Goals check for the week of February 11

Well, I'm doing this late again, this time because Michael was off work until today, and I sometimes don't even sit down at my computer when he's home.  It will be another dismal week in all respects except one, which I can't wait to blog about on Monday.  But this post is about last week, so that will have to wait!

Goals check for the week of February 4

I had a very busy week last week and not much time at the computer, so I didn't realize until yesterday that I hadn't done my goals check on Monday like usual.  (Of course that doesn't bode well for next week's goals check...)

I've been finding it very hard to look back to the previous week and write about what happened and why I did or did not get things done.  In fact, if it weren't for a handy little app I use to mark when I get things done, I would have no idea -- the days pass so quickly for me that they blur together, and I often can't remember what happened even a few days before.  And since I am writing about last week on Friday instead of Monday, my memories are even hazier than they usually are when I sit down to write these things.

Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

This week, NPR has run two opposing radio spots: one about the evolving self-publishing industry, featuring the founder of Smashwords, and one about traditional publishing's "golden age."

This hits close to home for me, since I've been planning on self-publishing the novel series I am currently working on -- as the first radio spot said, self-publishing is the first choice for some authors (and I was planning on using Smashwords as well).  So, granted, I may be a bit biased in my assessment of these two stories.

Goals check for the week of January 28

Last week was actually a much better week in most respects, at least compared to the week of January 21st.  It was nice to have a bit of a comeback, both on my novel and on my riding.  I still need to work on making sure I ride both my horses, instead of just Panama, but just having done more writing and riding makes me feel much better about the success of my week.

DIY for freelancers

I recently had a conversation with a self-publisher author about the publishing process -- I've probably mentioned before that I'm fairly certain that's the route I'm going to go with the novels I am currently working on, and I wanted to chat with someone who has been fairly successful at it themselves.  I got a lot of valuable information -- everything from tips on hiring editors and cover designers, to information on marketing tactics and what times of year you tend to get more sales.

A recurring theme in all of this, though, is what -- if anything -- I can do myself. 

Goals check for the week of January 21

Last week flew by almost too fast to keep tabs on it.  Monday was Martin Luther King Day, and I didn't get anything done then -- I had lunch with a friend who is coming out of a long recovery from surgery, and then I took the girl I nanny for to the Grand Prix jumping show at the National Western Stock Show.  Otherwise, I am still trying to figure out where my week went.  I didn't ride that much, didn't work on my novel, didn't do much with anything to show for it, other than reconnecting with a client and lining up some new work, and doing some mid-week work for a disabled single dad I run errands for (usually on the weekends).

Even though it will be pretty dismal, here is the lineup anyway:

1. Novels: No progress on the writing itself, although I did start reading one of the books on my list for general research and mood-setting.  Putting an ending on my novel apparently went to my head, and I haven't gotten back to writing ever since.  I do have a write-in with friends scheduled for tomorrow, though, so that should force me to get some work done.  In the meantime, I have needed to work out some kinks in my series timeline -- today's task, most likely.

2. Websites and blogs: Still no progress here, although I need to get cracking on this!

3. Other writing projects: Same as above!

4. Books: As mentioned above, after reading The Hobbit I started reading a book that was on my to-read list as general research for my novel -- a book about Al Capone.  Still need to get to Les Miz and the others on my list.

5. Horses: Again, I didn't ride as much as I should have, partly because of the mid-week work for my weekend job.  I remember there was something I was working on the other days that kept me from going to the barn the other mornings, but now I can't remember what that was or why it was so important.  How terrible is that?  I did have great rides on both horses on Thursday, though (the day my trainer comes), and I rode Panama again on Sunday.

It wasn't a great week for meeting goals, but it was a shortened week because of the holiday, so I suppose it's not as bad when you think of it that way.  Better luck this week!

Goals check for the week of January 14

With the holiday yesterday and the Grand Prix horse show I went to, I wasn't able to blog about last week's progress on my goals for 2013.  I hadn't forgotten, though, so here it is!  The week was overall a good one, with a milestone reached on my novel and some more progress with my allocation of horse time.