Thank Goodness I Finished

Well, the Picture Book Marathon is over!  I completed the 26 manuscripts!  I also wrote my February manuscript for 12x12 in 12!
It was a tough month.  It seemed like it was more of a struggle this year to work each day.  However, I hate to lose and not finishing something like this that I start would be like 'losing' to me.

Some of my stories may have been more like writing exercises, but I do think there are a few real winners in there.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get them polished up and sent out later this year.

I hope to be blogging more this year and get some useful resources up here.

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will


Interesting or useless quote:
Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Thank Goodness its February (and it's almost over!)

Special Tuesday TGIF (again)!

PB Marathon Update:

Another short post to keep you updated.

Only two days and two picture books left.  I have written 24, plus, this week I did my picture book for 12x12 in 12!  I'm looking forward to a little relaxation in March.  More about my efforts and results next blog!

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

Interesting or useless quote:

Who needs sleep?!

Thank Goodness its February (once more)

Special Tuesday TGIF!

Marathon Update:  Just a short post to keep you updated

I am still on track to finish.  I did use both of my remaining rest days this weekend (I was busy), but I only have nine books to write in nine days!  (Actually ten books, because I haven't written my 12x12 book for February yet either...)  Easy!  ;)

Anyway, stay motivated.  Stay focused.  And:

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

Interesting or useless quote:

Shouldn't it be spelled:  Fonetic ?!?

Thank Goodness its February (yet again)

I'm still doing well on the Picture Book Marathon.  Yesterday was the ninth of the month and I've written eight picture books.  I did use one of my 'rest' days, but I have two left.

As for ideas for the books I'm working on this month, I've been looking back through ideas I have stored in notebooks, on my computer and on my phone and iPod.  However, some of my better ideas (I think) have just come up--sometimes from being around my kids.  So, you've got to keep your eyes and ears open for ideas that may strike you!  And keep something handy for jotting down those ideas.  It doesn't hurt to hang around children either.  :)

I have also been looking at sending out some of my poems to magazines.  I just need to decide which ones and to what magazine(s).  I want to send a few to at least two or three different magazines this month.

Stay motivated.  Stay focused.  And:

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

Interesting or useless quote:

I'm out of bed and made it to the keyboard.  What more do you want?!

Thank Goodness its February (again)

So far so good for me and the Picture Book Marathon.  Yesterday was February 2nd and I have written two picture book manuscripts this month.

It is working to keep me motivated so far as well.  I also joined another marathon of sorts, the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge.  I wrote my PB manuscript for January, so at the end of the Picture Book Marathon, I should have at least 28 new manuscripts (at least 26 for the PB Marathon and 2 for 12x12in2012) to sort through and work on.

I've been busy with typing notes and manuscripts on my iPod, phone and computer.  I generate a lot of ideas when I'm trying to finish a manuscript.  That's a good thing if I don't get distracted from finishing the idea I'm working on.

Well, that's going to be it for the blog this week, but I hope to have more numbers and motivation for you next week!

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will


Interesting or useless quote:

Even if the voices aren't real, they have some good ideas...

Thank Goodness I'm Functioning (again)

It's Picture Book Marathon time again!

This February is the 4th annual Picture Book Marathon.  Last year, I completed the marathon and finished 30 picture books in 28 days.  I had wanted to go through them and revise them and actually send some of them out.  I think I only sent out one of them last year, however, I have recently been going through them and I plan to send some out soon.

That's what I'm hoping the marathon will do for me this year:  motivate me to send out more manuscripts.  Also, I'm planning on blogging about the marathon (at least once a week) this year--that should hopefully get me back into the blogging mode, since I've been sadly lax on maintaining this blog (but the job is going well!).

Anyway, looking back through all the manuscripts, many of them don't work, and might not ever work without being completely rewritten from scratch (which is a valid endeavor!), and some of them might work better as another literary form (magazine story, magazine poem, etc.).  But some of them could be quite nice!

Well, here's to your writing life and mine!  May we all have success in publishing (or whatever your goal is) this year!  Keep your eyes open for 4 new TGIF blogs next month!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will


Interesting or useless quote:

Top Ten Reasons to Procrastinate:

1.

To Get It Finished

In writing, as in life, it is important to finish things.

Finish your homework.  Finish your supper.  Finish school.  Are you gonna finish that eclair?

Finish that manuscript.  Finish that query letter.  Finish revising that manuscript.

Just remember:  You can't submit a manuscript unless it is finished.  I have read a lot about writing on the Internet and in books, but until I actually started finishing (heh) things, I don't really think I could call myself a writer.

I finished the Picture Book Marathon this week (which included finishing two more picture books).

I submitted three things this week:
 - A speculative fiction (SF) poem (finished recently)
 - An SF short story (finished years ago)
 - A children's picture book (finished months ago)

Submission is almost like a finish...it is one more step completed toward getting something published.

I feel good.  I feel like this could be a very productive year.

And now...(wait for it)...this week's blog is finished.

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

Thank Goodness it's Friday!

Well, we're coming down to the end of February.  The Picture Book Marathon has been great, but exhausting.

So far, I've written 27 books in 25 days.  Only three days left to go.  I wrote a few extra in the early days and took two days off last week.  And I wrote two extras this week, so my total will be 28+ (hopefully).  It truly has been hard work to write a picture book a day from a new idea or an idea that had been hanging around a while.

I also found out what Lora Koehler and Jean Reagan had mentioned in the Picture Book Marathon blog - February 10th - Stinkers and Duds.  I found an idea or two that had been pulling at me, but when fleshed out, didn't really work.

Of course, not all of the books that I've written will work either.  I'll revise and polish them, some sooner than others, but even while writing them, some of them held less promise than others.  But be assured, my critique group will be seeing some of these in the months to come.

Plus, I didn't use up all the ideas I had generated.  I have lists and lists of ideas, but some days, I was struck by a new one that had to be done or I came up with something while I wasn't at my computer.

So, Thank Goodness it's Friday and the Picture Book Marathon is almost over.  It has been a great jumpstart to my writing, but I'm looking forward to now revising some of my stuff and sending it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Will

(I should have included the logo earlier!)

Picture Book Marathon logo by Nathan Hale