Unlike the majority of folks, my New Year’s Resolutions don’t commence in January. In fact, I don’t even call them resolutions. I don’t “resolve” to do anything. But I do set goals. Goals are a good, friendly thing. I seem to recall that someone famous once said, “Goals are dreams with a deadline.” And that’s exactly how I feel about it. Of course, if I don’t meet the deadline, I just change it, so maybe I’m missing a little in the accountability department here, but it’s better than waiting until January first to try again.
At the present time, one of my goals is to get a light and fluffy little innocuous romantic short story published in Woman’s World Magazine. Maybe you’ve seen the magazine while waiting in the grocery check-out line. It’s a weekly, which means there are 52 romantic short stories a year accepted and published.
But so far, not one of mine. Over the past 10 years I have collected fourteen, (yes, 14!) consecutive “disacceptances” from this particular magazine. (My friend Patty insists we do NOT call them “rejections.”)
So today I have a goal of writing and submitting one 800-word story a month for the next 12 months. Somehow, I figure this tips the odds in my favor. (Mathematicians, please refrain from writing to challenge my calculations!) Now all I have to do is figure out how a writer can cram a whole romantic short story into a measly 800 words.
Wish me luck!