Recently I attended a writing workshop. The speaker talked about writing short stories for a women’s magazine. I’ve never done anything like that probably because I tend to be long-winded and can’t tell a story in 800 words. However, I listened with interest. Was it something I could do? I decided I should give it a try. I must be honest. I haven’t done that yet.
At the end of the workshop, the speaker gave each of us a paper with this quote.
The speaker asked us to write down five goals that we wanted to accomplish in the next two months. She gave us envelopes, and we put the lists in them and addressed the envelopes to ourselves. Here is my list.
1. Finish A Place to Find Love.
2. Send out two newsletters.
3. Submit to BookBub
4. Request rights back for Montana Match.
5. Read a book on how to write short stories.
A couple of weeks ago, I received the letter. I had completely forgotten about that list. I wasn’t even sure why I was getting this letter until I opened it up and saw my list. Had I accomplished my goals? What do you think?
1. I didn’t finish A Place to Find Love in the allotted time, but it is finished and with my editor. It is ready for pre-order.
Here are the opening paragraphs of the book.
Home is where the heart is. The amateurish cross stitch, surrounded by a dark wooden frame, stared back at Whitney Hamilton as she stood in the kitchen of her childhood home. But this home was more like a prison than a place where her heart resided. Recent events had broken, crushed, and turned her heart inside out.
Her small hometown of Pineydale, Tennessee, held little welcome, even though she’d returned over a year ago to help care for her ailing father. Now he was gone, leaving a void in the life of her and her mother. Coming back home had been almost as traumatic as losing her father. The whole town knew her misdeeds. Despite her wish to restore her reputation, she doubted that could happen. She had more enemies than friends in this town.
2. I did send out two newsletters. You can sign up for my newsletter here if you aren’t already subscribed.
3. I submitted to Book Bub for one of their featured deals. Yay! It was accepted, and I had a promotion with them at the end of August.
4. I requested the rights back to my Love Inspired book, Montana Match. I haven’t heard back on that request.
5. I did read the short story book that I checked out from the chapter library on the day of the workshop, but it wasn’t very helpful. I’ll have to find another book on writing short stories.
I was happy to see that I had accomplished most of what I had set out to do.
Have you ever written a letter to yourself? What did you discover?
I’ll be giving away an e-book copy of the first book in my Kellersburg series, Hometown Promise, to one person who leaves a comment. I will draw the winning name on October 21, 2019 at 9PM MST.
Merrillee Whren is an award-winning author who writes inspirational romance. She is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award for best inspirational romance manuscript presented by Romance Writers of America. She has also been the recipient of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of thirty plus years, and has two grown daughters. She has lived in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Florida but now makes her home in the Arizona desert. When she’s not writing, she spends her free time playing tennis or walking while she does the plotting for her novels.
Hi Merrillee, what a cool idea! No, I have never written a letter to myself, but I think it would be interesting to do so and come back to it after a period of time.
Blessings:)
I have never written a letter to myself but that sounds like something fun to do. I can’t wait for your new book. I love the cover!
Hi Merrillee! Congrats on completing your goals. While I have never written a letter to myself, As a teacher during professional development we set goals. Best wishes!
What an interesting idea for a workshop!
I can’t write short stories, either. My brain doesn’t think in small bites, I guess. 800 words is rarely even an entire scene in my stories!
I’ve not written a letter to myself; however, I have written things in my journal and gone back later to see how they turned out. I love the cover of your book!!
I don’t remember ever writing a letter to myself. I’m certain I’ve never mailed one. It’s an interesting concept. I’m glad you achieved your goals.
Wemble, it was a fun exercise, especially when I received it, and it was such a surprise.
Lori, thanks. I hope you enjoy the story.
Renate, thanks. I was happy to see I had accomplished everything on the list. Just a side note, in A Place to Find Love, my characters take a trip to Germany and find one of those bridges filled with love locks. I found photos of a bridge in Munich, and on one of the locks was your name, so I used your name in the book. :)
Valerie, that’s me too, and I don’t know whether I’ll find the time to come up with an idea that will fit into 800 words, but maybe some day.
Sherry, thanks. It was fun to see what I had written.
Trudy, thanks. I’ve never written in a journal. I know some writers do, but I want to spend all my writing time on my stories.
Sounds like a great book and a good idea. To write a letter to myself. Have a great day
Thanks. Will have to look that up. I heard os locks in France, it not in Germany. The only time I spent in Munich was at the airport in 2007. I was born in Berlin.
Thanks for update. Preordered the book.
My journal is more like talking to God or writing in a diary. It helps me sometimes to just get thoughts down on paper! If I was a writer, I probably wouldn’t want to write any more than I had to! Lol! I used to work outside the house and did 8 hours a day on the computer. I didn’t have one at one home for most of that time, and the last thing I’d have done was come home to be on one!!
Thanks!
Thanks, Annie.
I think it was in 2000 but not sure I got a calendar that had a letter to write to be opened in x amount of years (think it was 10) I am not sure exactly how many. I know some of what I wrote (It was meant to be in 10 years I want to be) I know at least one thing didn’t happen. I know I still have the letter somewhere but not sure where.
I like the idea of the writing goals at a retreat or somewhere and having the organizer sending them at the appointed time. I could see a book with this happening maybe its a group of friends or students that write goals for a say 5 year plan and then at the right time the letters are sent with time for each person to be able to still achieve the goals.
Jenny, great idea!
What a fabulous idea!