my writing goals more formal.  Locking them down together in a concrete place versus pockets of hopes and dreams in random spaces.  Then I read Linda’s What I Read page on her blog Out of My Mind and reaffirmed the need for planning.  Plus, with my work responsibilities at the beginning of each year, having set path goals in place will allow me to stay focused and not feel behind by February.

So here’s where I’m heading:

  1. Continue with The Other Side of a Funky Place blog (ongoing)
  2. Read 50 books/journals, with a post a month updating where I am (ongoing)
  3. Attend another writing conference (summer)
  4. Publish a short story (ongoing)
  5. Organize writing files (January) and revise work as needed (February/March)
  6. Create more writing-related posts (at least 2 a month, ongoing)
  7. Publish a personal essay (ongoing)
  8. Publish a poem (ongoing)
  9. Attend a mini-writers’ retreat with like-minded friends (October)
  10. Journal at least two times a week (ongoing)
  11. Submit for publication at least once a month (ongoing)
  12. Research one new market each week (ongoing)

What are you thinking of for your upcoming goals? 

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Friday Fallout: My Take on This Week’s Funky Messes (Christine O’Donnell and Others)

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Barbara McDowell
Wiccan Necklace by Special

Flickr image by Special

Christine “the Dabbler” O’Donnell – I’m not a political blogger, so I’m not including this to make some type of statement about her party or the tea party gang dancing behind her.  This is just funny stuff.  Election time brings out the best in platform rhetoric, skewed ads and what I call the backwards run. 

Backwards run, you ask?  Yeah, the dash/trip you see a handful of politicians doing when folks dig up their dirt in the form of past arrest records, fodder from divorces, tax issues or my fave past statements and interviews.  Christine’s plight in Delaware to dash back from the witchcraft statement has gotten her to even launch her own ad that starts, “I am not a witch.”  Would you ever have conceived a political ad having to start that way?  Hot funky mess right there folks.  Run, Christine, run!

my messy busy bed by pequeña esquimal

Flickr image by pequeña esquimal

E-Mails Show Rush to Judgment on Sherrod – The e-mails show that “in the initial hours after her firing other White House officials were thankful that Sherrod had been ousted so quickly.”  Not cool.  Funny how a story that was red hot a little while ago still has traction to come back.  Good for CNN to stay on this.  I never got how they (the USDA) actually thought it would be “alright” to say sorry and offer her a new job.  If anything, why didn’t they offer her back her original job?

Bruno Mars and the Baggie – I’m not here to rant about the bad decision-making that had him trotting into the bathroom to have a snort.  As the defense says on Law and Order, we’ll stipulate to that.  I’m wondering if he’ll get the same kid treatment as other stars…like oh say Paris Hilton who was just caught in Vegas with cocaine.  He’s gotten hit with a felony.  She pled her case down to two misdemeanors, even though this isn’t her first time to the squad room.  If he isn’t granted the same favor as a first time offender, I cry shenanigans.

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