The Goal & the Plan

Song Stuck on the Brain: I Am by Nicole C. Mullen

CFBA: Day Two of Dark Hour by Ginger Garrett. Read Kevin Lucia's Review Here. The contest is still open to win a free copy of Dark Hour. It's easy to enter, just leave a comment here.

I have to say, seeing all these great authors and books being promoted through blog tours has got me all stirred up - in a good way of course. It makes me want to see MY book on a blog tour.

A lot of these writers and bloggers are connected through the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) of which I'm a member. Every year the ACFW sponsers this fabulous conference for writers. I've been a member for two years and haven't been able to attend either year.

But 2007 is going to be different. I've got a Goal and a Plan (thank you Randy Ingermanson for your fantastic tips in the Advanced Fiction Writing e-zine.) and come September 2007, no matter where the conference is held, I'm going to be there with proposals in tow.

That means I have a year to achieve my Goal - to have the first two books in my proposed Suspense series finished, a synopsis/outline for book three and a complete book series proposal packet to take with me. A lot of work, but do-able, I have to keep up with the rest of my life too.

Burning Justice, the first in my Justice Chronicles, is nearly complete. I'm just adding some touch ups. Serving Justice, the sequel is still in the synopsis/outline stage. It's a strong outline, but still not a manuscript. Since an average goal for Suspense novels in the CBA market is 80,000 to 100,000 words, I've got a lot of typing ahead of me.

I've broken the Goal down into a step by step Plan with daily writing goals and if I stick to the Plan, I'll be finished just in time for the conference.

Something just tells me that 2007 is going to be a turning point for my writing career. I don't know if that means a contract or just a big step forward in the ever winding path to GET a contract. I'm just determined that I'm not going to stand in my own way and now that I've got a Goal and a Plan, I'm really excited. I can't wait to hear where the next conference is going to be held. I'm crossing all my toes (got to keep the fingers free for typing) that they choose someplace close to home so I can save a little money. It's not the most expensive conference to attend, and it's definitely worth the cost, but it's a chunk of money just the same.

I'll try to keep my Word Count meter on the side bar updated so you can see where I'm at. It's kind of nice to see that little box fill up. Makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

Someday I will have a real book contract, and when I do you can say, "I read her when..."

A.