Friday, September 3, 2010

Goals


Happy Friday everyone!

Only one week left until our 100 Follower Challenge ends! You guys better hop to it! Only 34 more followers to go! Now onto the post ;-)

Thanks to Laura Kaye over at http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com/ I've been thinking about goals today and I was inspired by her post.

I'm all for making goals. I have a planner that has absolutely everything I do written inside it. I make little check boxes and I mark things off as I go. However, those are only small things. But
I'm also pretty good with major goals--I've been lucky enough to achieve a lot of great things in my life. But lately, other than finishing school, I haven't had any major goals. Yeah, I've had WIP's and edits to do, but have I ever really considered any of that a goal? Not as of late.

When I thought about Laura's article, I realized that part of why my first book was finished so fast is because I was so eager to be able to say I wrote a book. The second book was the same thing, I was just so excited to say I wrote the sequel. But now that I'm working on my third novel, it doesn't seem quite as exciting. I guess when you're a veteran, people don't get as excited for you.

What I got from all this is that I need to treat every book as a triumph. Just because it's my third book doesn't make it any less impressive than my first or second. So I'm setting a goal to finish my current WIP by the beginning of November and I'd love if all of you would cheer me on.

So what about you? What's holding you back from your goals, your dreams?

Book Blogger Hop


Also don't forget about the weekly Blog Hop! Simply click on the button and it will take you to a whole big list of blogs for you to check out. If you follow anyone new, make sure you leave them a comment and while you're at it, why not mention Nocturnal Readings sent you ;-)

The weekly question for the hop is: do you judge a book by it's cover?

Honestly, yes. If a book has a horrible or unappealing cover, I just won't pick it up off the shelf. When a friend gave me the first Sookie Stackhouse book, way back when they first came out and before Trueblood even existed, I almost didn't read the book because I hated the cover. It looked so cheesy lol. Thank God I did! It's my favorite series.

24 comments:

  1. Hey Kaitlyn, thanks for stopping by, what a nice blog ya got. No joke about the Stackhouse novels!! My hubs is an artist and he just HATES the covers, as do I. There's one example of being glad that I don't always judge one by ;)

    New follower as well

    Paula
    Tomes Devotee

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you! Yeah, the Sookie covers really are disappointing, but the books are great! The first book cover is especially dull. The covers have gotten better, but I still don't like them. And thanks for following =D

    ReplyDelete
  3. I too love the Sookie books but always thought the covers were SO hokey. Now following. Have a wonderful weekend. Shari over at myneuroticbookaffair.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. haha... i only watch the TV series.. but the main character sookie, i dont really like the actress :P

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi, I'm a new follower stopping by from FF @ Parajunkee's View.(:

    - http://maddieeemsblog.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  6. noral- You should try reading the books. =) While you don't get many of the side character's stories, Sookie is much more appealing. I like the show, but the book trumps it in my opinion. Trueblood can be a little over the top at times.

    Maddie M.- Thanks for stopping by and for following! =D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for stopping by. I'm your latest follower:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello,
    I stopped from the BBQ (I think) So many blog hops going on this week end. I am a new follower

    I'll be back
    Manzanita
    Wanna buy a duck

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm goal-oriented too. I write books quickly because I'm into the story. The editing process is much, much slower.

    I have three goals: land an agent, get a book deal, and get a teaching job.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love following you very young bloggers! Makes me feel young again. But life CAN begin at 70; I'm about to have a book published by WiDo Publishing where you'll find KarenG. I came here from her BBQ party. So now you have another follower. I hope you'll come over and meet me too.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm with you, a cover helps sell the book. I'm obsessed with looking at book covers. I could literally spend all day just doing that at a bookstore. And reading a little of course, too LOL. I'm following you, am #75, I love it when I can be a follower milestone on someone's blog. Only 25 to go til you hit that magic 100!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for following everyone! I hope you enjoy my blog =D It's great to have all of you! Our numbers are growing!

    Theresa- Your goals sounds exactly like mine lol. I'm looking for an agent, so I can eventually make it to that publication stage and once I finish my degree, I'll be looking for a job as a professor.

    Ann- I'll definitely stop by your blog =D

    KarenG- I love looking at the covers too. I'm so excited that we have only 25 more to go!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Motivation can be a strange thing-sometimes I am so fired up to finish something really fast and other times writing can drag when I am not quite feeling the fire.
    I try to look at it on the brightside that maybe something needs to come into my life to perfect a scene before I write it.
    And on the other hand sometimes I just need to sit and write and see where it goes.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello new friend! Here from the BBQ! I think the two biggest thing holding me back from my goals are a) time and b) self-doubt. If I had more time, and less self-doubt, I might be on my way.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm a new follower and just wanted to say hello! I noticed that you have J.R. Ward listed under your recommended reading . . . excellent taste :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Welcome and thanks for stopping by everyone!

    David- That is a very wise way to look at it. I like that idea--needing an experience to draw from. Very cool.

    Candyland- I think we all have a little self-doubt every once in a while, but it makes us stronger people when we work past it =)

    Kelly- Thanks! Love those books =D Who is your favorite brother?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi there! *waves* I followed you back from my blog (and the BBQ)...nice to meet you. :)

    I love the Sookie books (and the HBO series) but agree...the covers blow.
    I am judgy about book covers...and a gorgeous cover will earn a pick up and closer inspection. If the back cover copy is also compelling and the first page reads well...cha-ching.

    Fun post. :)
    ~Lola

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Lola! Thanks for the return follow. I'm very judgmental with book covers too, though honestly most of the books I read are by recommendation. I have many authors that I buy all their books, but I only find new ones to add to that list when my friends tell me "You have to read this!" lol

    ReplyDelete
  19. ...Do you judge a book by its cover?
    Wow, good question. One I wish I could answer NO to...but am at times guilty as charged.

    I try my best to at the very least, read the back cover in hopes of gleaning something interesting...but often times a shallow glance at a dull cover from an unknown writer sparks little. Its shameful, but with so much wonderful material available, one must choose wisely. This advice coming from a fellow writer.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog and your words of support:)
    EL

    ReplyDelete
  20. You're very right, Elliot. There are a lot of great authors out there and it would be impossible to look through all the book jackets in the bookstore. Covers are one of the best forms of advertisement. Thanks for following!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for the follow. :) KarenG's BBQ has been a hit and I look forward to everyone's upcoming posts. Have a great holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for the return follow MT! Hope you have a great holiday too =D

    ReplyDelete
  23. lol You are not alone Kaitlyn. I avoided the Sookie Stackhouse novels like the plague! So glad I gave them a chance. And to think I almost missed out on my Sexy Viking time :o

    Sorry it took so long to sign up for your blog, yahoo hates me lately, and wouldn't let me! Grr lol

    ReplyDelete
  24. Lol! Every woman should get some Sexy Viking Time! I aspire for my heroes to be as delicious as Eric Northman. Maybe one day lol!

    No problem, I understand that the internet is a crazy messed up place. Half the time when I try to do something online I have to have someone show me how or it doesn't work haha.

    ReplyDelete