My Writing Goals 2009 June

Trying to beat Jodi and Paul in on this check in – plus have to wrap up my emails and postings by tomorrow – off on a very long trip – no internet, no phones etc…

Anthology 2008 – short stories have been edited, but I have come to a halt to getting them formatted into an ebook. Done some research on how to do it – got too bamboozled with it and basically left it. Feel like a total failure.

Get a regular writing gig either print or internet
Still writing weekly for Type A Mom and Write Anything.  I have also been asked to be a monthly writer for Inspire Your Dreams – with the second article about to be published and about to have my first monthly article published on Orgasmic Birth ( Debras site in the USA)  My next challenge is to find roles which actually pay me..

Focus on building Reclaim
Jodi has taken a open ended leave of absence from the project and I have left all the work and ideas we had talked about alone for the time being.  I have a number of new ideas and directions to take the idea and info empire of Reclaim – but will need to keep them separate from the RSAB. Its been apparent that the name has been a big factor for people not to approach us if we are at expos or doing presentations.  Rebranding is defiantly on the cards – though no new work done on this in the last month, with nothing planned till at least September for review; will depend on what direction and input Jodi wishes to take.

Captain Juan

Has taken sail again, but with Chinese Whisperings taking much of the time up of the other two writers, the poor crew may be floundering in the middle of the Mediterranean  for some time.  Like other things I guess its been fun while it lasted.

Fiction Friday every week
Have done this consistently – I think I have missed one prompt this year. I was in charge of posting the prompts each week this month been and have been delighted that the  submissions have peaked at 17 entries ( wow!!)  I have felt responsible in commenting on each entry as well – and this has been quite an undertaking.

Enter 4 short story comps this year.
Under Jodis gentle suggestion, I submitted to one this month – “editors unleashed “- with 20 or so being chosen to be in an anthology. I have had fair results – nothing outstanding – (online voting)

Attend Byron Writers Festival as well as at least 2 professional development workshops
Looking forward to the Byron Festival. Have looked at the other courses available through the QLD writers site and nothing has grabbed me yet. Getting the time away from family is another issue yet to overcome.  After my three week absence from everyone, I doubt I’ll be given a leave pass again this side of next year.

Read one book a month
Apart from reading online short stories and research for articles, and flicking through travel, weightloss and fitness books, I’ve read nothing this month. However – have a three solid weeks with no internet access and no family about shortly – might have to get some books to just read.. what a delightful thought..

Participate and complete NaNoWriMo
Less than four months and counting… a few ideas what I am going to write … unsure if my nonfiction ( dads dealing with daughters) will hold me long enough to write passionately for 30 days and although attracted to a short story I wrote a while back with a vampire dentist.. am trying to get away from the whole vampire thing…..keeps haunting me though…

The Death of Michael Jackson

I am certain that for years after, people will remember the place in which they heard of Micheal Jacksons death. It seems unbelievable that he dead. Though I would never have classed myself as an avid fan, I was moved by his early work – Smooth Criminal, Thriller, Beat It. Where would your teenage years be without those hits reverberating?

There is a billion blog posts already about his death, was he murdered? Has he been taken away by aliens? And the rest of the stupid speculation which has surrounded his life.

Michael Jackson via last.fm

There is no doubt that he was a strange fellow, caught in a world which could not understand his passion, his meticulous training and perfection to his dance movements and music. I can’t really comment on his personal life – the media blows out any tiny detail ,but I am sure he had a stack of personal issues he struggled with and dealt with them in the best way he knew.

Although I don’t own a best of , tomorrow, I will go and buy one. Personal issues and lifestyle , the man was a magician with his music, tapping into a life beat of a generation. I am saddened of his passing and hope that the future is gentle with his history.

Where does this leave a writer and how does it affect our media? Passion, being driven by a desire to share ones art – there is the link. He was unafraid of expressing himself and perhaps that is something we as writers can take away from this.