Hoping for SOMETHING!

I actually don't believe in luck or crossing fingers or any of that stuff, but the picture sure exemplifies hope. "Cross your fingers and hope real hard!" That's what I was always told, but I couldn't tell you who first said it to me.

So I'm hoping. First, I'm hoping to do better at reporting. I'm so bummed that I forgot to share an update last Sunday.

Second, I'm hoping for ... well ... you know.

There’s a time to dream and a time to act. As a writer, being part-dreamer just comes with the territory. I visualized getting “the call” the other day. I’ve delayed attempts to connect with an agent for the most part. (I don’t really count the few queries that I sent out before I had a clue of what I was doing.) Now I have a clue, thanks to the many

who have gone before me and shared their experiences. They helped me get a peek into this amazing new world of publishing.

Part of me feels like I’ve come so far—and I have. But a bigger reality lies in how much I still don’t know. I don’t even understand enough to conceive of the questions I should be asking.

With my romantic suspense getting a final coat of polish with a light buff, the time has come for me to stop fantasizing about that day and instead take some steps to finally make it happen. 

• So with my #1 writing goal of getting 2 novels ready to shop, I stand at a precipice with Cat's Eyes. Time to dive in and give this feline a chance to swim. 
• Read craft series by SMW - I'm about a quarter of the way through Susan May Warren's From the Inside Out. I've already worked up the premise to a new suspense. That's fun!
• Read and review 8 books - I've now read and reviewed two novels. One published on my blog this past Monday about the book Cowboy by Staci Stallings and the second review will be up on Monday, on Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer. I've just started Relentless (It's free at Amazon at the time of this writing.) by Robin Parrish. 
• Blog 4 per week - done and prepped for a couple of weeks ahead.
• Vlog 1 per month - done HERE!
• Add weekly article to medieval project - Added two this week. Next week's is planned.
• Grading catch-up - Blah. Can't seem to get on top of this one and I only have 2 more days before classes reconvene!
• Social media - I didn't visit blogs as much as I want to and I didn't visit Twitter and Facebook like I did before the holidays. That bad and good. I want to get connected there, but I need to maintain my priorities, so if I have to fail at a couple of goals, I guess these are the ones I need to release.
• Spend 1 1/2 hours in exercise - only got in a half hour last week. My volleyball time was cancelled, but I'll be playing tomorrow! Hoping to get this back (and backside) in gear!
• Eliminate fast food. Still working on this one. Had some great successes, then we took a road trip. Not much to do about that, and I relished every bite! :)

I'm hoping for consistency. There is so much more to this career than just the writing. Balancing life and commitments along with personal and family needs makes it easy to squeeze out the necessary time that the creative process requires. And while I know that I can write anywhere - volleyball games, during classes, even in traffic with a recorder - my best writing is done when I can concentrate for longer periods of time. Hoping for some of that time soon! 

Also hoping to start a new WIP in February ... and to send out at least one query ... and a proposal ... and to get my WIP perfect ... and a pony! :) 

So what are you hoping for?