Review of writing goals

I went to look at this blog to see what my writing goals were so I could review them, and saw that was when I last posted here. Oops. How lax of me. That shall be one of my goals then, to blog more. I did read what my goals were, and have had to rethink a couple, either because of what I write or because of current circumstances. So, here we go.

Not to give up on sending sci-fi stories out. I have given up, mainly because I have realised that the type of sci-fi I write (and want to write) isn't what the magazines want. They want gritty types whereas mine are more gentle and clean. Am now thinking about still writing them but for my own collection to publish, possibly next year.

Promote my children's books in libraries. Due to the lockdown, this has had to be put on hold until when I can do so.

Promote my ghost stories more. I have been promoting them now and then on Facebook, esp in groups I belong to.

I have found another way to promote them - write them for magazines. So I have found a market for them, with one acceptance so far. Yours Fiction (a quarterly magazine) that publishes just fiction wants ghost stories, so I have sent them two more stories so far. Am working on another, and have a couple more in mind, which were going to be put in my short story collection. Which brings me to my next goal -

Get together a collection of my ghost stories to publish. I have started. I have found some on Word and have put them in one folder ready to print out again and read through.

Another way to promote ghost stories is to write more ebooks with them in. I have thought of another series with a helpful ghost in, which I've been jotting down notes about over the last couple of weeks.

Last goal. Write the last in my Singleton magical realism series. Am still writing that. I want to finish the first draft this month. I want to publish before autumn, when I feel that traditional published books will eventually be published.

New goal - to publish Alistair's story in August/Sept.

So, I shall catch up sometime soon about these.

New writing goals

Wow, can't believe I wrote on her last in October. Where did those months go? Where is this month going, too? Can't believe it's middle of Jan already. Anyway, I made a few writing goals this year. Here they:

1. Not give up submitting sci-fi and fantasy stories. I have found a couple of new markets and will submit to them.

2. Continue branding my ghost stories by new covers to my Geraldine's Gems series.

3. Promote my ghost stories more.

4.Finish my 'Singleton' magical realism series. I have just started writing the last ebook in the series.

5. Keep promoting my children's books in the library.

6.Start putting together a ghost story collection. Once I have finished the Singleton series/

Will report back as I go. How about you? What are your goals this year?

What I really really want...to write

Over the last week I have been thinking a lot about writing for women's mags (womags) and how I feel about the market and how I have been getting on, or not. I have been trying to get stories accepted by both Woman's Weekly and The People's Friend, but have come up with rejection after rejection. I have now come to the conclusion that I am not cut out for those markets and am going to have a break from trying. The markets for women's short stories are getting fewer now, with Take A Break now only taking stories by their published authors. I have recently sent a Xmas story to an overseas magazine, so shall see what happens with that. I might try a few times with that magazine. I also might try to write a different genre, which I think I have mentioned before - sci-fi. I have a few ideas rattling around my brain for stories, just need to explore them more. I have sent a magical realism story to a digital magazine so shall see how that goes too.

I have realised there are a few genres that I do like writing: asper fiction (stories about children with Asperger's/autism who find confidence), ghosts and magical realism. So, I have already written and printed out a few stories for the first two genres, and have thought of the idea of putting them in a short story collection. Then they can go along and beside my other books and ebooks eg the shorts about ghosts can go beside my Geraldine's Gems ebook series that features a ghost, and can also be a prelude to a series I have about ghosts helping relatives. The Asper fiction shorts can go along side the Rainbow School series I am currently publishing and the other series' I have in mind. There will be a third genre - fiction that I think will be suitable for the overseas magazine. I have found one which I want to rewrite and cut half to get to the word count they want.

So, that is what I really really want to write. One other thing I found about trying to write for womags is that I didn't find it fun and enjoyable anymore. I like writing short stories but realising that maybe I wasn't cut out for it took that fun away for me. I want to get back to writing stories I want to write and have fun with.

I will let you know how it goes, esp with the stories I have out on submission.

Review of my writing goals

As nearly a quarter of the year has gone already (where did that go?) I thought I'd post a review of how I'm getting on with my goals for this year. So, here we go:

1. Republish Billy. Yes, did that in January. You can find him here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Billy-Sparkling-Socks-Rainbow-School/dp/154264853X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492950556&sr=1-1&keywords=billy+and+the+sparkling+socks

2. Publish 'Birds Flock Together'. Hope to do this next week once I have finished self-editing Qessa's story.

3. Publish Charlie. Hope to do this in June. The cover is currently been designed by my illustrator.

4. Publish Susie. Want to do this near end of year.

5. Write more womag stories. Am doing that.

6. Get a story accepted by Woman's Weekly. This has now changed. I now want to focus on writing for one womag at a time until I get one story published. Have had 2 rejections from them this year.

7. Get a story accepted by The Weekly News. Same as above. I now want to focus on reading and writing for The People's Friend. They still have one of mine. I am currently working on another, then will change the ending of another to send to them too.

I am also going to try writing sci-fi to expand my areas of writing and targets. Now aim to get a story accepted by TPF and a sci-fi mag by end of year.

8. I am keeping my biz expenses up to date.

So, how are your goals for this year doing so far? Let me know.

An exciting writing week

This week has been an exciting week for me in my writing life. It all started early in the week when I checked my emails. I had been emailing tips and letters to magazines, and had emailed best magazine with a diet tip. Then this week I got an email from the editor saying that she'd love to use my tip, could I please send a photo of myself. I duly did this. Success number one! I shall start looking in the magazine from next week cos I'm not sure if they inform you when it will be in the magazine.

Second exciting event happened yesterday. I was on the phone to Rebecca Woodhead having a coaching session about autoresponder emailing, when she mentioned that I could be an Amazon bestselling author, Moi? It turned out she was right. When she and I checked the Amazon US store link to 'The Railway Angel' my first YA fantasy ebook published in 2011, it had hit 2 of their best seller lists for sci-fi and fantasy. One was at 66 the other was at 86. Me, an Amazon bestselling author. Hurrah. Anyway, Rebecca then posted a message on Facebook about this, tagging various people we knew, asking them to download it, share the message etc. What happens? By the end of the night, it had reached these dizzy heights in the lists

I don't know if you can see this OK or not, but the top one says it's now at 16, the bottom one is at 32.

So, I can happily say that I am an Amazon bestselling author. And I will do when I do my talks.

Thank you, Rebecca, for finding this out for me, and getting everyone in our team to respond to it, and post messages to me, esp the EMP bosses.

PS If you wish to learn how to write letters to magazines and get paid for them, or find out how to become an Amazon bestselling author, then email me with the header 'letters' or 'Amazon' so I know where it's come from, at

awlist3493948@aweber.com