After a successful June, when most of my goals were met, I’m going to be fairly aggressive in setting my July writing goals.

1. Blog at least 12 times.

2. Post 15 articles at Suite101.com.

3. Research, prepare, and submit 2 other freelance queries.

4. Complete one set of passage notes for my Harmony of the Gospels.

5. Complete the first two lessons in Good King, Bad King (already started and maybe half-way done) and outline the full series.

6. For Life on a Yo Yo: Write a “sell sheet” for the Bible study; complete the first four lessons in publishable form.

7. Complete the new chapter of In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People that I got half-way done in June. It would be nice to both complete that and start another chapter, but I’m not making that a goal, not with everything else I have going on. Plus, I’m a freelancer not, not a novelist.

Well, it’s accountability time again. I actually looked back at my goals at mid-month and again a few days ago to check how I was doing. Here’s the report.

1. Blog a minimum of twelve times. I’m pretty sure I did this; forgot to check before I got to this page.

2. Evaluate two or three additional freelance markets, and submit to at least one. This will no doubt require quite a bit of Web research as well as preparing some new writing shorts. Did this. Submitted to two others and was accepted for both. Unfortunately, the engineering one is a non-paying market. Fortunately, the article was mostly written before I queried, and will help with my day-job career.

3. Complete one chapter of In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People, begun yesterday. Well, I started but did not quite finish this. I got it about half-written and typed that up. Maybe over the holiday weekend I’ll get it done.

4. Complete my latest Bible study, tentatively titled, “The Strongest Of All”. Actually, this should more be termed a small group study, since it is from the Apocrypha and not the Bible proper. Hmmm, I can almost claim this as being done. I think it is, but I have to proof-read it again and think through questions and answers. But, in addition to this, I came close to finishing another Bible study, the first two lessons in the series “Good King, Bad King.” So between the two I got more done on this than I expected.

5. Complete one appendix (already started) and the notes for one passage in the Harmony of the Gospels. I did a little on this, early in the monthly, but don’t remember exactly where I left off. I think I completed the appendix but not the passage notes.

6. Attend the Chicago Tribune Publishers Row Lit Fair next weekend, and, as a sub-goal, talk with at least three publishers who are real candidates for me to submit to. I did this. All I had to do was show up. Well, that and drive 950 miles going (went there via Oklahoma City) and 580 miles returning.

7. Get back into Life on a Yo Yo and prepare it for publication while it is still somewhat fresh. This one I failed at. All I got done was to gather my notes and research from two or three piles and consolidate it. At least it’s all in one place, and I’ll make it a goal again for next month.

8. Submit a query for another article for Internet Genealogy. I will wait to make sure the article already submitted is acceptable to the editor. Did this. Turned in the query early last week. No response yet, but it’s vacation season.

The 5th is a little late to be setting goals for the month, but this is the first chance I’ve had.

1. Complete and submit the article to Internet Genealogy. I’m well along with it right now, and I don’t see this as a problem.

2. Find 3 to 5 more places to submit “Mom’s Letter”. The research is done; I just have to make copies and stuff envelopes.

3. Blog 12 to 14 times.

4. Work on one appendix and one chapter note of the Harmony of the gospels.

5. Write one chapter in In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People.

6. Complete preparation for my two lesson Bible study, Good King, Bad King. It looks now that I won’t be teaching it in May, or any time soon. But I’ve done the research and development, and would like to have it ready on the shelf for some time in the future when I do teach it.

7. Write some closing notes to the Life on a Yo Yo Bible study, perhaps even some promotional items to make it a potentially publishable work, and decide what to do with it.

The month began well, but as can be expected when vacation comes in that month, it did not end all that well.

1. Market “Mom’s Letter” to at least five markets. Some of the markets I’ve selected close to submissions in May, so I have to get that done this month. I accomplished this goal, sending “Mom’s Letter” to exactly five markets. Haven’t heard anything yet, of course.

2. Begin work on “It’s Over Over Here”, my article on Dad’s work with The Stars and Stripes during World War 2. Even if I don’t get the assignment from the magazine, I’d like to write the article. Did not do this. Too many other writing activities took precedence.

3. Complete the beta reading project I’ve committed to. I was doing good on this before my illness, and before tax diversion. I’m 2/3 of the way through this short, young adult novel. I can do this this month. Yes, I completed this. The project was interesting, reading and critiquing a novel whose target audience is teen age girls. Hopefully I did some good.

4. Write at least one chapter of In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. I outlined seven chapters last month; surely I can get one of those written. Nope, did not do this; it didn’t even come up on the radar.

5. Blog 12 to 14 times. This seems to be the thing that is easiest for me, so I’ll bump up my goal a little this month. Yes, I blogged 14 times.

6. Monitor five writing blogs/web sites. This is also easy, and I’m learning much from these sites. I also did this monitoring, something that’s easy to do a day at a time. I have some catching up to do from vacation.

7. Complete the political essay I started on the Baby Boomer generation, and post it to The Senescent Man blog. I’m almost halfway done with this. I completed this, and posted it in four segments at “The Senescent Man” blog. BTW, we three main contributors to “The Senescent Man” got together in real live last Tuesday in Cranston, RI, along with another man, all friends from college, some from high school, some from junior high, and some even from grade school.

8. Get back to writing, at least a little, on the notes and appendixes of the Harmony of the Gospels. I’d like to spend about an hour a week on this, which will give me continued progress by inches. I looked at this a little bit, but did not come even close to spending an hour a week on it. Last month I gave a copy of the work as it stands to my pastor, who told me he is enjoying it, and is anxious to see those appendixes.

It’s difficult to set writing goals for this month, when I’m stuck in the morass of preparing my income taxes. They aren’t difficult; just time consuming, and difficult to stick to. Last night for example, after a late supper after church, I went to the Dungeon to work on them, but took one look at the papers and computer screen and decided I couldn’t that night. So I played mindless computer games, and did some other things before going back upstairs to read and to bed.

Still, I must set goals, and I can always come back later and edit them, after I finish the taxes and clarity of mind and intentions return. So here they are.

1. Market “Mom’s Letter” to at least five markets. Some of the markets I’ve selected close to submissions in May, so I have to get that done this month.

2. Begin work on “It’s Over Over Here”, my article on Dad’s work with The Stars and Stripes during World War 2. Even if I don’t get the assignment from the magazine, I’d like to write the article.

3. Complete the beta reading project I’ve committed to. I was doing good on this before my illness, and before tax diversion. I’m 2/3 of the way through this short, young adult novel. I can do this this month.

4. Write at least one chapter of In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. I outlined seven chapters last month; surely I can get one of those written.

5. Blog 12 to 14 times. This seems to be the thing that is easiest for me, so I’ll bump up my goal a little this month.

6. Monitor five writing blogs/web sites. This is also easy, and I’m learning much from these sites.

7. Complete the political essay I started on the Baby Boomer generation, and post it to The Senescent Man blog. I’m almost halfway done with this.

8. Get back to writing, at least a little, on the notes and appendixes of the Harmony of the Gospels. I’d like to spend about an hour a week on this, which will give me continued progress by inches.

I’m not planning on attending writers critique group this month, for a number of reasons. I don’t know about my long term participation with this group.

Ah, time for my monthly report. Naturally this would happen on a morning when I forgot to set my alarm the night before, got up more than an hour late, therefore got caught in the height of rush hour and my 25 minute commute took almost 40. So, I’m posting this on my employer’s time. I’ll make it up after hours. Here are the goals posted on March 1, and how I did on each.

1. Blog 10 to 12 times. This seems very achievable, based on the past three months. >>> Blogged 15 times, so achieved this.

2. Complete the few remaining tasks for A Harmony of the Gospels; print; put in the hands of two beta readers. >>> I sort of finished this. I completed the basic writing and typing of the Harmony itself, completed one appendix, started another, and worked on several of the passage notes. I gave it to one beta reader, my pastor, but not to a second.

3. Attend at least one writers critique group; present one of my Documenting America columns. >>> I attended critique group twice, each time sharing a Documenting America column. One they hated; the other they sort of liked. Of course, I am the only one in the group on my side of the political spectrum.

4. Monitor 5 writing blogs. As I mentioned in my last post, I may have to find a couple of new ones. >>> I monitored the blogs. Dropped one, as it hasn’t been updated since January. Found another, a writing coaching blog. So far so good.

5. Complete beta reading of a YA novel for someone at an on-line writers site. I received this late last week, and hope to begin tonight and finish before the end of the month. >>> I did not complete this. I got 2/3 of the way through, with, I think, good comments for that writer. Completing it in April, taxes allowing, should be no problem.

6. Write at least one chapter of In Front Of Fifty Thousand Screaming People. >>> Alas, I did not do this. Instead, I outlined the next seven chapters. I really wanted to get back to the writing of this, but my food poisoning episode happened just about at the time when my schedule would have allowed for it. Always an excuse.

7. Market Mom’s Letter to at least five markets. Did not get this done. I did manage to complete the marketing research, and narrowed the list down to about ten magazines, but didn’t get to the next step.

One other thing, a big thing, that I accomplished writing-wise that was not on my list was to submit a query about a World War 2 article. No response yet, but it’s only been a couple of business days since they got it, due to an e-mail glitch at home.

Ah, time for my monthly ritual of setting short-term goals. Once again, trying to be realistic considering life circumstances. I have to get the taxes done this month; yard work begins; and some un-done work is piling up, indicating the need for some extra hours, at least this week.

1. Blog 10 to 12 times. This seems very achievable, based on the past three months.

2. Complete the few remaining tasks for A Harmony of the Gospels; print; put in the hands of two beta readers.

3. Attend at least one writers critique group; present one of my Documenting America columns.

4. Monitor 5 writing blogs. As I mentioned in my last post, I may have to find a couple of new ones.

5. Complete beta reading of a YA novel for someone at an on-line writers site. I received this late last week, and hope to begin tonight and finish before the end of the month.

6. Write at least one chapter of In Front Of Fifty Thousand Screaming People.

7. Market Mom’s Letter to at least five markets.

These were written kind of quickly. I may come back and edit in a day or so.