Give Yourself a Challenge

My writing goal buddy and I decided to jump start a query challenge amongst ourselves this morning. Last summer, I participated in a query challenge on a writer's forum to which I belonged and it really made me think outside the box. I sent queries to publications I had never thought about before, I thought about resales and more importantly, it made me actually sit down and write them out, not just think about them.
I don't know why putting ourselves in a contest helps jump start so many of us, but giving ourselves goals, or competing with other writers seems to do the trick for most of us.
I know I'm a little competitive - not the I'm-going-to-rip-your-head-off type, but I like a good challenge. I think that's the reason I made it when I was in the corporate world. I worked in collections where the people who got the most money in on their accounts each month won bonuses. I wasn't The Top Collector every month, but I was always in the Top Ten. I can say with certainty too that I wooed my customers with honey. I wasn't nasty or mean with them or my co-workers.
The weather is cold and dreary (for most of us), but sales this month and next will keep us busy through the spring. So, challenge yourself. Tally the number of queries you actaully write and send out. Count LOI's (letters of introduction) as lesser points. If you make a resale, then count that too.
If you want some live competition, Another blogger/writer, Kristen King at www.inkthinker.blogspot.com is hosting a query challenge too.
Query today, write tomorrow!