Do you have goals bloghop. Novels, novellas, short stories, travel articles, monetising your blog...what are you writing?

Earlier this year I joined this regular monthly Friday bloghop hosted by Misha Gericke and Beth Fred. I was thinking of taking my name off the list because who gives a toss what I'm writing/not writing? But then I re-read the comments to my March post and found them quite kind and encouraging. 

The reason I joined this hop in the first place was to keep myself honest, and honestly, reflecting on my goals for the month is a good motivation to write more. So here it's the last Friday of May, ridiculous, so it's time again...

You're more than welcome to join this bloghop. All you need to do is read and follow the guidelines then SIGN UP HERE...

1) Beth and I Misha will be co-hosts of this list.
2) If you do enter your link into the list, please be supportive of the other entrants.
3) Keep us up to date with how you're doing. Update Day is on the last Friday of every month. Even if you don't think you achieved much or anything, write a quick post to say so. We can't encourage if we don't know. 
4) When you enter your blog's address write your goal as the link title. For example, my link's title will be "earn $7500 per month." Not your name or your blog's. This is so we can keep track of who's doing what. 

I signed up as Number 13,  'publish a novel and submit short stories' this year. Check out the participants at the bottom.

MY WRITING LIFE IN MAY 2016

MY PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELLA, BOOK TWO - The Vendemmia (The Harvest)

I am really into the sequel to the second story in my  series Under the Tuscan Moon. Sorry for taking so long for those of you who have asked where is the second novella, but the research took longer than I'd planned.

(SIDEBAR: If you've read Under the Tuscan Moon, I'd love a review. Thanks to the lovely people who have reviewed it on Amazon and Goodreads and given 4 and 5 stars! If you haven't read it and would like to, please drop 99 cents in my begging basket at Amazon and go for your life; if you don't want to spend that outrageous sum of money, please email me and I will send you a free kindle copy if you'd like to review it.) 

The subtitle of this one is The Vendemmia (Italian for The Harvest, in this case, the grape harvest). My two 'loveable', ahem, vamps, Vipunin and Cuchulcain, have returned to Vipunin's castello where he lived before he was turned. Here Vipunin intends to be a very disruptive influence at harvest time. Ciassia and Sibon  are unaware they harbour a monster in their midst, a monster who will do anything to get what he wants...and he wants Ciassia. 

SHORT STORY UPDATE

Last time I gave an update on one of my Paris short stories, Carpe Diem, it was at 12,000 words. This story is lighting up my life and sending electricity through my fingertips as I type, so it is now at 25,000 words. So I figure my protagonists, Saskia and Raphael, are demanding nothing less than novel length. When you meet Raphael, you'll know what I mean...

Currently the lovers have driven south-west of Paris to La France Profonde (deep in the country), to the tiny village of Les Salles Lavauguyon, so Saskia can meet Raphael's parents and plan their marriage in the glorious Romanesque church (after the civil ceremony of course). But what's with the parents? They are nothing like Raphael described them. 

As I said in my previous update on this story, it has grown from a 1,000 word flash fiction originally published for #fridayflash. It's been messing with my head for 5 years! So I have added flesh to the bones. And I have a French translator standing by waiting for me to finish! Now that's motivation!

What's with the motorbikes? Try this extract...

"With her arms around Raphael’s waist and her face pressed between his shoulder blades, her adrenaline soared as he roared into the Paris night, accelerating full throttle up the hill from Pigalle, past the windmills, then through the slick, dark streets of Montmartre. By the time he braked at the door of her 17^th century pension, revving the engine twice just for fun, she was in love."

WRITING ABOUT TRAVEL 
As regular visitors and blogger friends know, I wear a travel writer's hat. I have recently returned from a subsidised trip to China so that demands many articles.  For this China series, I am hoping to break into more online travel magazines to add to the print mags. So it's a wonder I've written any fiction at all, but I'm being honest when I say, except for NaNoWriMo, I've never written so much non-fiction or fiction in my life in a month.

MY PARIS COOKERY SCHOOL NOVEL

Sadly, I haven't been able to work on my Paris Cookery School novel and it languishes at 25,000 words. But look out when I get a chance. I may finish it this November. 

WRAPPING UP...

So overall, May has been a very successful, wonderful writing month even though as I said we embarked on major renovations at our beach house. I skedaddle off to the library and peace and quiet when the noise-makers are at work. I'll join them when we reach the painting stage. 

I rather liked my philosophical bent at the end of March's update, so being short of time, I'll leave it there and hopefully have time to get ever so clever next month!

And I READ A LOT but need a jolt to review what I read. I'm really trying! But I've read 50 books so far this year (most in January holidays) so when I get your book read, I'll do the right thing by you!!

AIM HIGH
It's always a good idea to set yourself achievable goals, but it's even better to use the turbo power of imagination to help you get there. For example, you may decide that you'd be happy to have your body in better shape. Instead of just thinking: 'I'm going to tone and trim my waistline', bring on the drama. Try rephrasing that into something like: 'I want to turn heads as I walk down the street and wow people when I walk into a room'. Remember, when you use colourful, vibrant imagery it will be easier to achieve your goal and turn your dream into reality.

So...when you dream of your finished story...instead of just wishing you could reach the finish line, add drama. 'I want to write the most riveting, amazing story that people will love so much they will say to everyone in their reviews on Amazon and Goodreads--'You've got to read this story!' Imagine that!

I'm sure this Shanghai migrant worker has a goal!

How are you going with your 2016 Writing Goals? I'd love to hear from you. Please share in comments or join the hop.

1.	... earn $7500 per month for a year	2.	Sell 500 Books per Month
3.	To get a novel finished and published	4.	create a publishing company setting standards for excellence.
5.	Write a million little words	6.	publish at least 2 novels in the next 4 years.
7.	Write and Publish 2-3 Books/Novellas and short works	8.	Publish two decent-selling book series
9.	Publish two books a year	10.	Complete and publish The Paper Duchess Series
11.	Accomplish My Goals By End of 2016	12.	Sell an average of seven books a day
13.	Publish a novel and submit short stories	14.	Publish The Missing Girls Series in 2016
15.	earn $2500 per month by December	16.	get rejected (by a editor or agent) 24 times this year
17.	Richard P Hughes	18.	Finish editing my novel before NaNoWriMo2016

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