I’ve still been sick these past few days. Taking Thursday off didn’t work, for we had a second Christmas dinner, and I did too much with the preparations. Rested that afternoon, as my voice totally left me. Friday I managed to get a little rest, but don’t think I felt any better by the end of the day. I knew then that I’d be resting Saturday and Sunday and going to the doctor on Monday.

But Saturday included packing the van for Lynda’s, Sara’s, and Ephraim’s trip to Oklahoma City. Still, I did less of that work than I usually did, Lynda and Sara doing more. At 2:00 PM they drove off, and I hit the couch, probably at the low point. I saw a little of a bowl game, but not much, as I dozed or slept for a few hours. I got on the computer a while last night, but didn’t feel like writing. I finally felt like reading a little.

Today I woke up to find 2 inches of snow on the ground. We were only supposed to get a dusting. Since I parked the pick-up in the drive on Saturday, that meant I had to shovel or else would not be able to get up the slope tomorrow and head to the doc. So I shoveled the part of the drive behind the pick-up. And I felt marvelous doing it. I coughed little, and the fresh air entering my lungs, even though it was around 26 degrees, seemed good to me. I coughed little while I was out, and not much the rest of the day (until the last half hour). I spent a lot of it on the couch, or in my chair.

So I’m behind in my beginning of the month posts. I’ll check in with my December goals now, but will leave January goals till tomorrow. Where I fell short in December, I’ll blame it on two weeks of being sick.

1. Blog 12 times >>> Did this.

2. Post at least 8 articles to Suite101.com >>> Fell two short, posting only six articles.

3. Make my submittals log perfect: all entries made in appropriate places; all acceptances/rejections gathered. >>> “Perfect” is a hard standard to live up to, but I think I accomplished this. I spent an evening early in the month getting things up to date, and don’t think I left anything hanging at the end of the month.

4. Make my ideas notebook perfect: appropriate dividers; hard copies of all ideas in the file. >>> I did quite a bit of work on this, but “perfect”? Probably not. Still, I believe I have a system in place that is significantly more workable than what I had at the beginning of the month.

5. All poems properly filed; includes transferring all poems from my computer at work to the one at home, and making the one at home the official repository of electronic copies; hard copies of all poems in a file. >>> Did almost nothing on this, except dealing with some of the hard copies I had floating around the office and the house.

6. Write 2,000 words in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. Last month’s goal was too ambitious, given all that’s going on. >>> Nope, did nothing on this.

7. Finish that appendix in the Harmony of the Gospels. I believe I left it, some months ago, with not much more than a page to finish. I shouldn’t leave it hanging. >>> Yes! After having this for a goal for several months, I finished it. This required that I read through the entire appendix and the related text. After all this time I wasn’t sure what the last page of the appendix was supposed to say. I decided it wasn’t too bad as it was, but did see a few things that needed to be added. Anyway, it’s done, and I actually began working on the next appendix.

8. Continue studies of Demand Studios (tutorials, editorial guides), and begin writing for them. >>> I continued my study of what Demand Studios requires, but I did not begin writing for them. I discovered that they do have some articles available for writing that I can probably write, maybe about $100 to $200 worth. I’m fairly certain this will be a goal in January.

This may be the season to be jolly, but it’s not the season for audacious writing goals, or plans to make tons of progress on creative works. So I’ll back off some on my goals.

1. Blog 12 times

2. Post at least 8 articles to Suite101.com

3. Make my submittals log perfect: all entries made in appropriate places; all acceptances/rejections gathered.

4. Make my ideas notebook perfect: appropriate dividers; hard copies of all ideas in the file.

5. All poems properly filed; includes transferring all poems from my computer at work to the one at home, and making the one at home the official repository of electronic copies; hard copies of all poems in a file.

6. Write 2,000 words in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. Last month’s goal was too ambitious, given all that’s going on.

7. Finish that appendix in the Harmony of the Gospels. I believe I left it, some months ago, with not much more than a page to finish. I shouldn’t leave it hanging.

8. Continue studies of Demand Studios (tutorials, editorial guides), and begin writing for them.

December 1st–time to see how I did relative to my November goals.

1. Blog at least 12 times. I blogged 14 times.

2. Post at least 8 articles at Suite101.com Posted 9 articles at Suite.

3. Write 10,000 word in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. Only wrote a little over 1,000 words, so way behind on this one.

4. Complete the Bible study writing goal of October. I actually did this. Early in the month I gathered all (well, I think all) of the started or planned Bible studies, listed them, determined where they were relative to the completion continuum, and put them in a semi-organized file. I have a little more to do on this, but I consider it essentially completed.

5. Make at least four writing related submittals. I completed this, making either 4 or 5 submittals. I’ll check my submittals log later tonight and see what the exact number was.

6. Complete the started but as yet unfinished appendix in my Harmony of the Gospels. Did nothing on this.

7. Work on Screwtape’s Good Advice. Did nothing on this.

So, all in all not a very good month as far as writing accomplishment goes. Guess I’ll have to try harder in December.

Having just finished my October report, and this being the 4th of November, I’d better work on my November goals. Even though I didn’t do well in October relative to goals, I’m going to set a little bit higher goals in November and try harder.

1. Blog at least 12 times. I’ve hit this many consecutive months.

2. Post at least 8 articles at Suite101.com. My current plans call for more than this. I might revise this goal tonight and set a higher target.

3. Write 10,000 words in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. This is in place of just finishing the chapter I’m in. If I make this goal, I will be about 1/4 into the novel.

4. Complete the Bible study goal of October. Assess where I am with that goal; complete the organization; and do the evaluation.

5. Make at least 4 writing related submittals. I won’t specify what type of submittals. I made one yesterday, so I’m 1/4 complete with this goal already.

6. Complete the started but unfinished appendix in my harmony of the gospels. Might as well keep it as a goal until I get it done.

7. Work on Screwtape’s Good Advice, my study guide of The Screwtape Letters. I may be teaching a class in this come February, and it would be nice to have this to use as a guide.

I’ll leave it at seven goals, and see what I can accomplish.

Time to be accountable to my reader(s), and to myself. Here’s my October goals and how I did on them.

1. Blog 12 or more times. >>> I blogged 16 times. Score 1.

2. Write 7 articles for Suite101.com. >>> I wrote and posted 8 articles, so squeaked by. Score 2.

3. Complete chapter 7 of In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. >>> I did NOT do this. I did begin sharing the novel with my writers critique group, and did a little bit of editing based on those critiques. Perhaps I can give myself half credit. Score 2.5.

4. Make three literary or freelance magazine submittals. >>> Let’s see if I can remember, because I don’t have my submittal log here at work. I didn’t submit anything to any literary magazines, but I don’t think it was three. In fact, I think it was just one. I’ll check tonight and might edit this. For now I’ll put it down as a goose-egg. Score still 2.5.

5. Make sure that appendix [i.e. the one I’ve worked on since August] in my harmony of the gospels is finished. >>> Did not do. Not sure why I didn’t other than lack of interest. I did read a little in the harmony, and noted a couple of edits I have to make, but that gives me no credit. Score still 2.5.

6. Organize the various Bible studies I’ve started. This includes listing them, and evaluating them to see if I want to take them further. >>> I did some of this, early in the month, and my mind is somewhat hazy about it. I know I gathered all the loose papers of Bible study ideas to one place. I think I made the list, but I didn’t do the evaluation. Can I give myself half credit for this? I think I will. Score 3.0.

So there it is. Not the prettiest of pictures but perhaps not the worst. Hopefully I’ll do better in November, the Thanksgiving holiday not withstanding.

I’m not sure why, but I didn’t accomplish much in September. A death in the family resulted in some time out of town and away from computer, but not enough to account for the lack of progress.

1. Blog 12 times or more.
2. Write 7 articles for Suite101.com.
3. Complete Chapter 7 of In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People
4. Make three freelance or literary magazine submittals.
5. Make sure that appendix in my harmony of the gospels is finished.
6. Organize the various Bible studies I’ve started. This includes listing them, and evaluating them to see if I want to take them further.

Let me see if I can made these modest goals. This is not a month for dreaming, scheming, and planning.

September was not a good month. I made much less progress on writing projects in general, and I fear in the specific items I wanted to accomplish. Here’s the results.

Blog at least 12 times. I think I blogged 13 times, so I achieved this goal.

Post at least 12 articles to Suite101.com Let me check at Suite…oh, only 6 articles. My mind didn’t go dead, just my desire to write for them.

Finish chapter 7 in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People; start chapter 8 I worked one evening on this, getting a little farther in Chapter 7 but not completing it, and not working on Chapter 8.

Complete one appendix in the Harmony of the gospels >>> Hard to remember, but I think I got this one done. If I didn’t actually finish it, I’m real close; probably everything except proof-reading and polishing.

Plan at least six lessons in Good King, Bad King series. By plan I mean something more than just a lesson title, something about the king and his life. >>> I did nothing on this, nothing at all. It just wasn’t on my radar screen.

So there it is, a dismal month as far as writing goals. Now I’ll plan for October. Given that I’m starting a day late, I’m not hopeful.

I wasn’t real pleased with how I did on my August goals, so I think I will back off a bit this month. I can always come back and edit this if I want to.

1. Blog at least 12 times.
2. Post at least 12 articles to Suite101.com
3. Finish chapter 7 in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People; start chapter 8
4. Complete one appendix in the Harmony of the gospels
5. Plan at least six lessons in Good King, Bad King series. By plan I mean something more than just a lesson title, something about the king and his life.

More later, if I think of anything.

Okay, time to see how I did relative to the goals I set August 1st.

1. Write 10 articles for Suite101.com. I did this. Actually published 16 articles in August.
   Blog 12 to 15 times. Did this. Had 16 blog posts if I’m not mistaken.
   Study: search engine optimization; sources for royalty free pictures; and picture types for digital photos. Well, I did some of this, enough to get by. But I have much, much more to do.
   Finish chapter 7 in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People; Begin chapter 8. Fell short on this one. I got some of chapter 7 done, perhaps 2/3, maybe just a half, but didn’t work on chapter 8 at all except for a little brainstorming.
   Finish one appendix in a Harmony of the gospels; also one passage notes section. I did a little better than expected. I completed two appendixes, and I think one set of passage notes. I’m not sure about the passage notes. That’s all on my computer at home, and I’d have to look at it, but I think I got one set done.
   Complete the engineering article on storm water detention that is due Sept. 1. Started, but not done. I found out the deadline is not until Sept 14, so I slacked off a bit. Since this is a non-paying gig, and since CEI can benefit from it, I’m doing it on company time. It’s on today’s to-do list, and I have a fair chance of actually getting to it.
   More work on Good King, Bad King. Try to identify and outline at least four more lessons. I can’t say that I completed this, though I did brainstorm it and write a few notes. I’ll add it again for September.
   Work on The Strongest of All study from the apocrypha. I have the five lessons prepared, but need to add some lead-in and conclusion discussions. Completed, and four of the five lessons taught. This actually didn’t take much time, and probably was not a big enough thing to be considered a goal.
   And, based on my incomplete goals from July, get some more work done on Life on a Yo Yo, in an attempt to make it a publishable study. No, I didn’t even think about Life on a Yo Yo this month. As I feared, writing for Suite101.com has taken up almost all of my creative writing time.