Happy New Month!

That's write. A decade is too overwhelming to think about. Even a year is a looooong time, so I've decided to celebrate the month.

So . . . Happy New Month!

As a writer, I've discovered that breaking things down into month-sized chunks is effective. I mean, I never, ever thought I could write a novel in a month, but thanks to NANOWRIMO, I did. So did Sara Gruen, by the way, when she wrote her amazing Water for Elephants.

So, last month, I set myself writing goals. And here's what I accomplished:

1. Wrote a 2,500 word article for the 2011 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market about creating quirky characters.
2. Wrote another article of similar length that I hope to sell on spec.
3. Applied for a writing residency. Fingers crossed!
4. Wrote an essay for the "Three Books" feature on npr.org on spec. Again, fingers crossed.
5. Created a batch of poems for my terrific editor at Blue Mountain Arts.
6. Finally came up with a short story for a children's magazine, whose editor has been very patiently waiting.

Phew!

This month, I hope to revise my novel and update my Web site.

What do you plan to accomplish/discover/create/learn/celebrate this month?