Tag: Goals

Z is for Zounds

Erin Penn 5 Comments

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

Zounds, is one third of 2026 gone already??? Time to do a check-in on my writing goals for the year I mentioned on January 1st. (Next check in will be at the end of August before the year-end crazy starts in September with two writing conventions.)

How is the “Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard” (BICHOK) going? Not well, not well. But I haven’t been completely unsuccessful. Slowing me down is day job was unexpectedly successful in January and February, netting me several paying editing gigs. Income is nice.

Now onto the writing goals from January.

One) Reading Goals (A) 24 BIPoC reads  – I’m at 10 reads. Yes 8 of them are children’s books, but they are non-fiction children books about BIPoC people written by BIPoC authors. And I am on schedule. The two BIPoC adult books are The Formidable Miss Cassidy and The Mystical Mister Kay by Meihan Boey. Think Mary Poppins set in Singapore with the kids aged up to teenagers – historical urban fantasy folklore. (B) Book Clubs – Still attending my book clubs faithfully. (C) 12 books for bookcrafting tracked through Storygraph – Nothing done here yet. (D) Bonus Goal: 6 “Likely Reads Book Reviews” for the local NPR station – Not done yet, sigh. I so want to help support NPR especially after my station lost nearly two-thirds of its support (government removal of NPR, and the university also getting government cuts so they cannot support their extra education missions). Maybe during the summer, as it is the slowest season in Texas because of the heat.

**Reading Goals are mostly on track for the year!

Two) Writing Goals (A) writing at least one blog per day – ha, ha, ha, ha. Yeah, right. But I am doing good catchup, having completely finished the 2022 flashes finally meaning I am only behind for 2024, 2025, and 2026 – just over 100 to go; (B) writing at least one short story a month – nope; and (C) writing at least 500 real words per day – again nope.

**Writing Goals aren’t out of reach, but I need to get cracking on them.

Three) Submission Goals – I cannot control if a book or short story will be published, BUT if I don’t finish and submit, it won’t happen. (A) I need to submit the followup short story for my superhero story which appeared in “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To P-Con” for the 2026 anthology. – I DID NOT MAKE THE DEADLINE – UGH!(B) I would like to submit to two of the Ranconteur anthologies. – NOT YET (C) I would like to publish another 20k (at least) book; “Honestly” is getting lonely out there. – Not yet, but it is going into summer, so more free time.  (D)Bonus points, get a novella or short novel published by Falstaff’s Crush line.  – also a nope.

**Submission Goals are getting into the impossible area. If I am going to do it, I will need to do them during the Summer.

Four) Social Media Goals (A) daily TikTok bookquotes (or embroidery drops); – I met this goal until TT decided to do the AI nightmare and I have finally quit this beloved tradition. (B) transferring bookquotes to YouTube – this was done; (C) making memes (at least 50 this year) – 39 new memes made so far! (D) maintaining this blog; – I’ve been late with a couple drops in 2026, but so far only actually missing one post out of 52. (E) (the likely books review mentioned under reading) – not tackled yet (F) Bonus point: start a substack. – highly likely to be started in the summer now that TikTok has lost me.

**Social Media Goals – I might actually accomplish all of these. Doing great so far.

Five) Socialization Goals (A) two book clubs (B) writer group (C) an embroidery group. – I have found a writer’s group!!! So I now have four social groups outside the house which is essential when you work from home. This is part of the writing strategy because even though I am a real introvert, I am still human and need to feed the social animal side of me. The enclosure needs to be enriched.

**Doing amazingly well with the Socialization Goals, something that was an issue last year.

Six) Three Conventions as a Goal – Went to FenCon in February. Just two more writing conventions to go!

**Convention Goals are on schedule.

Seven) Bonus Publication Goal – Publish a novel – Not done yet.

**Bonus goal – I’ve never published a novel (I do have a novella out – Honestly by Erin Penn.)

Other questions include do I want to participate in the A-to-Z in April or do Novel November? – I did participate in the A-to-Z this year and I think it is my best participation ever. The Novel November question has been pushed off to the final-third of the year me. Next revisit is end of August, as previously mentioned.

Overall, nowhere near I want to be, but some of my goals are on schedule or even ahead of schedule. Summer is the slow season for me for duties and responsibilities outside of writing, so I hope I can focus on the writing. We shall see. Next check in for 2026 is the end of August when the final third of the year starts – conventions, Novel November, and family December.

Zounds, a question for you: What have you accomplished during the first third of the year and what do you want to accomplish over the summer?

Writing Exercise: New Year New Habits, Old Goals 2026

Erin Penn Leave a comment

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

Happy New Year

2025 flips to 2026 and another year in which you are going to work on your writing.

That’s fine. Reconcentrate after the craziness of December. For me, I lost all of November to my mom being in the hospital then in rebhab after breaking her hip in a fall. December, she was healthy enough for visits (though we are still going to a physical therapist three times a week), so we had rolling visitors all month for which we were preparing, having, then cleaning up to redo the whole thing over again the next week with another group. And I had edits. Writing has not been possible, but I did manage to finish my BIPoC reading goal of the year.

Now it’s time to return to the keyboard. Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard – BICHOK.

Today’s writing exercise is figuring out what do you want to accomplish this year.

WRITING EXERCISE: Reading, Writing, Submission, Social Media, Socialization, and Convention goals. Write yours down and record those you want to share in the comments. Keep the rest somewhere nearby.

My Attempt

One) Reading Goals  (A) BIPoC reads. I want to do 24 books again this year. It is a reasonable goal and I have been able to make it for three years running. It is about 20% of my reads. These are verifiable BIPoC reads; often with immigrant or latino reads, verifying isn’t easy or possible. (B) Book Clubs – I am part of two book clubs. One specializes in recent (5 years or less) genre fiction and often introduces me to books I wouldn’t have found on my own, but I am, generally, interested in. The National Public Radio book club in Waco is called Likely Stories and reads random books reviewed on the radio station by listeners. It is random and REALLY introduces me to books I would never have read. – Both goals for (A) and (B) make me read outside my comfort zone and explore new authors constantly.

What are you doing to look beyond your normal reading interests?

Hmm. The big change from normal is previous years I made a habit of reading writing books, but this past year I only read one. I think I should make a challenge over on Storygraph of reading twelve books for bookcrafting. Goal (C). The Storygraph challenges will be the BIPoC and the Writing Books.

A bonus goal is actually creating some of those book reviews for my NPR book club. Six will be a reasonable challenge I think. (D) Six Likely Reads Book Reviews.

Two) Writing – Editing took over the writing last year, as did yardwork and readjusting to living at home. This year goals  are (A) writing at least one blog per day; (B) writing at least one short story a month; and (C) writing at least 500 real words per day, not just words on emails and the like. Will I do it all? Unlikely. I keep making this goal and failing, but maybe, like the reading, I can figure out a way to make the goals happen. I’ve done good for months at a time so it isn’t impossible, just unlikely.

Three) Submission – I cannot control if a book or short story will be published, BUT if I don’t finish and submit, it won’t happen. (A) I need to submit the followup short story for my superhero story which appeared in “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To P-Con” for the 2026 anthology. (B) I would like to submit to two of the Ranconteur anthologies. (C) I would like to publish another 20k (at least) book; “Honestly” is getting lonely out there.  (D)Bonus points, get a novella or short novel published by Falstaff’s Crush line. 

Four) Social Media – I have fun (A) making daily TikTok bookquotes (or embroidery drops; (B) transferring them to YouTube; (C) making memes (at least 50 this year) on bookquotes; (D) maintaining this blog; (E) (the likely books review mentioned under reading) (F) Bonus point: start a substack.

Five) Socialization – I have two book clubs (as mentioned under the reading goals) but I don’t have a club or regular writing group outside of that. I was thinking I would need to create one since Waco didn’t have one, but the Hewitt Library System is starting one in January and it will meet twice a month. I hope it will keep me honest. So (A) book clubs and (B) writer group. I also have (C) an embroidery group. These are my social lifelines. Do not skimp on having a support system outside of your family.

Six) Conventions – My goal every year is to go to at least three writer conventions. I need to sit down and make plans for this.

Seven) Publication – This is something I don’t have control over (mostly), but (A) Bonus: Publish a novel either by myself or with someone else.

I have marked a revisit to these goals for April’s 5th Thursday blog.

Other questions include do I want to participate in the A-to-Z in April or do Novel November?

 

New Year 2024

Erin Penn

Photo by Scottsdale Mint on Unsplash

Happy leap year – 2024.

Twenty-three was better to me than the two previous years and I hope the climb continues.

My various jobs and the writing, especially during NaNoWriMo 2023, have been the best I have had in years. Even editing worked out.

There is still plenty of room for improvement. So much room.

I would like to reestablish and keep the 500 words per day goal, as well as maintaining this blog up-to-date since I used NaNoWriMo 2023 to catch up on it. I plan on continuing the TikTok and also read #24for24 like I did #23for23 – reading 24 BIPoC books for 2024.

The big thing is leveraging my ability to FINALLY write longer works into actual publishable materials this year.

With the year of the Dragon just around the corner (February 10th), this is the year for beginnings and prosperity.

Goal Review

Erin Penn

Time to review how the water bunny goals of 2023 went. I know most people are concentrating on creating their 2024 resolutions, but setting goals works better for me as tax season nears an end – especially in 2024. I’ll tell you why in a moment. But first the review of goals.

The mission statement remains in place.

Mission Statement: Create entertaining and marketable stories which show healthy relationship choices, present educational items, and challenge people to do better.

The goals for 2023 were:

  1. Increase sellable words volume. (Work on writing long-form.)
    2. Maintain the blog going forward.
    3. Produce novels regularly, setting up a successful production line by December 2023.
    4. Stay healthy

WHAT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED

1. Increase sellable word volume.

RESULTS – MEH. I got some sellable words, but I haven’t crafted them into something that could be sold yet. I didn’t write daily as I should; the hourglass flip didn’t work BUT I have found something that seems to be working now, an app that gamifies writing in a way that works for me. I only discovered it at the end of November, so I haven’t fully integrated it into my life yet. Most of the new-habits for writing I have tried are successful about a month or two; if it lasts until March, things will be going well.

2. Maintain the blog going forward.

RESULTS – I DID IT!!! This post completes the 2023 blogs. In addition, I have totally caught up for 2021 and I can see the goalpost for 2022. 2024 is in a great place. I knocked myself out in November for NaNoWritMo for the blog and the results show. I still have a few things to do, and maintenance is always a constant, but I got this. I started the year 165 behind and then added the 157 posts needed for 2023. I end the year at 16 needed with only 50 more to go for 2024.

Mixed in with the blog is the long-form skills continue to grow. Many of the flashes are multi-episode. I am VERY happy about this!

3. Produce novels regularly.

RESULTS – Complete nope.

4. Stay Healthy

RESULTS – Meh. Weight went up, but I did get a couple of the needed doctors appointments done. I’m now on heart meds (standard beta blockers) and my heart has stopped skipping beats multiple times an hour. Down side, they sap energy and I am still getting used the energy loss. By nine at night, I’m useless at the keyboard.

GOING FORWARD INTO 2024

I don’t know exactly what will happen.

As those who follow me know, I am a big proponent of women being active in politics. Well, in November the local newspaper printed “10 people filed to run for office” – small print … all men. Not a single woman.

I couldn’t let that stand, so I am running for office. The primaries in NC are in March, so I will know how my summer will shape up at that point. If I win, I will be knocking on doors every day; if I lose, I will be knocking on the keyboard. To run for office, I had to give up the Post Office job; regulations required it. Income will be tight either way.

After March 5th, decisions and plans can be made, but until then, the only concentrations are 1. taxes (day job); 2. writing/editing (night job); 3. running for office.

Happy new year. I’ll let you know the 2024 plans after the wood dragon chases off the water rabbit.