From the editor--November 3, 2003

Re-Evaluating Goals
November 3, 2003

I walked into a mall yesterday and heard Christmas music. Not only was there music playing softly overhead, but Christmas trees and decorations were already on display. Commercialism--gotta love it!

Ah…the year's going by way too quickly. For goal and resolution makers, it's almost time to create new goals. How are you doing with the writing goals you made for this year? Are you happy with where you're at, or do you need to make some drastic adjustments before the end of the year? Now may be a good time to review your resolutions and see where you stand.

I'm about 33,000 words into my next novel--almost halfway to where I want to be for my first draft. I'd planned to be a little farther along by now, but I'm far from disappointed. I've built many new relationships with other authors and editors and participated in a phenomenal novel writing workshop this year--both of which slowed me down with my word count, but were well worth it. With the goal of finishing my first draft by New Year's Eve, I have some major writing to do within the next two months--about 40,000 words worth--but I'll get there. I'll keep you posted.

In this issue, I'm proud to bring you an interview with author Tawni O'Dell, whose 2001 debut novel "Back Roads" (Signet) not only garnered glowing reviews from the likes of "Publisher's Weekly," "Kirkus Reviews," and the "Chicago Tribune," but also won a coveted spot in Oprah Winfrey's legendary book club.

Also, stay tuned for our mid-November issue which will include an interview with the thriller author Stephen King has so highly praised--Peter Abrahams. Abrahams is the author of many thrillers, including "The Tutor," (Ballantine Books) "A Perfect Crime," (Ballantine Books) and "The Fan" (Fawcett Books).

We'll also talking to award-winning children's author, Ellen Jackson, and retired LAPD cop-turned-author Robert Wheeler, who will share an exciting encounter he had with talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and his not-so-private challenge to her. Exciting stuff to come…

In closing, I want to welcome all of our new subscribers and thank our old subscribers for recommending "Writer's Break" to their friends. Our growth continues to astound me. Not only are we becoming popular in the U.S., but in far away lands such as Australia, the UK, Switzerland, and Singapore. The Internet's reach is beautiful.

Until next time,

Jen Minar
Managing Editor
Writer's Break
Take a Break, Relax, and Learn!

(P.S.-- Don't forget to review those goals.)

Not a Subscriber?
SUBSCRIBE to our twice-monthly Writer's Break
e-zine. It's free! Do you know other writers? Send them the URL!