It's that time of year

I usually don't DO New Year's Resolutions. I think people set themselves up for failure by putting so much pressure on themselves as they start a new year. I get that it's a "new year," but why NEW YEAR's resolutions? (I suppose I could find the answer to that with a quick Google search, hu?). Look at gyms. They're filled with people who have recently resolved to lose weight, get fit, look good in a bikini by spring. From experience I can tell you that by February...maybe mid-March, the gyms are thinning out. I have plenty of treadmill access. No waiting for the newly-resolved (who by now are weight loss drop outs.)

That said, so many of you are posting resolutions and writing goals, I'm getting in the mood. I must have been under the influence last year as well. SCBWI contacted me to tell me that my membership is about to expire. If you aren't a member, join! If you're in the Kansas City area, look us up. The Kansas region is really taking off. Join a critique group! Get involved! Meet some new writer friends! Come to our super cool April retreat with a super cool picture book author (info available on the site soon).

But, enough of my setting goals for YOU. Here are a few thoughts I have for myself as I reflect upon my 2005 writing career.

In early 2005, I decided to get serious about children's writing. I took my first PB writing class in the early stages of my pregnancy with Baby K...and just stopped writing after that. Baby K was six months old in January 2005. It was time to get serious.

I dabbled in my pregnancy, but just couldn't focus. I still belonged to my original online critique group with some of the people I met in my children's writing course. They encouraged me to join SCBWI. SO, I joined SCBWI about a year ago.

Then, I set a goal of being published by the end of the year. Rookie mistake, right?
Later in the year, I revised that goal...to have a book under contract by December 2005.

I wrote a lot. I started to blog. I met so many, many awesome writers who inspired me. I wrote some more.

The one big problem? I submitted almost nothing last year! It's hard to be published without submitting!

So, now it's a new year. I've learned a lot. I've been to a few conferences. I became active in my SCBWI region. I joined a local critique group. I took a class. I read a lot. I became a picture book reviewer. Looking back, I accomplished a lot. Sure, I underestimated the work it takes to become a children's writer. I think that's part of the process.

The holiday, vacation and birthday distractions are behind me. Now, I need to get down to business and write, and revise and submit and write some more.