Goals are intimidating. Games are fun.
Seriously. Traditional to-do lists & aspirational goals only depress me, but I’ll go above & beyond for a silly prize with an amusing name.
This list is periodically updated as I think of new challenges for myself.
Current Categories:
Creative Achievements:
🔒 You Never Know
Write & publish a story using only second-person POV
🔒 See My Name In Lights
Receive a short story acceptance from a SFWA qualifying market.
🔒 Never Put Away Childish Dreams
Write & publish a middle grade or picture book
🏆 Take It Out Of The Trunk!
Complete a novel & publish it.
🏆 Behind Closed Doors
Write an erotic-themed scene or full short story
🏆 I Did This!
Write & publish a story using only a single first-person POV (NOt only did I do this, but the story eon a contest!)
🏆 Good Things Come In Threes…Or Fours or Fives
Complete a trilogy or longer series
Sales Achievements
🔒 I Know Nothing About It
Someone buys my books with no persuasive input from me or anyone I know.
🔒 28 Days Later
A whole MONTH with online sales or loans each day.
🏆 Stranger Not Danger
First paperback book purchased by someone I didn’t know before or after the sale.
🏆 Trust Me!
First paperback sale based on reader-to-reader recommendation. (Outside my circle of friends and friends of friends.)
🏆 And On The Seventh Day
A whole week with online sales or loans each day.
🏆 Happy Meal
A monthly royalty total big enough for lunch at McDonalds.
🏆 Short Stack
A monthly royalty from online sales big enough for Sunday brunch with a guest.
🏆 Cause For Celebration
A monthly royalty big enough for dinner with a guest at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
🏆 Human Chess Game
Sell enough copies of a title that readers could each be a board piece
🏆 Soccer Mom
Sell enough copies of a title to field two opposing football teams.
🏆 Bench-clearing Brawl
Enough sales to account for two full hockey teams, coaches, trainers and refs all on the ice at once. (that’s 50, for those keeping score)
🏆 Welcome To the Matrix
Enough sales to make SFWA membership a reality.
Whimsical Achievements
🔒 But Will It Play In Peoria?
Books in at least one library in every state
🔒 Welcome To The Neighborhood
Shelfie of my book being stocked in an independent bookstore
🏆 Hometown Hero
See my books on the shelves of my local public library.
🏆 A Happy State Of Mind
My books get into libraries throughout Illinois
🏆 The Truth Is Out There
First Review of a title by someone I do not know.
🏆 Meaning Of The Universe
Achieve 42 total reviews for any one title
🏆 Can’t Please Everyone
First 2-star review
🏆 It’s So Shiny!
Receive a shelfie of my book from a happy reader
🏆 No News Is Good News
First 1-star review
🏆 Haters Gonna Hate
Multiple 1-star reviews for a single title
Social Achievements
🔒 YOU Look Familiar
Someone cosplays a character from one of my books.
🔒 Mutual Admiration Society
My writing inspires a professional artist to make original fan art for funsies
🔒 Come As You Are
A book release party with cake where guests can dress up as my characters (or not)
🔒 They Like me!
An invitation from a convention to attend as a Guest Professional
🔒 They Really Like me!
one of my titles gets onto a recommended reading list posted by someone with a subscriber following greater than 1000 people
🔒They Really, Really Like Me!
An invitation from a convention to attend as a GUEST OF HONOR
🔒 Do I Know You?
Someone tells me about this cool author who writes the Restoration series & the Rough Passages Chronicles
🏆 That Sweet, Sweet Sound
Someone writes & performs a filk song related to/referring to one of my books or worlds or characters
🏆 This Looks Familiar
Someone writes fan fiction based on my worlds or characters.