Melding Bits and Pieces to Make a Whole

"Dear Me" outlines year's goals

I wrote an entry in the Dear Me contest. It wasn't good enough to place or even for an honorable mention, but the letter did give my goals for this year. What a better place for those goals than in my writing journal?

Dear Me,

         Ah, another new year awaits us with promises of joy, greatness, being published, being rejected... Whoa! We don’t want any more of that! I’ve been looking at all those rejection notices you received last year and wonder which wall we should paper with them. Since more than one papered wall wouldn’t meet my decorating standards, let’s get to work and plan a successful campaign to storm the walls of the publishing world.

         First, selecting one of our novels which might tickle the delight of an editor might be a good start. Apparently, Stolen isn’t marketable because it doesn’t have a happy-ever-after ending, but which one of the two finished books would be? Hmmm, romance, mystery, suspense top the bestseller lists. What do we have that meets any of those genre? I know - Unanswered Prayers! That story includes romance (hot, but not too steamy), mystery (will the murderous cousin be apprehended), and suspense (would the murderous cousin get his hands on Merrill). Good idea, me, we’ll get that book ready to mail out next week.

         Secondly, we know the scarcity of good sports books for upper elementary grade and middle school readers. The Base Stealers Club is finished; readers on Writing.Com have posted excellent reviews with even adults enjoying the first eight chapters; the grandsons and their friends love the book. With that type of endorsement, we’ll find publishers who are interested in books for that age group and mail away.

         Next, we have two books we need to finish: the sequel to The Base Stealers Club, The Case of the Missing Coach; and Change of Life, the first seven chapters which have received very good reviews from Writing.Com. I think you should work on the first book, and I’ll take the second. With both of us writing, our efforts should result in finished works in a couple of months.

         Also, the Louie the Duck stories wait for illustrations. I know, I know, you don’t feel comfortable drawing, but the stories need those illustrations. As slow as you create those drawings, you still should have at least two stories ready by the end of 2003.

         Last, but certainly not least, you need to review more material. You do a good job keeping up with the postings on “Portfolio Support Society” and “Up in the Ranks,” but you should expand your horizons. Although you read and encourage two or three “newbies” a week, add another two. Find at least one portfolio each week that you haven’t reviewed; read and review at least one or two items from that port.

         If you don’t have enough to do, you might write more poetry. You’ve been successful having a few poems published. I'll see what I can do to add to our poetry inventory, too.


                             Happy New Year,
                             Myself and I