Writing goals for 2018

As I mentioned in my last post, my writing goals for this year have slightly changed. I shall tell you why below.

My main goal last year was to get short stories accepted by women's magazines such as Woman's Weekly or The People's Friend. Well, that never came to anything and I realise why now. The stories I wrote weren't suited for them. I liked writing the stories but I now realise that they weren't the ones I enjoyed writing the most. The one I enjoyed doing the most was the one that did get accepted and published by the overseas magazine eg it had the sense of a ghost in it. So, one of my goals this year is to try to get another story accepted by this magazine.  I also want to get a story accepted by Spirit & Destiny magazine, who publish stories about magical realism topics such as angels and crystals. Just my cup of tea.

So my main aim this year is to write the genre that I enjoy working on, and that is magical realism. I have been writing Book 3 of my Secrets of Singleton series, which has made me realise this is what I like doing. So I want to write Book 4 this year, and continue next year.

I am continuing writing and publishing my Rainbow School series this year. I want to publish Book 3 (Susie) and Book 4 (Qessa) this year.

Also, as I had a few successes again last year with fillers being published in magazines, I am going to work on more of these this year. I have already sent a few off already to magazines and papers. Because of these successes, I have begun work again on the ebook about writing fillers, to include different markets and what they award for them.

One other creative thing I have begun this year is to write poetry. Now that I am not writing stories for womags, it frees up my mind for poems. I have already sent a few to magazines that publish them, which are womags. So I might end up being published in a womag, after all. 

So, they are my main writing goals this year. I shall blog when I get any successes with these. Watch this space....

The positive things to having an Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis

I am going to answer a few questions that people asked me about having Asperger's. The first is a positive post. I was asked: What are the positive things about my diagnosis? Here they are:

1. As others I know who have been diagnosed late in life, it's a sense of relief. A relief that, as someone else said, after a life of feeling somehow different, you now know why and have a real reason for being that way. When I was diagnosed in 2011, it felt that all the pieces of my life, esp the negative side (not fitting in, difficulty making friends), finally all fit together.

2. Because I know I have Asperger's, and been diagnosed late, I can help others, esp younger Aspies. Giving them tips based on how I was at that age, from school to work. I feel that this is a definite positive thing. This blog is one of those. My new children's fiction 'The Rainbow School' series is also part of this.

3. And lastly, as my author client often tells me, I am good at focussing on what I am good at eg writing and helping indie authors such as him.

Raising awareness of autism

It's National Autism Awareness Week this week. So I am going to be popping up in lots of places to raise awareness by mentioning different aspects of autism and Asperger's Syndrome, I will blog more than once on here but there is one big event I will be doing this Saturday.

I am going to be holding a raising awareness event at Sydenham Community Library, SE London, this Saturday 1 April (no it's not a joke) from 10.30 am - 12nn. I will be handing out hand-made leaflets about autism, answering questions about Asperger's (to the best of my experience and knowledge) and selling my book 'Billy and the Sparkling Socks'. If you can come and say hello, or even better, ask me a question, please do so, esp if you are autistic or know someone who is.

Let's celebrate National Autism Awareness Week. #WAAW2017

A biz goal accomplished

This year, again, I have Leonie Dawson's Life and Biz books to write my goals down for what I want to achieve. One of the pages in the Biz book is about promotion and asks where do you want to be mentioned. One of my answers was ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors), and I have achieved this twice the last week.

A couple of months ago, I was asked to write a piece for their blog about writing about children with Asperger's by the blog's organiser, Debbie Young. She said that she would put it up when my book went live. The post went up last week and you can read it here http://selfpublishingadvice.org/children-asperger-syndrome-autism-books/

Then a couple of days ago Debbie asked on the FB group for ideas on out-of-the box marketing for our books. I posted about wanting do a library event during National Autism Awareness week. It was picked up and put on a blog post, which you can read here http://selfpublishingadvice.org/book-marketing-in-the-dark-wacky-ideas-that-really-work/

After this, I have realised that my biz is now going to be writing children's book about children with Asperger's, autism and other health issues, and raise awareness of them by doing events at libraries, if I can.

So, that is one of my Biz promo goals accomplished.

How are your biz goals going?

My Writing Diary - update

So, here is where I am with my writing to date:

My writing came to a halt last weekend when my mum was admitted to hospital after a heart scare. She is back home now and getting better each day. She even went local shopping with me this morning.

Pocket Novel is now complete, but I have yet to start reading through it to check it is OK. Will get to this once I have a day free with 3 time slots available.

Quirky short story is complete and I put it on the story blog for comments today. I hope to get it out to Take a Break's Fiction Feast by the end of this week.

Meantime, I have printed out a ghost story that I wrote a few years ago for an anthology, but was rejected. I have started editing it to revise for a paranormal short story competition by Writing Magazine. The deadline is mid-May so I have plenty of time.

I have also started writing the third and final Mermaid ebook for 9-12s. I am enjoying this one because I have been adding talking sea creatures.

I have also now got a cover for the POD version of The Railway Angel and hope to publish that at the weekend.

Writing diary - what's happening

So, I forgot to post about my writing diary on Monday. I had other things on my mind, mainly closing the sale of my car. I had to get the new owner who had paid me the week before to complete a form so I could send it off to the DVLA. He had been ill. I finally got it all sorted on Wednesday.

Anyway, to the writing. I have finished the pocket novel. I managed to reach 49,919 words, which is near enough to 50k for me. I have revised the synopsis and will type the rest of that up later today. I am going to read through it bit by bit to make sure it all makes sense still, and add more words if I think it needs it.

The quirky short story is finished. I revised it again following comments on the story blog and from Fran Tracey. It is currently with Fran to read through. Meanwhile, I am going to add a bit to the 'wand' story.

And, I have started writing the third and final mermaid ebook. This is Aliona's story and is called 'The Ring Quest'. I am adding more sea life to the story this time, with fish and other creatures. I might even have the hero at the end be attacked by something. We shall see. Nothing too scary, as it's for 9-12 year olds.

I haven't had much to do for my author client as he is working on the third story, which he started to rewrite himself. Will be emailing my editor with the second book, while waiting for illustrations for the first.

I have been emailing my lists with writing ideas and styles along with exercises to go with them. If you want inspiration for a story, either children's or adults, then why not sign up to my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bwuQav

Oh yes, had a letter in the Daily Mirror the other day. No reword except seeing my name in black and white.

I have decided to enter more writing competitions this year. We shall see how we go.

So, there you have what I have been working on the last 2 weeks. Happy writing.

Writing diary - Weeks 5-6

So, what have I been writing these last two weeks, and how far have I got.

The pocket novel - I have been adding scenes throughout the novel where the heroine chats to her work colleague about her romance. Also the hero thinking about his past. Word count is now 49,306, so not far now to reach the 50K that My Weekly want for a pocket novel. I still have to revise the synopsis, but now that I know what is added to the story, I know what to add in that.

Short stories - I finished the edits of the Xmas short story according to the first lots of comments I got on the story blog. Put it on the blog again. I got more positive feedback this time, saying it read better. I still have a few things to add, mainly putting more of the senses in for the ghost, which I will do once I've finished revising the story I'm now working on. I am now revising the quirky short story I wrote in November. I put it on the blog and got lots of comments to make me think. One womag writer, Fran Tracey (Hiya, Fran) messaged me her notes on the story inc bullet points ones for me to read and think about. I have been editing the story according to those, and feel more confident about this story now and where it goes.

I have also started writing fillers or letters to magazines again. I emailed a letter to Healthy yesterday, so shall see what happens about that. Have another one in mind to send to another health magazine, which I might jot down later today.

I have also been updating my writing website www.julieaday.co.uk, as I am rebranding myself as a children's author.

And lastly, I have been emailing my lists about plot and what it isn't, along with exercises. This goes with the writing exercise ebook I have been working on for the last few months.

Next post will be something else about writing. Don't know what yet. Need to think about that one. Maybe about writing short stories for the womag market.

Writing diary - Week 4

I wasn't going to write this until next week but fellow womag writer, Jackie Sayle, wanted to know where it is. Here it is, a bit later than planned. I'm starting it from Sunday 24 January (where did that month go?)

Sunday - Worked on the pocket novel. It is now 45,680 words. Getting there.
Also worked on the Xmas story, and it went up to 1515 words. Was told that that is an awkward word count to have for womags so thought I'd cut it to 1200.

Monday - I booked and paid a deposit for the SCBWI writing retreat this year. Can't wait. I get so much writing done during that weekend. Plan to write short stories, start another children's ebook and maybe do some colouring and drawing.

Tuesday - Worked on Xmas story. Cut it down to 1298 words. Put it on the short story blog for comments.
Worked on pocket novel, word count up to 46,078. Feel like I can reach that 50K now.

Wednesday - Author client work day today. Read my client's picture book no 2. Words are simple enough for 5-7s. Emailed lists about plot and what it isn't, with exercise. If you wish to get these ideas and inspiration why not sign up to my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bwuQav

Thursday - Must have worked on pocket novel and story but it's blank in my planner. I think that was the day I got to read the comments on my Xmas story and they were frank and honest. I am grateful for them, as a couple of them gave me ideas straight away on how to improve the story. It is now a ghost story not a magical one. Had been reading how to write ghost stories by Kathleen McGurl who used to write womag stories. Got an idea from that, too. Reading and analysing more Take a Break's Fiction Feast mag now. Feel that is the first mag I want to get accepted by, even if they are the one mag that keeps all copyright of your story.

Friday - Worked on pocket novel and finished that draft. Hurrah. Now comes to 47,111 words. Still have a few thousand to go, so have decided to create scenes where the heroine chats to her work colleage about her new boyfriend and the romance.

Saturday - Worked on another writing exercise for the ebook I plan to publish later this year. These ones were for children's authors and I enjoyed writing them, that I have now decided to focus on writing for children as my main area of writing from this year. That will be the next post on here.

So that is my writing week just gone. Next time I will post about my diary in a couple of weeks as I plan to do it fortnightly from now on.

Writing diary - Week 2

Starting Saturday

Saturday - This is a business day when I work on content. So I typed up and wrote more exercises for the writing exercise book I have been working on.

I blogged on my biz blog about view points.

I also worked on the pocket novel. Word count now 44,124

Sunday - Finished writing the Xmas story.

I typed up more of 'Checkmate' the pocket novel. Word count now 44,891.

Typed up rest of Xmas story. Word count is 2220.

Monday - Only worked in the morning because I had a hospital appointment in the afternoon.

Wrote more of the Pocket Novel.

Added scene to Xmas story. Also wrote out a character description sheet for it, which helped me realise something about the story.

Tuesday - Wrote some more of the pocket novel. Getting near the end.

Edited Xmas story. It's now 1982 words.

Wednesday - Not a lot of work done today as I had a dental appointment which took all morning. Had a large filling done. Tired me out. Only managed to analyse a story from Take a Break's Fiction Feast mag. Have been doing this all week to work out what they like publishing, the format, sentence length etc.

Thursday - Typed up more of Checkmate. Word count going down as I have been deleting scenes as well as adding. Today it finally reached over 45K; it's now 45,267.

Edited story. Now 1985 words. Now that I have worked out what makes a womag short story, I feel I am more confident in writing them. I write and type them up, then I write out a character description sheet and change and add things to make it good.

Friday (today) - Typed up another chapter of Checkmate. Word count gone down to 45,187.
Just edited and added lots to another womag story I wrote during November's NaNoWriMo. But also deleted the ending, so it's now fewer words than it started out as at 783. I wrote out a character description sheet first, which helped me find out what I needed to add, and still do.

That's my writing life for this week.

2016 Writing goals

So, here is my main writing goals for this new year. Where did 2015 go?

1. To finish the pocket novel I have been rewriting since last October, get it professionally edited, then send it to the editor of My Weekly Pocket Novels. I feel I am on my way with this one, as I am adding a lot to the plot still and getting near the ideal word count of 50K.

2. Continue writing short stories aimed at the women's magazines. Get at least 5 accepted for publication. This one runs over from last year. I have 4 stories out there already; two with The Weekly News, 1 with Woman's Weekly, and 1 with Take a Break's Fiction Feast. I am currently rewriting another aimed for People's Friend, and have another nearly finished for Yours. I am happier about writing these as I found a blog esp for womag writers to put their stories on there for feedback. I have learnt to go with what I have been told by these writers as most of them have been successful with their stories. The one I'm revising now is from their comments about it on the blog.

3. Finish 'Geraldine's Gem's' series. Have one more ebook to write and publish, which I plan to do soon.

4. Possibly start publishing my Asperkids series of ebooks. Want to give the first one 'Billy' a few tweaks before getting it edited. Have ideas on what I want to do with this.

5. Finish 'Mermaid' trilogy. Plan to do this as well later this year.

6. Start publishing my children's ebooks that aren't in print, into print, starting with 'Railway Angel'. This was decided last year when my client told me that his granddaughter likes my books and wanted more of them. So, I will do.

7. Might publish the 'Angels' series as a box set at a cheap price.

8. Starting next week, I am going to record in my new diary planner what I write and type each day, then blog about it all the following week. A public record you could say.

I have a special diary planner to write all these down.

So, what are you writing goals for 2016? Let me know and maybe we can be accountable to each other. Good luck.

New goals - the update

Do you remember my goals for this year that I posted in January? Here they are. Here is the update on how I am getting on with them:

1. To complete my YA fantasy series 'The Guardian Angels'. I am working on this one. Started writing this in May on the retreat, continued with it during last week whilst waiting for edits. Will finish it this year.

 2. To complete my mermaid trilogy. Not started the last one yet. Don't think I will have time, unless I do this in the afternoon when I've finished my Pocket Novel partial and Billy.

 3. To complete my adult romance series 'Geraldine's Gems'. Hope to do this after I've finished last of my Angel ebooks.

 4. To write 1 or 2 more of my Singleton village series. Working on edits for this one, as lots of comments from my editor and lots to learn still about pacing.

 5. To maybe write another of my Asperkids series. Need to revise part of Billy first. So not this year.

 6. To publish my first Asperkids books about Boring Billy. Maybe by end of the year as I want to revise part of it from what I learnt at the retreat in May.

 7. To get at least 5 short stories accepted and published by women's magazines. Work in progress. lol. Have had rejections so far. One out with Woman's Weekly and working on another for Yours. I have found a blog esp for womag writers who give feedback to your stories, so have been using that for help.

 8. To earn at least £500 from no 7. Not sure if I will get there by end of year. Another work in progress.

 9. To break even with my writing expenses this year. I've been working at a loss the last few years. Getting there. Half way there but only thanks to my new business, my 1-2-1 author service.

 10. The main one I feel is... to graduate from the RNA's New Writer's Scheme, hopefully with a Pocket Novel script. Working on this now. Am rewriting a script that I submitted a few years ago and did nothing with. This is a slow work in progress as I only work on it when I have time late afternoon. Decided that I won't have time to do all of it by end of August, so have been working on the first three chapters and will rewrite the synopsis for it, and send the rest of the ms as a draft.

My other goal, which was new, instead of writing Pocket Novels, is to work on my author service. That is going really well and I have four clients so far, one of whom is v appreciative of my help to him.

So, how are you goals going? Will post again at the end of November with my progress.

Make the most of your connections

The idea for this post came to me a couple of days ago when a fellow woman Aspie mentioned to me on a FB post I put up in her group about my new website to get discovered. I needed to work on this myself, as she said that I could get exposure and publicity for my ebooks as she is a book reviewer. So, I have messaged her asking what I need to do. I will message her again when I want to get a second ebook reviewed by her. So, if you have a social media connection that can help you get more exposure and publicity with her books, then make the most of it.

This got me thinking about how else I can get more publicity. I remembered in an email from my cover designer, who had put on her signature that on her blog she offers author and character interviews and book excerpts. So, I had a look to see what I have to do for this, saved it into a document and will work on this for publicity for my romance ebooks first. So, if you work with someone, eg your editor or designer, and you have seen that they have a blog you can appear on, then do take that opportunity.  I am going to note something down next week to email her next week to get on her blog.

NaNoWriMo - my own version

If you are a writer, you might be doing NanoWriMo (National Novel Write Month), where people are writing, or attempting, to write 50,000 words during November. Me? I am doing my own version. With lots of other commitments and health issues, I know there is no way I could write that amount of words in a month, so I am doing my own version of it. I am aiming to write something new every day. So far, I have managed to do this. Here is how:

In the mornings, when I'm not out, I will work on my current ebook, 'A friend in need' which means highlighting and deleting words. If I am out in the morning, I will do this after lunch.

In the afternoons, if I've not been out in the morning, I will write something new. So far, I have rewritten nearly a whole short story, am almost at the end of another story. If I am out in the morning, I will work on my ebook after lunch, and later in the afternoon after a nap, will work on the new writing. Yesterday, I didn't work on a short story, but I did write a synopsis for the serial I have in mind for Woman's Weekly. That I will type up later and read during the weekend, so I can email it to the Fiction Editor next week.

So, are you doing NaNoWriMo? Or are you doing your own version like me? If you are, let me know how you are getting on. I will blog here about the word count, once I have typed up the stories, which will be next month.

Don't put all your (marketing) eggs in one basket

I recently put this post on my marketing blog (http://elitemarketingpro.net/julieaday) to warn others in marketing what is happening on YouTube. But because I know that some authors also use YouTube to promote their books with videos, I thought I'd post it here, too. So here it is.

After all that's been happening the last few weeks on YouTube #youtubefail I want to now say, don't put all your marketing eggs in one basket eg Google. What has been happening is that some saddo has found a loophole in YouTube's policy on flagging videos and been abusing it, resulting in lots of videos done by entrepreneurs (inc me) being flagged for some reason or even closed down. Poor Ray Higdon had his channel suspended with millions of viewers and hundreds of marketing down the drain. Because they didn't try to do anything to help, he decided to leave them. This is why Rebecca Woodhead wrote her column for What's Working Now called 'Why Google hates us'. You can read the first instalment here http://julieaday.getwwn.com/try. So, if one channel goes up the creek for you, ie YouTube, you should have a plan b or an alternative route to put your marketing material. I am in the process of uploading my videos to LinkedIn, so you can see them there as well.
Facebook is currently up and running well, so you can upload videos there for the short term, but you have to embed them, and I don't know how to do that. Or like me you can put them all on LinkedIn, which is a business network. Ideal for marketing materials. There are other video channels you can use such as Vimeo.

Meantime, I am going to concentrate on building my email lists and my marketing blog, as they are the two things I know I am good at and can do. And they aren't part of Google.

PS. If you want to get tips on how to write magazine fillers and get paid for them, I will be putting the ebook up on my marketing blog by next week. Why not become one of my leads to get access to more marketing ideas, by emailing me at awlist3493948@aweber.com or looking at http://julieaday.elitemarketingpro.com/letter-new.php

Why you should craft your emails to your lists

This blog post I originally put on my marketing blog at http://elitemarketingpro.net/julieaday. I thought it was such a good post, especially when David Gaughran has recently posted about getting killer email lists. So here it is.

Up until now I have been writing my emails to my lists as I go along, but the last few I have sent I have written beforehand and crafted until I am happy with them. Why have I done this? Well, it is from advice that I was given by Rebecca Woodhead. In one of her coaching sessions with me, she told me that her first emails she did to her lists were crafted and she got more clients for that list than any others. So, that is what I am doing. I think if it looks like you have taken more care about what you are saying, informing and advising your leads, then they are more likely to read them and take notice of you. My emails to my new list, ‘hopewithjulie’ are all crafted before I typed them up, so hopefully when I get people on that list they will take more notice of what I have to say.

If you want to know what I have to say about being a newbie in a business or even how to become an Amazon bestseller, then why not become one of my leads. You can do this by joining Elite Marketing Pro at http://julieaday.elitemarketingpro.com/letter-new.php or my 'hopewithjulie' list by emailing me at awlist3493948@aweber.com

Cross promotion - An Aspergirl being an Aspiepreneur and making videos

Today I am going to start cross promoting with my other blog, which is about affiliate marketing and how it can help people with Asperger's Syndrome, like me. I became an affiliate marketer in May when I joined Elite Marketing Pro. It wasn't until August, when they fully launched, that I made my first video. It is all abut how EMP has helped my communication skills. To watch it, you can find it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YigW5HRClQk

It took a few attempts to get it right and on YouTube. I tried doing it on the software on my laptop, but it was useless. It kept breaking up so people couldn't understand what I was saying. I ended up doing it on my digital camera, which is how I am now doing all my videos.

Let me know what you think.

An Aspergirl in lessons

I am back to my Aspergirl series. Good news on this front. I have had accepted my idea for articles about how I found out and was diagnosed with Asperger's by an Australian magazine that writes about autism and Asperger's. Just my thing. They want it in two parts, so have been working on that.

Back to my blog series. So I am at secondary school still. I was very quiet but hardworking in lessons. I never volunteered to answer questions, always the person to keep their hand down, and didn't want to read out loud any work from books we had to work on. That was until near the end of the 5th year when I decided to be brave and do that. The feeling I had then when I was chosen to read out loud was how I feel now when I have to introduce myself or read out my work in writing talks. I go through what I want to say in my head, and when my time comes, I get it jumbled. Or when it comes my time to read the work, I can feel my hands going sweaty, my heart beating loudly that I wonder if anyone else can hear it.

A couple of years ago I wrote a poem for a competition about this feeling. I didn't get anywhere though. Here it is now.

Feeling Brave

 

I put my hand up to speak

and see the teacher smile

only to find I can only squeak

and want to run a mile

 

But I open my mouth and am heard

and I’m the one that’s smiling

as I say more than a word

and have not gone into hiding

 

That’s the day I stopped my nerve

from taking over me

It was a true learning curve

which I conquered finally

 

 

I hope you like it.

IBS and medication

For years on and off I have suffered from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). It came to a head in 2001 and I went to the GP and was put on two tablets. I have been taking these ever since, but the last week I have been thinking that they may not be doing the work they should be doing or working too much for me as I have been more times than usual (sorry, I know that TMI). So, since Monday this week I have started an experiment. My mum used to have the same problem and was put on the same medication, until she stopped hers and got lots better. So, I am doing the same. I had the two tablets on Monday morning and not have had any since then. The results - I have been a lot better stomach wise and feel better in myself. I might carry on for another week to see what happens, then go back on them for a couple of weeks to see if I go back to what I was like last week. So I shall let you know what happens. Watch this space...

What Geraldine would say in One Good Turn

Welcome to the first of new blogs about what Geraldine would say to her love, Keith, and her relatives she visits back down on Earth. So, in One Good Turn she reunites with her ex love and soulmate, Keith. When she finds she still loves him, this is what she says to him:

As the week goes on, she falls more in love with Keith and gets him to love her too. This changes her for a better person. She then realises:

 

 

 

Don't you just love these sayings? I do.

Up in Heaven with Keith, Geraldine does the washing-up and uses this tea towel:

And on her travels to and from Heaven to visit her relatives, Geraldine would need a drink. So she could use this water bottle:

The tea towel and the water bottle are available from my Zazzle store - www.zazzle.co.uk/julieangels/gifts.

Sensitive skin, citrus and alchohol (drink and in toiletries)

What do the above have in common? Rosacea. I have had sensitive skin for many years now being fair-skinned, but it only recently in this v cold weather we have been having that I have noticed a dramatic difference in my facial colour. Years ago my cheeks used to go bright red, but after starting to use natural and organic products it calmed down. Now this last month I have noticed that it has got a lot worse, and it's not only the cheeks that go bright red but my forehead and rest of the face too. When I was out in the cold yesterday I felt my face tingling, going red with the cold, and this is one of the symptoms of rosacea. Extreme change of temperatures. So, what does citrus and alcohol have to do with it? Well, both can make rosacea worse. I had been eating clementines up until yesterday but have now cut those out. I also had been eating lemon marmalade now and then, and will cut out that and have a jam instead. As to alcohol. I don't drink due to medication I am on, but I have read that you should avoid using toiletries with it in. Using natural and organic products I thought I might be all right, but no. I have found different sorts of alcohol in hand creams and facial creams and washed. There are several different types of alcohol to watch out for, and not just alcohol. There is alcohol denat, cetyal alcohol, benzyl alcohol and a few others that I can't pronouce. I have read that most of these are skin irritants. So, this coming weekend I am going to go through all my toiletries I have been using and empty them if they have any of those in.  If I do have rosacea then I shall have to read labels v carefully from now on. I did start to use natural soap on my face but thought that was too drying for my skin. We shall see what happens.