Writing Priorities

I don’t think anyone can tell you how to prioritize your life. After all, we all need different things and are at different points in our lives.

There was a time when I’d gladly put in 100 hours a week at my real job. There was a time when I was Room Parent, Cub Scout Den Leader, classroom writing workshop volunteer, stray dog fosterer and community activist (Yea! We got the new library built).

I believe it's important to write down your goals, so you have some idea where you're heading. But setting rigid benchmarks, on how to prioritize goals and the time necessary to achieve those goals just doesn’t work for me.

So now I have to come clean. My introductory sentences are just my personal rationalization for a failure.

Yes, last week I failed Katia Raina's Gimme 31 challenge.

Failure is such a harsh word. But if you could see me, you’d see a big smile on my face.
It's not because I'm loopy.

A few days ago I had to prioritize, and a family member’s illness was clearly more important than anything else on my to-do list. But here’s the part that is making me smile. After I “failed” I got back on board. Okay, so I won’t get in the prize drawing. But I joined the challenge to follow my dream. That’s the real “prize.”

Whatever happens on one day, doesn’t change my determination or my dream.

And not only am I back on board, but in the next days I more than made up for the day I missed. With laser-like focus I have been writing, revising, repeating.

Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 picture book group submitted query letters for critique by the amazing author, editor, reading advocate Emma Walton Hamilton yesterday, and I was ready! In a few days, the window will open for submissions to the incredible February agent, Stephen Fraser, via the same 12x12 group. And I’m ready!

Writing is hard work. I think Malcolm Gladwell might have been wrong in his book Outliers when he said that people who become extraordinarily accomplished in their fields have to put in about 10,000 hours at their craft. For writers, it may be even more. But that doesn’t discourage me. Uphill battles are just a little extra exercise. 

And I can use a little extra exercise to burn off the amazing chicken tangine I made last night. (Thank you NY Times Diner's Journal!)

Up, down. One, two. I’m off!

Meet Katia Raina and the Gimme 31 challenge

Today I am guest posting on Katia Raina's blog.

If you haven’t met Katia, I encourage you to click over (above) and say hi. Katia is just starting the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She writes novels for young adults and is represented by Jessica Regel of the Jean V Naggar Literary Agency. Her first novel, “Castle of Concrete,” will be published by Namelos.

But she is writing YA and I write picture books and middle grade fiction. What do we have in common you might ask? We’re both moms with two kids, but that isn’t the important bit. We "met" online when I became aware of Katia's commitment to her craft.

The writing community is amazing. It doesn’t matter what you write. I’m sure there are outliers, but the folks I have been fortunate to meet in person, online, are generous spirits. This is a concrete example of a win-win community. Katia and I both have dreams. Writing dreams. Dreams to be the best writers we can be. And we are sharing her "Gimme 31" goal to pursue the dream EVERY DAY.

Check back with me here on Friday for my post on another amazing writing community—Julie Hedlund's picture book 12x12 'ers. It doesn’t matter what you write—the inspiration is out there!

Please leave a comment for me or Katia. We’d love to hear where you find your writing inspiration! Thanks.