Happy 2011 to all of you! I hope your holidays were relaxing and joyful. I'm not crazy about all holidays (seriously, who came up with Valentine's Day?), but I do love the start of a new year. Maybe it's because of the concept of fresh starts and new challenges. Maybe it's because every year has been better than the one before, and I've had some pretty great years. I'm not big into resolutions (the same way I'm not into dieting or exercise), but I do love challenging myself. So, I'm listing my writing challenges for the year and would love to here yours as well. First, here's what I loved about 2010.
Some of my favorite writing highlights from 2010:
- starting this blog with my awesome Sisters last Dec., and watching it grow over the past year, to over 400 followers! We are so grateful to have you reading our blog, and every comment makes us smile.
- winning a Dear Lucky Agent Contest and an agent pitch contest with my first YA novel.
- finishing the first draft of a 2nd YA novel at the end of 2010, and being really proud of how it turned out (well, for a first draft anyway)
- the amazing support and encouragement in our critique group...I couldn't do it without them!
- the fabulous community of writers, bloggers, book-lovers, etc. out there. You're all wonderful!
- Revise the heck out of 2nd YA novel (hope to have my second draft finished by the end of Jan.)
- Attend PPW conference again in April.
- Get more comfortable with Twitter
- After another critique and revision of 2nd YA, begin to query
- BIG HUGE GOAL FOR 2011: SIGN WITH THE PERFECT AGENT FOR ME. (There, I said it. I really hope to have an agent by the end of this year. I realize that goal isn't totally under my control, but I think with some revisions and polishing, I have a decent shot.
