Tuesday, July 3, 2018

July IWSG and Celebrate the Small Things



Happy 3rd of July! Are you planning something fun tomorrow? Love fireworks? First let's thank our dazzling host, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavannaugh, and his merry band of co-hosts: Nicki Elson, Juneta Key, Tamara Narayan, and Patricia Lynne!

July 3 question - What are your ultimate writing goals, and how have they changed over time (if at all)?

Novice writing goals: Get an agent, secure a 3-book deal with major publisher, and publish a bestseller once a year for a long, glorious career in which one or more books are made into major motion pictures. Extra bonus: meet Stephen King in the green room of the Tonight Show before big interview.

Mid-level writing goals: Get an agent to request a full, research the differences between independent and small publishers, rate different marketing strategies on the anxiety scale from slightly terrifying to puke-inducing panic level

Veteran writing goals: Get an actual rejection from agent instead of soul-crushing silence after six weeks, figure out how to self publish without embarrassing yourself, debate the pros and cons of starting a newsletter, stop watching movies long enough to write anything




Keep your writing goals alive, people! On July 19th, prepare those amazing tweets for #IWSGPit. It's an easy way to get your pitch in front of the eyes of publishers and agents. But realize these are two different groups. My advice? If you really want an agent, then work with them first. Don't try to send queries to publishers and agents at the same time. Their time tables are different.

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This fun weekly blog gives you the opportunity to celebrate anything you want and is hosted by the awesome Lexa Cain and her co-hosts: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

This week, I'd like to celebrate:

Crystal Light


1. A wedding anniversary! This Thursday marks 15 years for my husband and I. Wow. Where did the time go? Did you know what the traditional gift for the 15th anniversary is? Crystal. The modern gift is a watch. Hmmm. Considering that everyone had a cell phone, they might need to update that again.



Phantom of the Opera at MasterCard Theaters 2013



2. A play. We went to Toronto this past weekend to see The Phantom of the Opera and it was fantastic! 



I"ll stick out my tongue but I won't say 'AHHH'



3. Animals. On our Toronto trip, we went to the zoo on Sunday, Canada Day! Did you know that July 1 is the day Canadians celebrate their independence? The weather wasn't the best: high nineties. When we went to see the camels, one of them had it's tongue hanging out--I didn't blame him. The poor polar bears were flopped face-down on the concrete in the shade. I was so tempted to jump into their pool. 

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How's writing going for you these days? Have you ever seen The Phantom of the Opera? Seen an animal do something interesting at the zoo or elsewhere? 


61 comments:

  1. LOL on the growing up to realistic goals. Sigh. We were all young writers once. LOVED Phantom (saw it on Broadway) and my favorite zoo moment was watching two polar bears play hockey with a cooler at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago on a very cold winter night. That was awesome! Watch our for the aliens, and thanks for co-hosting, Tamara!!

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  2. Being British, I have no plans to celebrate the 4th of July! But I hope you have a great day. There are some great writing tips there.

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  3. Happy anniversary.

    Sometimes we look back at those early goals and wonder - what was I thinking? LOL

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  4. My goals have changed a lot over the years too and for now, I am just writing for myself when I can. Happy Anniversary! Enjoy them all.

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  5. Congrats on your anniversary :-) I would love to see Phantom of the Opera one day. I love going to shows.

    It was fascinating to see the change of goals over time.

    Thanks for co-hosting this month!

    Cheers - Ellen

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  6. Love that goal progression! So true!

    Happy anniversary!

    I did see Phantom many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. :)

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  7. I will probably die trying to reach my writing goals. Congrats on 15 years! My hubs and I saw Phantom many years ago in Chicago. LOVED IT!!!

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  8. LOL!!! I see our first goals are the same, although, I didn't write down what I was actually thinking or dreaming of ...hahahaaa...
    Happy 15 years and many more....

    Tamara, thank you for co-hosting this month.

    Happy 4th!!!

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  9. The Toronto zoo is great.
    Happy anniversary!
    And thanks for co-hosting today.

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  10. LOL! I love how your goals changed. Isn't that the way? This life is an evolution of growth. Happy anniversary!

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  11. I guess I am a veteran then, considering that I am planning to self publish, although I feel like a novice. Just figuring it all out!

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  12. Congrats on your anniversary! I saw Phamtom in Chicago - loved it! I think that meeting Stephen King in the green room of the Tonight Show before your big interview is an awesome goal! Thanks for co-hosting today.

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  13. Lol! I love your comparison of goals! I still like to daydream on the off chance the novice ones will happen for me. :) Great post and thanks for co-hosting! You're the best!

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  14. Congratulation on your anniversary. I saw Phantom in San Diego and probably my first Broadway-style show. Gotta say, The Lion King was my very favorite. Thanks for co-hosting the July IWSG blog hop.

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  15. Happy anniversary! At thirteen, I believed I'd be published by fourteen, and would instantly be rich and famous. I also had fantasies of my Atlantic City books being made into preteen and teen soap operas and other TV series.

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  16. Your goal sets made me snicker. I love how these goals matured together with you... :-) Darn experiences, and becoming realists.

    Speaking of animals and their funny behaviors, the top photo of my guest post on Retirementally Challenged has me in a reclining chair on the beach, next to a sea lion... in a reclining chair on the beach in the Galapagos: https://retirementallychallenged.com/2018/07/03/gratituesday-guest-post-grateful-for-others-and-ourselves/

    Thanks for co-hosting this month!

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    1. That's an incredible picture. I might lie in the sun if I could do it with a sea lion.

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  17. Happy anniversary! Your progression of your goals had me smiling.

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  18. Hi,
    I hope you get an answer from that agent you're waiting on. They can be slow at times. Just hang in there. Waiting is the hardest part.
    All the best and thanks for co-hosting.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

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  19. The goals certainly get more realistic the more we learn, don't they? Those novice goals sound a lot like mine back then!

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  20. Love Phantom. I think I could see it again and enjoy it as much as I did the first time.

    Good luck with that agent query.

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  21. Happy Anniversary!! Love the Phantom and I will probably be singing the songs all day now. :)
    You cracked me up with the goals. Especially the marketing strategies ranked by the anxiety they cause. They all hit too close to home LOL
    Happy 4th!

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  22. Happy (slightly late) Canada Day! :)
    We saw Phantom in Toronto an eon ago and it was amazing!!!
    When you meet Stephen King, I'd love to join you :)

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  23. Happy Anniversary!

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  24. I've never seen The Phantom of the Opera, but I'd love to one of these days. And not to totally date myself, but that soundtrack was the first CD I ever bought.

    I ran into Stephen King in the produce department of a grocery store once. It was surreal...for me, anyway. He didn't know who I was, or that I was a little starstruck because I was incapable of saying anything.

    Happy anniversary!

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  25. Way to net out your evolving goals! I think we all want to stick with our novice goals. I never like it when realism ruins everything. Thanks for co-hosting this month.

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  26. Happy Canadian Independence Day!
    I love the way your goals have evolved. I think it would be really cool to meet Stephen King in the green room, though. :)
    Happy Anniversary!!!

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  27. A good dose of sanity for writing goals!

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  28. Great post - I love your revised writing goals - so true!

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  29. Happy anniversary! And happy realistic goal-setting!

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  30. Happy Anniversary!

    I saw Phantom when it was in Pittsburgh years and years ago. I rewatched the movie with my daughter recently. We were both struck by the phantom’s creepiness. What a guy!

    The evolution of your goals is great! May you never give up on that Tonight Show appearance!

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  31. Thanks for co-hosting this month.
    Congratulations on your anniversary.
    I once saw a penguine lay flat on a slab of ice with its tongue sticking out. Probably because it was Las Vegas and 103 degrees at night.

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  32. Happy anniversary and also Happy Independence day (I think?). I literally laughed at your goals...because they are so much like mine. I mean, who doesn't want to chill out with King? Also, I watch way too much TV too. Netflix!! (Confession: reality shows).

    Thank you for co-hosting!

    Elsie

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  33. Thank you for cohosting! I always seem to bounce back and forth between the insane dreams and the achievable goals, but it sounds like you've got direction to yours!

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  34. I would ALSO like a story of mine turned into a movie and to meet Stephen King. :p Loved your goals!

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  35. Congratulations on your 35th Wedding Anniversary. Also, this new blog hop looks good. I'm going to explore it.

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  36. Happy anniversary! I adore Phantom as well as many other Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. I'm not sure if Starlight Express is still playing in Toronto but that musical is adorable.

    I laughed when reading the evolution of your goals. So true!

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  37. Oh, your goals made me laugh! Trust me, I get it! I've heard nothing more than crickets as I send out my current manuscript, one I pulled and revised after getting requests for partials but nothing further a couple of years ago. Just keep plugging. Happy anniversary and thank you for co-hosting!

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  38. I like your goals, especially receiving a real rejection instead of silence. I have to say I am for that too. I used to work in a zoo and I have seen many a strange thing...lol. Thank you for cohosting this month :)

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  39. I would love to see The Phantom Of The Opera. It has amazing music.
    You have some realistic goals. My main goal is to continue enjoying the writing life.
    Thanks for co-hosting the IWSG this month.

    Writer In Transit

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  40. Seems our novice writing goals align :-) I've had a few real rejections -- at least silence makes that insane little voice still squeak that your query got lost in the ether, but an actual rejection can come as punch in the gut. Good luck!

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  41. Happy anniversary. You made me chuckle. Love the attitude with your goals and the levels up. Happy IWSG!

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  42. The full cycle of your goals was kind of hilarious to read. I'm still in the new phase, so all of those goals are still mine. I'm trying not to feel too disillusioned by this post (just kidding). Thank you for hosting this month, and thank you for the post. Happy writing to you now and always.

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  43. Revision, revision, revision - to new to writing to consider that the process applied to goals! Thanks for sharing -

    If the purpose of vacation is to reboot one's happiness, creativity, and core...I did!

    However, after three weeks away, I forgot how to linky! Yikes!

    Did I mention I'm a Boomer and that computerese is my third language, with faltering skills!

    Oops! And, I had a humorous, satiric post!

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  44. Happy Canada Day to you! Yes, writing and goals change and we need to adapt to changing goals.

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  45. Happy Independence day to Canada and America! We went to the zoo too! Our poor animals looked like they were melting too. It's been SO hot. We had a thunder storm last night, hoping it's cooler for fireworks tonight.
    Happy Anniversary! We celebrated our 11th yesterday. Sometimes it feels like 50 years and others like yesterday.
    Good luck with your summer writing...

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  46. Happy 4th of July!
    I enjoyed how you summarized your goal progression ;-) You're unstoppable!

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  47. That was funny. Great post! I work in a similar fashion. Happy Canada Day, ha! Thank you for co-hosting.

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  48. Realism sets in ~ LOL ~ Funny descriptions, Tamara. I have seen "The Phantom of the Opera" three times, two times at the Venetian in Vegas in a theatre built specifically for Phantom. It is a wonderful musical. We just saw "The Book of Mormon" which was also fantastic. Happy Anniversary and Happy Writing this month!

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  49. I totally recognize the novice and mid-level goals. Happy Anniversary, and thanks for co-hosting!

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  50. Thanks for co-hosting, Tamara. Congrats on the anniversary. I saw Phantom in Toronto several years ago. I could see it over and over. Love the music. I hope you enjoyed it. Having realistic goals helps us achieve them. I have monthly, yearly, and long-term goals. They help me focus.

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  51. Happy Anniversary, Tamara! How wonderful. I LOVE the Phantom of the Opera play. Lucky you to have enjoyed such a lovely vacation trip.

    It's been in the upper 90's here in New Jersey, with a heat index into the low 100's. I remember my husband and I visiting a zoo in Missouri. ALL of the cats [tigers, lions, etc.] were hiding in the shade. We didn't spend too much time there. It was just too hot. All best to you. Thanks for co-hosting this month!
    http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com

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  52. Congratulations on the anniversary! It is so nice to hear people staying married more than a few years (we hit #38 in May). It sounds like you had a great adventure into Toronto. Keep the adventures fun and you'll be celbrating #50 before you know it!

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    1. CELEBRATING....I should proof more often. hahaha

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  53. I really like seeing how your goals have progressed over time. Thanks for sharing that!
    Love your pictures! My husband and I are also celebrating our 15th anniversary this month. Congrats!

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  54. A lovely list of changing goals. So true!
    Congrats on your wedding anniversary. Wishing you many more years together.

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  55. I saw Phantom of the Opera in Toronto too--Paul Stanley from KISS played the Phantom.

    Happy anniversary! And if you like, I can send you a list of agents who will happily send rejections instead of remaining silent. ;)

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  56. Happy (belated) anniversary! My writing goals morphed over time too. We have so many more choices nowadays. I saw Phantom for the very first time in Toronto as well many years ago. Thanks for co-hosting. :)

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  57. Happy belated anniversary! Sounds like you had fun!

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