My Writerly New Year's Resolutions

Here comes the time of year when I sit and think and think AND THINK about what I'd like to accomplish in the coming year--along with the rest of the world. This year, however, I choose to focus my goals clearly on writing instead of some weight loss goal or my third attempt at learning to swim before the end of the year. After a lot of time and consideration, my New Year's writer resolutions entail the following:

1. I want to publish five freelance jobs. I don't care if the jobs are local, online, or print. I just want publication and a little compensation wouldn't hurt. I'm starting with Cat Misener's guest post on freelance writing at http://inkyfreshpress.com. I hope to use her posts to find out how to achieve this goal.

2. I plan to edit my MS. I'm jump starting the editing process with The Forest for the Trees (Revised and Updated): An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner.

3. After I beta/edit that MS & put it aside, I plan to query a few agents. I turn to Twitter for this one. If I tweet my genre and beta reader or critique partner with the hashtag 'betamatch', I hope to match up with a beta reader and/or critique partner. Twitter also comes in handy when I submit to agents. It gives me information about when they are closed to queries, what they are looking for, where to find their guidelines, etc.

4. I plan to write another terrible first draft. I have several story ideas. I just need to pick one and nurture it.

5. I want to add 100 followers to this blog, for which I have no starting point whatsoever.

I welcome any suggestions on making one or all of these things happen. Better yet, what are your New Year's Resolutions? Are any of the writing related?

Giveaways, Contests & Prizes Oh My

I find myself jumping from website to website for the latest contests, prizes and giveaways related to writing. This week, I compiled the things I found here to share with my fellow writers.

1. On http://www.aspiringwriterworld.blogspot.com/, Gabriela Lessa in conjunction with ChickLitShortys is hosting a contest to rename the ChickLit genre. So if you enjoy writing or reading Chick Lit here's your chance give the genre a new and much needed moniker. Not only do you get to rename the genre but if your name is chosen you win books, an Amazon gift card, a guest spot on the blog. And best of all a 10-page critique. SQUEE!!!

2. Lisa Desrochers is giving away signed copies of the Young Adult novels, Firelight and Personal Demons, if you enter her contest at http://www.lisadesrochers.blogspot.com/ by November 3rd at midnight. Readers need I say more than--free books. Writers, it helps to read the genre you write in and there's no better reading than well-written FREE books.

3. If you are looking for a critique partner and/or beta reader and have a Twitter account, tweet your genre and what you're looking for with the hashtag 'betamatch'. This hashtag is being used to match writers with beta readers and/or critique partners.

4. Nanowrimo--the contest in which you write 50, 000 words in 30 days, started yesterday. I'm sure if you'd like to join in the fun and haven't yet, you still can at http://www.nanowrimo.org/. You just have a lot of catching up to do.

5. Literary agent Nathan Bransford provides a first page critique every Friday. At http://www.nathanbransford.blogspot.com/, you can upload the first page of your novel to the forums section. He critiques one random page every Friday. So eventually you'll get an awesome free critique of your writing by an expert in the field.

6. WriteOnCon, the first ever free online kidlit writer's conference, is hosting another live chat on November 15. Visit http://www.writeoncon.com/ for more information.

7. The IndieBookIBC is hosting a free social media workshop for writers via webinar on November 9th. Visit http://www.indiebookcollective.com/ for information.

Do you have others to add to the list? Please share anything I haven't mentioned and help out your fellow writers.