So I’ve had to step back and look at my career. It’s dragging. I will give myself leeway because the first half of the year was CRAZY time. But now the vacation is over. Up until last week I’ve been at a lost to what to do with myself. I gave my writing CPR when I wrote the 18k story. But writing that story gave me a light bulb moment.

I wrote this story with the intent to send it in to a publisher. It’s a themed story. I was able to write this story to submission. Something I have never done before. I kind of like.

Ok. Understatement. I love it. I have to thank Jennifer Leeland for planting the thought in my head to write in one genre. I’ve also decided to aim my writing at a publisher.

Dear baby jesus, I now have a GOAL for my writing career. Yes, it’s scary because I might crash and burn. I may spend the next two years writing toward this publisher and we probably won’t fit. But for me it’s better than writing willy-nilly and then hunting for a publisher who will take the novel, only to find my novel doesn’t fit ANYWHERE.

Again, thanks to Jen, she said the floodgates would open. I didn’t believe her. Yet I’m looking at my notepad and I have five ideas I can work with. I have one that’s knocking and yelling louder than the others. I even have a goals spreadsheet. I’m scary folks when I’m on a mission.

But, it’s never felt so good.

What is your career goal? It doesn’t have to be about writing, but if you are a writer do you have a goal? Are you still willy-nilly? Maybe you can join me. Put the goal out there.

Mine: Kimani Press Romance line.

One day my heroine is walking in the woods when a werewolf jumps from behind a redwood and bites her. She starts having these strange, erotic dreams where she turns all furry and has hot fangy sex with a strange wild animal. This wild animal has white fur compared her to black fur.

By the end of the week, she starts to sniff the men around her, and that’s when she realizes “I’m in heat”. She decides to visit the mad scientist on the edge of town. He tells her he can help.

He sends her into space. Her craft lands on a strange planet where–you’ve guessed it–werewolves live. All shades of fur, but then she sees the one she’s been having erotic dreams about. She knows his scent and knows she must mate. Now.

They do. She ends up expecting and they live happily ever after.

THE END

No, I haven’t fallen off my rocker. I read this blog post about what’s really selling, at least at Samhain. I figured I’d give you an example of what not to do just to sell.

BUT, if you do find yourself with a story you are passionate about it won’t hurt…

And then it dawned on me, that is how authors sell books. Not saying stand alone’s are dead in the water before they make it to the shelves just that books with a series to follow it or a sequel about the loveable secondary character can *and usually does* create a frenzy.

I’m not sure if it’s the sense of community. Or that the author makes the world more appealing when another book is set in the same world.

Or I can just look at Debbie Macomber’s House Series. She’s on 8. The fact that each time one of these books comes out it hits the best seller list…well, it just makes me wonder.

Why in the hell aren’t I writing a series and/or sequel?

That is all.

And what do you think as a reader or writer about series and/or sequels?

And then of course the next day I’m a literary genius.

Go figure. I’m having one of these days. I’m sure I’m going to have a rocking writing time later, but it’s sitting my butt in the chair and letting the words come. Be it crap or golden or golden crap.

I think a lot of it has to do with I have someone waiting at the other end of this ms. My career as a writer won’t be over, but if I don’t do well I’m going to miss a great, great, great opportunity.

Again, I ask what made me think this might be a viable career?

Because I love it isn’t washing today. And I know I’m not the only writer to deal with these feelings. So, I’m just going to tell myself I Am a Great Writer and slink back into the shadows.