Here’s my progress on New Year’s resolutions as of today:
Revamp Author Website: The new website is working well. I especially like that even though the News and Appearances Page is set up to look exactly the same format as the rest of the site, that it’s actually a WordPress blog page I can easily update myself. (As an aside, I’m thrilled that my schedule has been so busy that I have to update it quite often!)
Punch-up Blog Lisa Leibow’s Fodder for Fiction and plan programming for the year: I feel pretty good about my new programming schedule. I have had a couple of blips along the way with a blank day here or there. However, for the most part, I’m keeping up with it. Hope my readers like it! Feel free to drop me a direct message through the contact page on my website www.LLLeibow.com, or post suggestions for enhancement/improvement here! (of course, compliments are also welcomed {wink}.
Finish my Fictional Slave Narrative by June and have it ready for a critique group. I have been doing a narrative voice exercise the past few weeks to get my head back into working on this manuscript. I’m finding it tough to keep up with the blogging, critique groups, the writers conference I just attended, and maintain focus. It’s a challenge I’ll need to get over. I’m in the process of trying to get “other stuff” out of the way so I can free up a chunk of time to focus on my draft novel. I’m still enthused about this project and I really want to continue with it. However, I’m getting a nervous feeling that my self-imposed deadline of June might be too ambitious. We’ll see – the growing pit in my stomach may be just the push I need to make me focus. I have found in the past, sometimes that is just part of the creative process – odd but true.
Finish the rewrite of my middle grade high-fantasy by incorporating feedback from my new critique group. As of this writing, my Children’s writer critique group has looked at almost half of my manuscript (We exchange approximately 5,000 words per month to critique for one another). I have gotten some great feedback so far!
Actively seek agent representation and a publishing home for my completed novel, Sanaz’s Story: A Coiled Spring. As an added bonus to teaching the Grogging Workshop at the Silken Sands Writers Conference, I had the opportunity to pitch the novel to two literary agents. They both asked to see more! Now, I play the waiting game while they read (and hopefully love) my manuscript. Wish me luck!
Write four short stories: I have written one short story so far this year — as part of Spark. I think I mentioned it in last month’s update. But just in case, it’s already available at Get Sparked! So click to read Shoshanna by Lisa Lipkind Leibow
Donate blood at least 6 times: I’m behind here, too. I just gave blood for the first time in 2010 on Wednesday of this week. It’s a start!
Exercise at least three times per week
I have been doing okay (just okay) with this resolution. I seem to go in fits and spurts. I have taken at least one yoga class and one spin class per week. The past two Tuesdays I enlisted a close friend of mine to take a long walk with me on Tuesday mornings after my kids leave for school but before I head to the library for my Writer’s Commitment Group. I have also started doing daily sets of pushups, sit-ups, and a series of stretching exercises to try to get ready (and brave enough) to register for the Trapeze lessons my husband gave me for Valentine’s Day. … we’ll see.
Read at least 50 books (i.e. read all of the books I have purchased and are in my to-read pile):
I’m feeling pretty good about this goal. I’m a little behind on the number of books, but not much – this is mostly because I tackled some very lengthy works earlier in the year, and I refuse to count them as more than one book. I have some lighter reads coming up and expect I’ll pick up the pace over the next month or two. I posted this on my “What I’m Reading”-Friday. However, just in case, you can go to Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/262330-lisa-s-2010-reading-goals to follow my progress on my 50 book-goal!
That’s all on my update! Thanks for listening. Let me know how you’re doing with your goals!
Take care,
Lisa Lipkind Leibow
Author of Smart Women’s Fiction
