You Gotta Know When To . . .

​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hx4gdlfamo

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​​Copy and paste this youtube video, and you’ll hear The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. It’s my theme song this year. No, I’m not going to Vegas to gamble away my savings, but I’m going to take Kenny’s advice, and know when. Here are the lines from the chorus that always ring true to me. That I apply to myself and to the people I meet. 

“You gotta know when to hold ‘em.
Know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away,
And know when to run.”

When I was still teaching 4 years ago, I used to sing, “You gotta know when…” to my kids. It might be you gotta know when to play outside, and when to work. It was fun, and silly, but my kids always got the message.
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Now it’s time to apply the words to myself. I’ve been writing for 12 years. Now I gotta know when to edit, when to submit, when to self-publish, or let it go. Knowing when is important whether you’re 8 or 80. I hope you know when to do those things that are important to you, and when to let them go too. 

The words from The Gambler are my motto for this year. I picked it when I was doing the 12 Days of Christmas program for writers with Julie Hedlund. I also set my goals for this year.

​Here are the 3 things I want to keep going . . .

12 x 12 Picture Book Group and Class

Posting on this Website

Writing Magic Group and Class

Here are the stories I want to polish and send out to an agent or a publisher . . . 

Lockdown Safety Power Picture Book

A Duck and his Dock Picture Book

My Dog Leia's Tale

My Middle Grade Ant Story

  Here are 3 ideas I want to turn into stories.

Mary and Martha – who was right?

Me and a few dinosaur friends

Pull me out and rewrite me!

Here are the new things I’m ready to try . . .

Apply to Writing with the Stars. I did, didn’t get picked, but I loved trying.

Pick 1-3 ideas from this year or last year & turn into stories.

Self-publish Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream ​and market it for the 50th anniversary of the moon  in Wapakoneta and beyond.

I’ll end this post the same way I ended my goals by saying . . .
                                                                  Thank You to Julie Hedlund and her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers!