The Muse Online Writers Conference

The ONLY online conference of its kind!

2008 One Year Time Capsule

Everyone at times needs a push, a motivating factor to move them forward in their goals.

Once again, the MuseItUp Club along with the Muse Conference, offers its members the opportunity to commit to their yearly goals by posting them here and updating us on their progress. At the end of the year, September 2009, we'll go back to everyone's goals and see what was accomplished.

Below are the brave souls who are joining this year's One Year Time Capsule:

Alan R. Braun:

Publish six short stories, win a contest and query an agent and sell my first novel--then promote it proficiently.

Ashley Ladd:
Acquire an agent and sell a story to Harlequin/Silhouette

PROGRESS:

Barbara Johnson:

Finish the first draft of my novel
PROGRESS:

Cher'ley Grogg: 
My main goal is to get an agent for my novel. Then to finish my childrens book and to get it published. And finally to put to use the things I learn at the Muse Conference and elsewhere.
PROGRESS:

Connie Clark:
1)Finish Savant- make a decision as to whether I want to self publish or tradional method.
2)Finish Dream Drifter and have second draft finished.  Also decide how I want to do publishing method
3)Finish anthology
4)Work up websites for Savant and Dream Drifter

Fiona Young-Brown:

My one year goal is to send out at least three queries per month.

PROGRESS:

Jeannie M. Leighton:
1. To finish writing my novel, "The Pirate from Peru"
2. To write at least one non-fiction article per month
3. To send out queries every month
4. To record who I've sent what to whom
5. To keep my desk as clean as possible so I don't have that as an excuse not to write
PROGRESS:

Joyce A. Anthony:
I plan on having both Spirit of the Stallion and Broken Rainbow ready for publication by this time next year.
PROGRESS:

Joy Delgado:
1.  print 'Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa' (should be before the end of next week, a minor glitch pushed back the print date)
2.  have launch party and get it in the press here in Puerto Rico
3.  sell the book in zoos across the US
4.  start selling book in libraries
5.  get book accepted as a premium in at least one of the companies I'm targeting
6.  test drive running the business 'underway' which is the eventual goal so we can continue cruising the islands! :-D by moving the boat to the BVI's/ USVI's
7.  be half way through ICL course that I will start in January 2009
8.  pick up and get non-fiction series for schools lay-out done
9.  participate in the 2009 Florida book faire in May and combine it with marketing the book in Florida
PROGRESS:

Karina Fabian:
1. Find homes for Asylum Psychic and Discovery
2. Write the next DragonEye
3. Build a fan club of 300 for DragonEye, PI.

Kim McDougall:
I am working on so many projects, but the one I really want to finish is the novel I'm polishing with the MuseMints, The Hand and the Eye. I want to have a good first draft with 3 polished chapters by the end of the year so that I can start shopping for an agent.
PROGRESS:

Kim Smith:
1. Get Avenging Angel into the hands of readers
2. Get a network of fans and friends for it.
3. Get Book Two edited and ready to submit
4. Develop my workshop into an ongoing offering.
5. Create another website for Avenging Angel and the characters.

Laura Lehman:
To have at least a rough draft of a new novel, continue to send out agent queries until I exhaust my list
PROGRESS:

Laura Manning:

Finish my novel
Send out at least 2 queries once a month
Get 2 new Script Consulting clients a month
PROGRESS:

Lisa Lipkind Leibow:

one year goal plan (ex. finish my novel, send out queries at least once a month, etc):

DOUBLE OUT AND BACK:

Find a home for my first novel. 

SANAZ’S STORY:

finish draft of SANAZ’S STORY by November 2008.

Find beta readers for full manuscript critiques/focus groups.

Rewrite/Incorporate any revisions based on feedback from critiques.

Perfect Query Letter for SANAZ’S STORY

Send out agent queries for SANAZ’S STORY every six weeks beginning no later than March.

YA NOVEL

Write first draft of my YA idea—get it out of my head, onto paper, and ready to re-write once SANAZ’S STORY is complete. 

SHORT STORIES:

Keep a short story idea journal/log.

Write at least four short stories (or short shorts).

Submit short stories to literary magazines every two months. 

CREATE AN AUTHOR WEBSITE

PROGRESS:

Tambra Kendall:
1. Write a novella to submit for the Nocturne Bites line
2. Write a Nocturne novel with the same world as the Noc. Bites (Harlequin/Silhouette)
3. Finish fantasy/paranormal romance
4. Finish paranormal romantic suspense
5. Produce 50K for NaNo 2008 on a YA Paranormal, edit, polish and submit.
Person Barbara Johnson:
Right click for SmartMenu shortcuts