By Kelly Carey

​​ 24 Carrot Writing invites you to celebrate June Year’s Eve!

In January, bubbly with champagne excitement and intoxicated by the shimmering crystal ball in Time’s Square, we set down our writing goals. Since writers are ambitious dreamers, we probably set very lofty goals. Good for us! That drive to succeed will get our manuscripts published.

But did you over promise? Did some unforeseen event steal time and attention from your writing? Did your January va-va-voom sput-sput-sputter out somewhere in March?

June Year’s Eve is not so much about watching the ball drop, but making sure you didn’t drop the ball on your writing goals. This mid-point in the year is the perfect moment to reassess, refocus, and reinvest in your writing. Start by giving your writing goals a solid scrubbing so they can be revised for success, and you can be reenergized to hit your targets.
​
You’ve set New Year’s resolutions, now is the time for June Year’s resolutions.

Happy June Year’s Eve and happy goal revising! 

Interview by Annie Cronin Romano

I was delighted to chat with Leo Landry, the children’s book buyer since 2018 at An Unlikely Story Bookstore, located in Plainville, MA, and owned by Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney. Leo is also a published author/illustrator.
 
How did you get your start as a children’s book buyer?
 
I first started at The Children’s Bookshop in Brookline, MA, where I was the manager and did all of the backlist buying as well. I was there for 20 years. I also worked in college bookstores for several years. I arrived at An Unlikely Story in October 2018, initially doing receiving and returns, and soon moved into the role of children’s book buyer.
 
Tell us a little about your process/criteria in terms of choosing what to bring into your store for picture books? Does the artwork catch your eye first? The title? The actual story/text?
 
The broadest view of it is that you really have to consider a few things with all the books you bring in: One is what your community wants—or at least what you think they want—and another is what you like and what you think your collection should reflect. That’s really the fun part. If you went to five different independent bookstores and looked at the kids’ sections, you’ll see, of course, the big books, but you will really be able to see the personality of the buyer. For instance, I tend to like the quieter things and softer artwork. If you made that a homework assignment, you would notice each buyer’s distinct taste store to store.
 
You could profile the book buyer!
 
Yes, you probably could! And in addition to those two points, the other factor is that there’s always things you can’t not have; if there’s an author that is huge, you have to have those books. What I typically do when I meet with a sales rep is first look at our prior season’s order and see how things from that order sold. For instance, when looking at sales history here, I can see that general fiction picture books sell well here, but nonfiction picture books, such as picture book biographies or history-related titles, don’t sell quite as well here. All stores have sales patterns and that’s important to know, to keep an eye on those patterns and watch for changes.

When I go through the catalog for any given publisher, I try to read all the picture books as much as I can, whether it’s digital or print, if offered, and I decide in that moment whether I want the book or I don’t. Then I make final decisions once discussing with the sales rep. For YA, I rely on the younger booksellers and the reps for input as well. The toughest part is there are just so many books published. I know I miss a lot of lovely books, but I must consider that books come out every Tuesday and there’s only so much shelf space. A picture book will only have a week or two as a face-out, which I know is disappointing to authors. To help there, we’ve added some end caps at the store, in addition to our new release section for PBs, where we put bookseller favorites for picture books, and those books consistently sell.
 
Would you say for board books, leveled/early readers, chapter books and middle grade, your process is the same?
 
Yes, it is.
 
Obviously you can’t read every middle grade…
 
No, though middle grade is kind of going down sales-wise, sadly, and it has been for four of five years. It’s less so for series; it is still going down, but much less so than middle grade. On the other hand, board books in our store have practically doubled in sales. Early readers and first chapter books are also on the upswing here. Middle grade series and above is on a downward slide, which I think reflects the industry as well. I feel like as those kids [driving the sales in board books through early chapter books] get older, we’ll see an increase in middle grade sales.
 
Many authors worry that if they go with a small/indie publisher, it will be more challenging to market and distribute their work. How much of a role does the size and recognition of a publishing house (i.e., the Big Five) play in your choices, or are you just as likely to purchase from smaller presses?
 
I’m just as likely to buy from smaller presses as long as someone lets us know about it, as long as we can access it. One small publisher that I really love is Graystone Kids. They publish a Cree-Métis illustrator named Julie Flett, who I’m a huge fan of. I’m always buying anything she has coming out. They use a distributor that prints a catalog, so I can access their list easily. As long as small presses are accessible through a larger distributor, that helps. I do believe that if a book is really good, it will find its way even if it is with a tiny publisher, though it might take a little longer. Of course, me saying “if a book is really good” is subjective.
 
Are there topics/themes you feel are lacking in children’s books? What topics/genres/themes would you like to see more of?
 
I can think of things I’d like to see less of…
 
Well, that was my next question!
 
I really want to see solid stories and less preachy, lesson-type books. A good story that’s entertaining. Every publisher every season has a lot of these “I am great, I am wonderful” vague, inspirational books, and I think there’s now too much of that. To me, a good story…you’re going to want to hear it again and again. Of course, the kids aren’t buying the picture books; the parents are, and they often want those social-emotional books. But if you think of the picture books with characters you love and want to go back to, those are memorable stories. That’s not to say you don’t need that social-emotional angle.

To me, a really good example of a picture book that is a great story and also has that social-emotional angle is the book Truman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019). Those emotional themes are baked into the story, but that’s not the only thing there. It’s a good story with the underlying message; those types of books I always welcome. When it’s just a vague attempt at making everybody feel good, those books come and go.
 
Do you feel there are any themes lacking in middle grade and YA? Or is there an uptick in needed themes?
 
I feel like middle grade has a lot going on right now, which makes it sad that sales are down there. It’s much more mainstream to have middle grade with LGBTQ+ characters, characters with Native American authors, BIPOC authors and characters. They’re keeping up. It’s still very low, but it’s miles more than it used to be.
 
In YA right now, fantasy rules. A lot of YA is fantasy, but it keeps selling. Also, horror is growing. I’ve also noticed in the last year or two that historical fiction in YA and in middle grade, too, is creeping back in.
 
Is there a genre of children’s books that kids just can’t seem to get enough of?
 
Dinosaurs, trucks, mermaids and fairies for the young kids. It never ceases to amaze me—especially dinosaurs, that one just keeps going!
 
What were some recent children’s books whose success surprised you?
 
In the YA world, it’s all because of TikTok. There’s a title, Powerless (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023), a YA fantasy novel, that took off here because of TikTok. And it doesn’t even have to be a recent book. Something that came out five years ago can have a jump because of TikTok.
 
Also, in all areas the booksellers can make a huge difference in a book’s success. For instance, our bookseller Cassie, when she started last year, asked if I could bring in some picture book titles that were her favorites. I brought them in and she sells the heck out of them. I’m surprised because they’re books that we had when they were new and didn’t get back in after they sold through, but now she sells four or five a week.
 
What else was a surprise…well, every now and then, there will be a picture book that will take off and I didn’t expect it, like last year’s Sleepy Sheepy (Flamingo Books, 2023). It’s very cute and sweet, and we sold a lot of them, but I didn’t anticipate that. Another one that was sort of a surprise that I’ve reordered several times was Buffalo Fluffalo (Random House Studio, 2024). I also didn’t anticipate The Three Little Tardigrades (Godwin Books, 2024) would sell as well as it has. It’s a rewritten fairytale that also has STEM connections, so people really liked that about it. That sold out immediately.
 
What are the biggest challenges you face in being a children’s book buyer?
 
To me, it’s the shelf space. I wish our entire store was all children’s books, to be honest. I went once to Powell’s in Portland [Washington state] and I talked with one of the buyers there, and their children’s book area is 10,000 square feet. I was just in awe of that! I can’t imagine. So yes, for me, it’s shelf space, especially because here things really sell well when face out.
 
How does your experience as a published children’s author/illustrator influence your process in terms of buying?
 
I try to not be as dismissive as I may have been in my younger days because I respect what goes into the making of any book, and I know how hard everyone works on it, from the author, the illustrator, the editor, the marketing people, etc., and they all believe in that book. Before I turn something down, I really try to consider, based on my experience, if there is even the smallest audience for this book that we could reach. Because I know what goes into the making of a book, I try to be as respectful as I can.

​I also feel my 20 years working with The Children’s Bookshop owner Terri Schmitz influenced me greatly. She’s legendary amongst the reps who’ve been around a while for being the ultimate test of what would sell. She read everything, from picture books to YA, and she was just very thorough. I learned from her over the years to always look for quality.
 
What is your favorite part of being a children’s book buyer?
 
Definitely going back into the picture book area and just messing about. Sorting and putting things in order. I’ll say to my coworkers when I’m about to do that, “If you need me, I’m gonna be back with my friends.” That is just so awesome, rifling through everything, making sure it’s all in order, reminding yourself, “Oh my gosh, I forgot about this book. I’ll have to recommend this next time I think of it.” Just being with the books is my favorite part.

Leo Landry is the children’s book buyer at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA and a published author/illustrator. His books include: Homerun, Touchdown, Basket, Goal (Henry Holt & Co., 2019), Grin and Bear It (Charlesbridge, 2011), and Let's Sign Baby with Kelly Ault, author (Clarion Books, 2010). To see more of his work, visit his website at www.leolandry.com.

Guest blog by Janet Costa Bates and Nancy Tupper Ling 
​
 You head to the bookstore to do a storytime event. You’re all set to read to the little ones and enthrall them with your story.

 But what do you do when no one shows up?

No one.
Not one kid.
Not one adult.
Not even some drenched stranger
​looking to get out of the rain.

You hope.
You pray.
But, still, not one single soul.
What do you do now?

​​First, be grateful that you had your book buddy with you instead of going it alone. (This may not always be the case, but it’s a good idea when you can make it happen.)
 
Decide that since your book buddy is with you, you might as well enjoy each other's company. Walk, or better yet, skip around the store together. 

​You can act a fool and have fun. You can even take pictures or videos of yourselves acting a fool because - why not?   

​And since you weren’t able to entertain anyone while you were at the store, you can post the pictures and entertain people online. You might as well get some mileage out of the experience.
 
Make sure to thank the bookstore staff. After all, they likely tried their best and, like you, were hoping for a good turnout.
 
Lastly, assess. More social media promotion might help attract a crowd, but it might not. What else can you do to assure a better turnout next time?

• Try reaching out directly to family and friends who might be interested.
• Are there any nearby kid-related organizations that might bring in some families or at least post about your event?
• Do you know anyone close to the bookstore who would be willing to share the event with their friends, neighbors, and/or local organizations?
• Maybe you could arrange a giveaway for those who show up for your storytime. (MUST be present to win!)
• Be sure to talk to the bookstore manager or events person to see what they’re willing/able to do.

 
There are many things you can and should do to better your chances of having people show up for your event, but there’s absolutely no guarantee that anyone will. So, just in case, team up with a book buddy, have fun, and enjoy hanging out together. You’re in a bookstore, after all.

Janet Costa Bates is the author of Time For Bed, Old House (Candlewick, 2021) which received four starred reviews and was an NAACP Image Award Nominee. She is also the author of the Rica Baptista chapter book series featuring a Cape Verdean American girl navigating family and friend relationships. Two books in this series are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections. 

To learn more about Janet visit www.janetcostabates.com/ and purchase her books here and here. 
To learn more about Nancy visit  www.nancytupperling.com/ and purchase her books here and here. 

by Kristi Mahoney
​
​There is nothing more exciting than when we get to celebrate one of our own. Today we’re thrilled to announce that Amanda Smith, one of the founding members of 24 Carrot Writing, has a poem “Wonder” in a beautiful anthology launching this month. Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin, 2024) is a stirring collection celebrating our awe-inspiring planet.

Lessons We’ve Learned from Amanda
 
Perseverance
Every writer knows the sting of rejection in this industry. Whether from feedback on a manuscript, a pass from an agent, or a “not for me” response on a submission, those stinging rejections can make us consider giving up our craft. Amanda once told us that she thought about not writing anymore, but quickly reconsidered as she contemplated what she would do with the characters and stories still inside her.
​
Amanda not only follows her heart in all her writing endeavors, but she listens carefully to the stories and words inside her soul. Those tales pour forth with the calming and beautiful thump-thump of a heartbeat that makes those lucky enough to read Amanda’s words instantly fall in love with her work.

Thank you, Amanda, for reminding us that if we are truly passionate about writing, we must continue until there is not a story in our hearts asking to come out.
 
Nailing the Ending
Every month, a group of us at 24 Carrot Writing read picture books and discuss them from a writer’s perspective. Amanda is skilled at knowing the optimal time to end a story. (Hint: usually it’s sooner than we think.) She’s pointed this out on several occasions during our discussions, and now we find Amanda’s voice in our heads as we’re writing book endings. We find ourselves asking: Is this going on too long? Is there a better way to end this? What would Amanda say? Endings are so important to stories and we’re grateful that Amanda is constantly pushing us to polish them up until they shine. And more importantly reminding us to resist the urge to keep writing past the ending. (Did we mention the ending is usually sooner than we think?)
 
Limitless Creativity
As writers we all create. But Amanda has taught us that we shouldn’t limit ourselves when it comes to creativity. She has taken this to heart and has written drafts in many genres, from poetry, to picture books, to graphic novels, to young adult and, most recently, middle grade. Amanda’s creativity also transcends the writing world. She dabbles in painting and refers to herself as a “budding potter.”  However, anyone that has seen her pottery can attest she’s being modest because her pieces are true works of art. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic, once said, “A creative life is an amplified life.” For years, Amanda has shown us this through example as she continues to weave her many creative passions together to make writing magic.
 

​Amanda - All of the members of 24 Carrot Writing agree that we are incredibly thankful to have found you on this beautiful Earth. Congrats on your recent published work! We feel truly blessed to know you. 

Amanda is a high school English teacher, an immigrant, a full-time mom, a budding potter, a joyful poet, and an enthusiastic writer. Several of her poems have been published in anthologies, most recently “Wonder” in Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin, 2024) which will be released in March 2024.

To learn more about Amanda visit her website. To order a copy of Bless the Earth click here. ​

Guest Blog by Hope Lim

Picture books are written for children, but they often appeal to both adults and kids, which makes the genre unique and special. A 32-page book can challenge and change the way we see and think of the world with immediacy due to its brevity, aided by amazing visual elements. Around the time I opened my eyes to the power of picture books, I read an interview with Stephen Fraser, who shared the following:
 
“Composing words in a story or any kind of book is a responsibility, as a kind of gatekeeper of literature. Don’t take that lightly. Writing should be both worthy of you and worthy of your reader.”
 
As an aspiring writer at that time, I was moved by this quote and felt the desire to create stories worthy of my reader and worthy of me. I was also drawn to the word, “responsibility,” which not only spoke to the power of words, but also reminded me of the importance of choosing each word deliberately in a picture book text. Over time, I have developed a fondness for writing stories with a simple narrative that also deliver a deeper meaning through the deliberate choice of words. 

In I Am Bird (Candlewick, 2021), birds represent being free from prejudices and bias, while also serving as a tool that connect people from different backgrounds.
 
In My Tree (Neal Porter Books, 2021), trees embody the circle of life and resilience of nature. A hopeful beginning is shown by a new plum tree taking root in the same place where an old tree once stood.
 
In Mommy's Hometown (Candlewick, 2022), an old river represents a steady force of life running through the city in different times as well as the presence and love of Grandmother. 
​

​Sourgrass (Beach Lane Books, 2024) is about two best friends who, whether they’re right next door or far apart, find a way to keep their friendship alive. In this story, sourgrass represents friendship, trust, promise, and the return of friend. For me, the return of spring each year is a sure sign of trust in nature, and I wanted to connect that with trust in friends.

I also used the change of colors through the seasons to show the main character’s state of mind, impacted by the absence of her friend. I enjoy adding extra meanings in my texts even though sometimes they may be too subtle to be noticed.

We are often told that the past has no power, but spotting sourgrass blooming in bright yellow flowers everywhere always takes me back to the same place in my memories. In my stories, including Sourgrass, the past matters, as a place where special memories reside. And in Sourgrass, Sofia finds a way to live in hope by connecting with her shared memories with May. 

Striking a balance between staying in a child’s frame of mind and telling stories with thematic elements that are open to interpretation has been challenging. But it gives me an opportunity to share my general reflections on life or on a specific time or event in my life. Most of all, it keeps me on the course of striving to create stories that are worthy of my readers and meaningful on a personal level.

Hope Lim is the author of I Am a Bird (Candlewick, 2021) illustrated by Hyewon Yum; My Tree (Neal Porter Books, 2021) illustrated by Il Sung Na; and Mommy's Hometown (Candlewick, 2022) illustrated by Jaime Kim. She lives in San Francisco, where she spots the yellow flowers of sourgrass every spring. 
​
To learn more about Hope visit her website and to order a copy of Sourgrass go here. 

by Amanda Smith

​The first time I heard these words by St. Francis of Assisi, they lit me on fire. I couldn’t shake them from my head. I planned my year’s writing goals around them, and I even wrote a blog in January of 2018 to spark some fire in you, dear reader. You may read it here, but the SparkNotes version is: Let’s do this! Let’s start with the necessary, then set goals for the possible, and in true Robert Browning fashion, let our “reach exceed our grasp” as we strive for those impossible dream-goals. Rah-rah!
​
During December 2023, as I did my yearly goal review and planning, I pondered the peg on which to hang my 2024 writing goal hat. St. Francis’ words fizzled somewhere deep in the synapses of my long-term memory. I pushed down that thought.

“Now listen here, St. Francis,” I told the holy friar from Assisi, “life looks different than it did in thirteenth century Italy. It even looks different than it did in 2018.”

Back then I had two boys in elementary and middle school. My stay-at-home mornings were mostly my own. Back then I could easily accomplish the necessary, reach past the possible, and plan for the impossible.
But this is 2024. After eighteen years at home, I’ve been given the opportunity to return to the classroom and finally teach what I’ve always wanted to: High School Literature and Composition. Even though it is fulfilling and exciting, it certainly leaves little head-space for doing beyond what is urgent. I also have a husband who works from home, a college kid on a completely different schedule than the rest of us, and a high schooler that wants to do EVERYTHING.

Post-pandemic 2024-me is telling 2018-me, “Girl, take a chill pill.”

But the old saint is relentless: “Start by doing what is necessary…” he whispers.
As I stare at the fresh new-year page of my beloved bullet journal, I calm my inner-skeptic and make space for his words. And would you know it? St. Francis’ wisdom hits differently than it did way back then:

The wonder of doing the necessary, is that the unnecessary gets stripped away.

We’ve all established goals and routines throughout the years of building our careers, but somehow, mine had become a heavy list of expectations that weighed me down and plucked the wings of my dreams.
Do I need to track all my reading in two places?
Do I need to persist in a monthly querying practice that gobbles up precious writing time, proves ineffective, and sucks the joy out of creating or is there a more sensible way?
Do I really need to plot my writing life months ahead, or is it okay to just draw pencil hearts in my journal on the days that might likely offer an hour or two of writing?

In the beginning of this new year, it is worth asking yourself whether your writing routines and goals still serve you and to strip away the excess until only the necessary remains.
​
Now, if you are in the place where I was six years ago, where you can Robert Browning it, go for it. Please do. “Or what is a heaven for?”
But even then, add some St. Francis frugality to your writing goals.
What is truly necessary?
To write.
Let’s start there.
The prophet Zechariah said, “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.”
Small beginnings. One foot in front of the other.
Write.
And then do the next thing.
“Start,” St. Francis said.
That’s it.
Just start.

Guest Blog by Cedar Pruitt

​I think of poetry as the richest form of language, delivered with the sparest set of tools. The constraints of sentences, paragraphs, and punctuation have all vanished. And what remains? Words, pauses, and silence.
​  
When writing poetry, not everything makes sense—at least at first. For me, letting go of making sense is the magic and art of poetry. And sometimes that process leads to…a nonfiction picture book. 

I wrote my debut picture book in one poetic jumble on a snowy February day. The inspiration? A real-life event in which an owl flew out of a wildfire and into the co-pilot seat of a firefighting helicopter, where it stayed for several water drops.  

 Two years later, we’re celebrating the launch of  Fire Flight: A Wildfire Escape (Capstone Editions, 2024), illustrated by Chiara Fedele.
​
Although Fire Flight followed dozens of other manuscripts and years of hard work, it was my first in which I completely handed over the controls to my inner poet. I allowed myself to experience the feeling of the story and stopped trying to write a narrative. I let go of my sentences, paragraphs, punctuation…and expectations. This is all to say that my first pass didn’t make complete sense.
 A snippet:

From the initial text you see above, only two phrases made it into the final book (“owl territory,” and “orange ribbons.”), but if I hadn’t released myself from the need to make sense, I don’t think I would have found those initial words. And the entire story wouldn’t have taken flight.

What I learned: Let go of the story. Find the feeling. Be free to choose only the words that make you FEEL the essence of the narrative. Apply silence liberally.  
 
My second picture book, releasing in 2026, is also poetic and non-fiction. This story took the opposite path. I didn’t burst out into poetry; far from it. Instead, I wrote laboriously complete sentences to document what my 7th grader learned in school. I focused on describing what it must have been like, late summer, for the teenagers who followed a long, cramped tunnel underneath a French forest until they reached hundreds of astounding cave paintings made 30,000 years earlier.

Eventually, I took that plodding narrative…and wrote about it in a way that made a lot less sense but had a lot more feeling – a poem.
​
​A snippet:

​Ultimately, none of that made it into the final text, but it freed me to FEEL the beat of the heart of the main character – to let the spaces between words matter as much as the words do. That book, titled What Marcel Found: The Incredible Story of the Lascaux Cave Paintings (Beach Lane Books /Simon & Schuster, 2026) will be illustrated by David Litchfield.
 
What I learned: When you’ve told a story in a completely linear way that makes absolute sense, run it over with your poetry steamroller, and crush the syntax until you have silences that raise questions.
Know that the illustrations will add additional depth and truth to your non-fiction poetic story. 
 
If you ever find yourself stuck in your writing, just try to stop making sense. Embrace liberty in the way my favorite poet Frank O’Hara did. He wrote about everyday things with a joy and an intimacy that was unique. He really was free.
​
Here’s to finding the beat of your own writing and the freedom of poetry in your work!

Cedar Pruitt holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University and works as a consultant of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She also holds a lifelong love for the music of the Talking Heads. She lives in Massachusetts with her family and is represented by literary agent Mary Cummings of Great River Literary. To learn more about Cedar visit here. 

Guest Blog by Colleen Paeff
​
​I took this picture while hiking through Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree. I love how the rock face looks so hard and unyielding and yet, at the tippy-top – growing right out of the rock – is a tree. And if you let your eye wander downhill, you can see a person standing erect, looking up the hill, as if mentally preparing for the climb ahead. Seems like a perfect metaphor for the new year, right?!

So, how are you feeling about the climb ahead? Strong? Do you have the right tools? A helpful mindset? Can you see your goal out there ahead of you? 

​In 2024, my big goal is to learn to focus through adversity. It’s not a resolution, mind you. I hate resolutions. They always make me feel bad about myself. It’s more like a muscle I want to work. I collected some tips from my newsletter followers on staying focused when life gets tricky and have compiled some great ideas – especially when it comes to staying focused on writing. I will be using these in the new year and I’m sharing them in the hopes you might find them helpful too:

Create Deadlines by Taking Part in a Regular Critique Group
I have friends I rely on for critiques, but we don’t set deadlines. This advice, however, inspired me to join a monthly critique group organized by some of my Soaring ‘20s buddies. Now I have a monthly deadline!

Write First Thing in The Morning – Before Doing Anything Else
Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Do not touch the phone or computer! I’ve already started doing this and it’s made an enormous difference in my productivity.

Do a Project Brain Dump and Prioritize One or Two
In spare moments (even of just a few minutes) devote some time to working on one of those prioritized projects. If I have a few extra moments I tend to play puzzle games on my phone, but now I’m experimenting with writing during those moments instead of playing games. I keep a dedicated folder in my Notes app for these quick writing bursts.

Rely On To-do Lists
I am a huge fan of checking things off lists, so I will be making better use of to-do lists in the new year. I plan to color code my lists by subject and day of the week and use different colors for different areas of my life. For example, writing projects, school visits, and home life will each have their own colors.
​

Here's my challenge to you for the new year:
When your inner critic starts talking, practice mindfulness. Notice the things that surround you, focusing on your senses. What can you see? Is there beauty hiding in the mundane?  What do you smell or hear? Are those senses stronger when you close your eyes? If you’re eating, slow down and really taste your food. What surfaces surround you? How do they feel?
​
I’ve noticed a profound difference in my state of mind since I started practicing mindfulness in this way. I hope it will do the same for you. Let me know if it does!

by Kelly Carey 

I love January. A fresh unmarked calendar with crisp pages and a full year of possibilities. Rubbing my palms together, I devilishly consider what I might accomplish in the twelve months ahead.

But first, I look back at what happened last year. There is vital information there that I need to make my new goals shine. I’m looking for those occasions where working toward my rational measurable goals mixed with flow, creativity, and fate. Those are the Zen moments where I hit the peak of productivity, success, and joy. I want to repeat those times and you will too. Taking stock of the past year will help set goals for the upcoming year with a key to happiness mixed in.

So how do you do that? I’m so glad you’ve asked. Here are my tips for setting goals that honor a quest for a happy writing life. 

Sharp Pencil Accounting

First, set aside the Zen, and do a basic accounting of how you did hitting last year’s goals. Pull out that ambitious list you set down last January.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.
​​
Got them? Good. Now flip through the calendar and assess. Seriously, get out your calendar. I don’t know why our brains do this, but you will invariably forget some of your accomplishments. See. I was right. You forgot that you attended that book chat in April. And look there, you wrote the first draft for a new picture book in February. Don’t let those victories go unrecorded! Scour your schedule and get it all down. I promise, this will be way more fun than pulling out all the documents you need for tax prep, but the idea is  the same.

Be kind to yourself during this investigation. This is not a scoring system for assigning blame, shame, or even regret. This is a tool to guide your goal setting for the upcoming year. Be thorough and honest. No fudging the results or tipping the scales. If you had a goal to write 20K words toward a new middle grade novel, but you hit 3K; be proud of the 3K and keep going with your annual review. Maybe you didn’t have a goal to host three classroom visits, but fate and opportunity intervened, and you accomplished a task you hadn’t even set. Make note of that accomplishment.
​   
This is an annual report for yourself. Leave emotion, excuses, and even celebration out of this sharp pencil assessment. 

Introspection and Investigation

Now put emotion back in and let the feelings flow. Note the goals that you crushed – you over-achiever you! With grace, peek at the goals you neglected, or decided to ignore because folding laundry seemed way more appealing. Think about what allowed you to zoom past a target and what blocked you from hitting a task. Life events, time, and family can interrupt a goal in your path. But sometimes a shift in desire or a flash of new inspiration can hit.  This data is gold. Before you set new goals, figure out what fed your writing soul last year and capitalize on that for this year.
​
Ask yourself:

1. What tasks did I struggle with or avoid? And why?
2. What work made me miserable last year? And why?
3. What goals were easiest to attain? And why?
4. What work made me happiest last year? And why?

​

The Zen of Goal Setting

Now combine the functional task of setting goals with the joy you want to feel in your writing. Where did the goals that were easy to attain intersect with the goals that made you the happiest? Yes, fine. Knock yourself out. Make a Venn Diagram.

I know what you’re gonna say. But Kelly if the goal is easy is it worth setting?

Yes. And here is why. You are not a wimp. You did not set slouchy goals. You are trying to be a published writer. By definition your goal is tough and that means you’re a badass.

So here is my question. Why make the journey miserable? Why put yourself on paths with goals that drain your cup and make you unhappy? It’s nonsensical. There are a myriad of ways to move yourself forward on the writing path. I want you to reach for the productive ones that will bring you success BUT I also believe the goals that make you the happiest are the ones that will make your writing dreams come true.

As you set down your goals for the year, be smart. Look for the tough tasks that bring you the greatest joy and set yourself up for a fabulous year. 

That is the Zen of Goal Setting.

Ohm.  

Dear 24 Carrot Writer –
 
We wish you JOY this holiday season after a year of devotion to a passion we all share – a love of writing.
 
As we ring in the New Year, may 2024 bring you…

​
Happy Holidays!
 
~ The 24 Carrot Writing Crew