#AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal for 2017 FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Compiling 30 blog posts for the 30 #AtoZChallenge days of April, 2017 takes stamina and a desire for serious goal-setting. Thanks to Arlee Bird and Alex J. Cavanaugh, I've been able to sustain my interest in maintaining a blog site over the years. The April boost gives me energy for the 12 months to follow.

The theme I chose for this year is "Food For Thought." This way I can mention food (a main pastime for me, not to eat but to think about!) and to work in a thought about writing when appropriate. As I eat very little meat, and never the red kind, my thoughts usually focus on fresh fruits, bean-based meals, and quick snacks. So posting in April will have the added challenge for me of choosing foods that generate interesting and thought-provoking topics. Whether I succeed or not, April will be fun-filled as I travel from blog to blog, enjoying the entertainment of every other blogger's theme choice.

 

I'll be relaxing in a corner of my lanai, with a refreshing drink,
as I compile my #AtoZ posts for April, 2017

Look forward to visiting your blog very soon, and often!

 

*****     *****     *****

 

 

 

Happy February: Reaching Your Goals and Setting New Challenges

How's that goal-setting working out for you so far? Seems like 2016 barely ended and January hit the ground running. I wasn't in that marathon and didn't hit the ground very hard when it came to blogging. Rather than give up, though, I decided it was time to rev up my motor and get kicking.

 

February is NOT too late to set goals, or to begin working toward the goals you set in December.



FIREWORKS OVER MAGIC ISLAND IN HONOLULU
Celebrating Our Accomplishments of 2016
and looking forward to all that 2017 has to offer!

Two goals on my list for 2016 were to post thoughts about the 70 poems in my book of linked poetry; and to read and review 71 books. As New Years Eve approached, I could breath easier, knowing those two goals were met. That meant less guilt for me when transferring other goals to 2017.

 

You can access my Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016 page here:

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/show/3890-2016-reading-challenge

My goal for 2017 is to read and review 72 books, in a wider variety of genres than ever before!

Facing Forward

 

There wasn't much time to celebrate reaching the end of the above goals, however. November 1st marked the beginning of NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writers Month. If you haven't participated in this annual ritual yet, check out what all the shouting is about and consider setting it as a goal for November, 2017. Here's the link:

 https://nanowrimo.org/sign_in



 

Not everyone sets goals at the start of each new year. Some have routines that keep them soaring toward their lifetime goals without hesitation. Others accomplish tasks and projects in routine fashion, gliding over bumps in the road and sidestepping obstacles with ease. My most heartfelt congratulations to you. I really, really need to watch more TED talks!

 

To everyone:

Happy FEBRUARY of this New Year

ALOHA

and

Best of Success in 2017

  

 

Happy New Year #IWSG Measuring Success in 2017

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

 

The awesome co-hosts for the January 4 posting of the IWSG will be

Eva @ Lillicasplace, Crystal Collier, Sheena-kay Graham,

Chemist Ken, LG Keltner, and Heather Gardner!

 

January 4 Question: What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?

My answer to this question is backwards: I love the advise to learn the rules so you know which ones you want to break and then do so with professionalism.

 

 

Happy New Year, 2017, everyone.

 

Each year, it is tradition for me to compile a list of goals to take me through the upcoming twelve months. Goals concerning my writing projects lead the way, with reading goals close behind. Some goals appear year after year, not because they failed to make the grade the previous year but because they are so important that they bear repeating. Healthy lifestyle goals top this chart. Whether I reach or exceed a goal, my satisfaction is the same. Only when I totally miss a target, do I feel any measure of disappointment.

For 2017, I've set the bar rather high as I aim at more successfully marketing my published novels. I fear neither success nor failure. My concern is about setting a goal to accomplish something that is a questionable measure of success or failure: the sale of a specific number of books.

How do you measure your success as a writer?