Writer's Daily Planner December

© 2019 Maria L. Berg

December 2019 Finish your year strong. What is the story that will define your year?

Main Goal:

Weekly Goals:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Action Plan

December Deadlines

Literary Magazines Fiction Literary Magazines Poetry

Dec. 1 Michigan Quarterly Review Vallum Water Stone Review Five Points Bryant Literary Review Front Range Slice Compelling Science Fiction Dec. 2 Mythridate Speculative City Dec. 6 Fireside Dec. 7 Into the Void Dec. 15 HCE Review New Ohio Review The Hunger Clockhouse Slab The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts Frozen Wavelets Dec. 22 NUNUM Dec. 31 Existere GNU Parhelion Heron Tree 12/1 The Shore 12/1 Gyroscope Review 12/7 Shenandoah 12/15 Arc Poetry 12/31

Contests (a small sampling)

Minola Review Poetry and Fiction Contests 12/1 The Fiddlehead Poetry Contest 12/2 Hamlin Garland Award for the Short Story 12/10 Boulevard Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers 12/31

Anthologies

Zombies Need Brains 12/31 Madness Heart Press: Ghastly Gastronomy 12/31

Events

Sunday December 1

If your main character was an instrument, what would it be? Use aspects of that instrument to describe your character or as a symbol.

Literary Magazine of the week:

Ploughshares is published four times a year at Emerson College. Two issues are edited by guest editors.

Ploughshares

https://www.pshares.org/

Editor: Ladette Randolph 6/1-1/15 SS = Yes Emerging Writer's Contest 5/1-5/15

Submissions: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

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□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't? 8pm 7pm 6pm 5pm 4pm 3pm 2pm 1pm 12pm 11am Exercise

Best/Biggest Surprise:

December 2 Monday

Juxtapose opposites: colors, textures, smells, etc. Emphasize the odd combinations.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 3 Tuesday

What is your main character's favorite book? Why? Does s/he re-read it, talk about it, carry it around?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 4

Wednesday

Your main character is being contradictory. What happens when s/he contradicts everything said to him/her.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 5 Thursday

Your main character is trying to find balance in life. What does s/he change? What goes wrong?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 6 Friday

Your main character is trying to change someone's mind. Why? Who is it? How does s/he go about it?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 7 Saturday

Your main character discovers a new talent. Is it a gift or a curse? How does it affect the story crisis?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 8 Sunday

When does your main character feel complete? Does s/he work toward the feeling or not recognize it?

AGNI is published twice a year from Boston University. They seek fresh vision to bring readers into the living moment. Literary Magazine of the week:

AGNI

https://agnionline.bu.edu/

Editors: Sven Birkerts & William Pierce 9/1 – 5/31 SS = Yes

Submissions: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 9

Monday

Give a character a phobia. What is it? When and how did it emerge? How does it change behavior and relationships?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 10 Tuesday

Use the repetition of one color to emphasize an emotion.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 11 Wednesday

What is your main character's favorite song? Why?

Today's focus:

Today's Submissions: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 12 Thursday

Is your main character good at debate? Does s/he enjoy it? Does s/he take the opposite position just for fun?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 13

Friday

Your main character has changed his/her environment. How? Does it affect the story crisis?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 14 Saturday

Your main character has one sentimental piece of jewelry. It gets lost. What happens?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 15 Sunday

Give yourself an artist's eye and break everything into its shapes.

Literary Magazine of the week:

Harvard Review Harvard Review is published twice a year by Houghton Library at Harvard University. They are focused on literary technique and work that realizes its own ambitions.

http://www.harvardreview.org/

Editor: Christina Thompson 1/7 – 4/7 & 8/1 – 11/27 SS = Yes

Submissions: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 16 Monday

How does your main character relate to music? Why?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 17 Tuesday

A sudden change: something your main character feared is now seen as cute or funny, or the other way around. What happened?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 18 Wednesday

Your character's collection is taking over his/her life. What is it? Why is it taking over?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 19 Thursday

Your main character blames all of his/her problems on others. What happens when s/he has to face that s/he is creating the problems?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 20 Friday

Write a scene that subtly foreshadows the coming crisis.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 21 Saturday

Your main character finds a fun fact in an old book that solves his/her crisis only to cause another one.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 22 Sunday

Your character has been invited to visit an online friend in another country.

NER is published quarterly from Middlebury College in Vermont. They encourage innovation in the literary arts. Literary Magazine of the week:

New England Review

http://www.nereview.com/

Editor: Carolyn Kuebler 9/1-11/30 &3/1-5/31 SS = Yes

Submissions: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 23 Monday

Your world has lost a dimension. Describe everything in terms of line.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 24 Tuesday

A character is working on assertiveness. What techniques are used to show dominance. Is s/he successful or not?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 25 Wednesday

Remove your subject from the scene: Either have people talk about your main character or talk around the subject they are really talking about.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 26 Thursday

A character says, “You would have to have rocks in your head to go in there.”

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 27 Friday

What is your main character's specialty or favorite topic? What specific details can s/he bring to conversation.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 28 Saturday

Look at a scene from yesterday's writing. Choose a writing rule to break. Re-write the scene.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 29 Sunday

Write for rhythm. Try to create the rhythm of your favorite song in a scene of description. Try again in mostly dialogue. Now mix it up.

One story is literally one story of literary fiction sent out each month. Literary Magazine of the week:

One Story

https://www.one-story.com/

Editor: Patrick Ryan 1/15-5/31 & 9/3-11/14 SS = Yes

Submissions: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 30 Monday

Kill off your main character in the middle of the story. What happens now?

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

December 31 Tuesday

A character is looking back at a good but terrible year.

Today's focus:

Today's Editing Goals: Word Count

□ Goal:

Actual:

□

□ Morning Pages

□Yes □No

Today's Writing Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Reading Goals:

□

□

□

Today's Best Story Idea:

Hourly Plans

Healthy Meals 7 am

8am

9am

10am

Exercise Best/Biggest Surprise: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm End of Day Evaluation: What did I learn? What worked/What didn't?

End of the Year Evaluation: How did it go?

The numbers:

submissions No 2nd look/ maybe Yes! Income from publication More numbers

Cost of fees, ink, paper, journals pens internet and books. Publications: Title Magazine Date

The bottom line

Favorite Stories Read: Title Journal

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Favorite Books Read: Title Author

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Best Writing Tips and Tricks Learned:

Looking Forward: What's next?

Main Goals for 2020:

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Publication Goals for 2020:

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Writing Goals for 2020:

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Action Plan: