January 2011 is nearly gone with my new writing schedule sliding by without one single new page written. I find myself surrounded by so many ideas and works in progress, that I have no direction. Confusion on what to do next has overwhelmed me and I am severely off track. What to do? Time for a new list of priorities or I will continue to swirl in this pool of procrastination and confusion.

1. YA novel has been written for two years now, and although I have queried several agents, I haven't made that last pass through on rewites yet. What I have done is change the names of the two leading characters, so it seems fresh with new people in the works. Maybe that will help me while working on it yet again.

2. Make a list of publishers or agents to query for this novel, and DO IT.

3. Take my second novel in progress and spend one week on doing nothing but brainstorming on making it better, filing it out, etc., while my first novel queries are out.

4. Make a list of publishers or agents to query and DO IT.

5. While queries are out on my two novels, take the magazine articles/stories I have worked on and make a list of publishers to query for each one, and DO IT.

6. I have so many piles of projects that when I read about a new agent or publishing opportunity, I can't attach that information to the correct project. As soon as I do the first two things on my list then I must organize my projects, how to find them quickly, keep the list of publishers and agents with those projects, so I don't have to go back and keep looking them up. I have done this with my novel queries but not my magazine information.

7. Meet other local writers and hopefully connect to a critique group, to re-energize my writing, find support, and share the love of writing.

The procrastination period is going to stop here and now, just as soon as I sign up for the IN-SCBWI conference. : )