Wildly Improbable Goal 2012 Update

Back in January, I posted my writing WIGs (Wildly Improbable Goals) here on Write To Live—Live To Write. I recently looked back at my goals for the year to see what I’d accomplished and what I hadn’t gotten done.

Here’s my report on my WIG to become a published author and how I did accomplishing the first steps I identified back in January:

• Record writing accomplishments 2011 (It’s always good to start with a celebration!)
  • Did it! It was fun to do but I forgot to look back at it over the year for inspiration.
• Create or join a critique group that meets weekly.
  • Did it! Started a critique group with one other member and we were meeting weekly through the winter and into the spring but summer came and our meetings got postponed. The good news is that we are restarting next week and have added a third member who fits in with our editing style and our crazy time schedule.
• Find 3 contests I can enter and commit to them (deadlines in calendar).
  • Did it! I entered three contests and submitted to two of them. The third one I started a piece and let life get in the way of completion before the deadline. Lesson learned: Don’t waste money on a contest unless you know you are going to be able to meet the deadline.
• Research 3 magazines I can pitch to (one a week for three weeks).
  • Did it. I found three great magazines I was excited about, but then I dropped the ball. I never ended up contacting any of them. That’s going back on the list for 2013.

Other than these first steps, I have met some other writing goals this year:

• I won Nano 2012!
• I met with an agent and pitched a story idea.
• Started posting to my blog (Healing Choices) weekly.
• Blogged every other week for NHWN.
• Guest blogged for a number of different blogs.
• Went to a writing conference.
• Hosted a writing retreat.
• Hosted a Nano Write-In.
• Joined The Writer’s Chatroom as a moderator and got to interview some amazing authors!

Okay, so—I’m not a published author yet, but—I enjoyed meeting all of these goals and I’m excited at the progress I’ve made.

Becoming a published author is definitely a Wildly Improbable Goal, so I’m sticking with it. No one said I only had a year to make it happen. I’m putting in my “10,000 hours” and enjoying every step along the way.

Now I’m thinking about the new goals I’ll set for 2013.

You?