Adventures In Writing

All About Goals!


I’m a goal-driven person. I love the idea of goals. It’s deadlines that can be so troublesome.

Tonight I’m going to be speaking at the Bartlesville Public Library about my life as a writer. Sounds weird looking at that. Like my life is over or something. But I know that’s not the case.

I spent the morning at the University of Oklahoma’s orientation session for new adjuncts (I taught there last spring but kind of took it on at the last minute and didn’t get oriented). This semester I’m teaching two classes and even have an office to share. Cool beans. I’ll get to work on campus and be away from the usual distractions. Can’t wait to see how that works out.

But teaching at OU was one of my goals I made years ago after I first started writing. I seasoned myself by teaching at Moore/Norman Techology Center for the last eighteen years to gain experience. Along the way I fell in love with the idea of teaching.

Last spring, my goal of becoming an adjunct professor at OU was met. Gotta wait to see if I get the chance to go any higher, then figure out it that’s for me. And there are other colleges too.

One of my other goals is to teach summer classes at different universities so I can live in those areas for a month or two. I want to bring my wife (an elementary school teacher) and whatever children who live at home. That way I can learn more about those cities, get to know more people, and hopefully introduce myself to more readers.

But I’m about to meet another goal.

In 2002, I started writing reviews at Amazon.com. Primarily I did that so I would know what I read, and to better get an idea of how to break down book plots and figure out what I liked and why.

I’ve almost hit 300 reviews, which will be a record number I share with Tom Glavine. But as of this morning, I was ranked at 1012 for reviews. I’m a thousand and twelfth reviewer. At 1000, I get a button on my name at Amazon.com that says I’m a Top 1000 reviewer.

I’m almost there. I don’t know if I’ll set my sights any higher, but I love doing reviews.

So this is a thank you from me to all of those people who voted for my reviews and made this possible. Make goals and meet them. It’s a big part of life, and very satisfying.