Happy New Year!
I don’t like writing New Years Resolutions. I’ve never had any luck following through with them. Instead I like to write out goals I have for the 2019. I’m trying to craft them around the S.M.A.R.T. method mentioned on The Hybrid Author Podcast, Episode 64. At the very least, I have a list I can check off and point to when I feel I haven’t accomplished anything. Or give me a target to aim at for 2020.
So here I am probably biting off more than I can chew for 2019—
Get Chaos Hunt to the proofreading stage by August.
Right now it’s in a messy state and I’m still locking in plot elements. I’m not sure I can have it published in 2019, but I certainly can in 2020.
Outline Chaos Kin by October
I realized I was focusing the wrong plot idea for this book and now know what the main conflict is. If I can help it, I don’t want the publishing gap to be as long as the one between Chaos Wolf and Chaos Hunt is.
Watch Four Writing Classes by June
I have several from Cat Rambo’a Academy for Wayward Writers I want to see on world building, character development, plotting, and public readings. I know I need help with the last one.
Write at least two short stories by December
One of these will be a freebie for my email list and connected to Chaos Wolf. The others I will use to start working towards Codex or SFWA membership.
Get Skin Deep to the developmental editing stage by November
I’ve had a lot of false starts with this, mostly because I keep trying to make it into something it’s not. So I’m going to write it and then figure out where it fits best.
Write the first draft of Lucy Harker, Vampire Hunter by end of December
This one is a hot mess. I need to start over and nail down a few things for world building and decide if it will be series or stand alone.
I also have recurring goals that are there only to get that little high when I check something off my list—
Twice-in-a-Week Blog Posts
This one is a gimmie. Monday post on the state of my writing or costuming I’m creating and one Friday post of links that caught my attention. I have to have some goal on my list I know I’ll be successful at.
Monthly Emails
This one will be trickier. I’m still finding my rhythm and timing. Plus I’m still suffering from not feeling I have anything to say since I’m not releasing quickly.
Read 45 Books by the End of December
I didn’t make this goal last year. I stalled out at 40 books. Yes, that’s still a lot, but I have a digital Mount Tsundoku in my ereader. So I’m going to try to hit it this year.
I also have the more nebulous goals that don’t fit into the S.M.A.R.T. method—
Work on Co-written Projects
These depends on other people. In theory, I have four projects in various stages. One is about 40k written for the first book. One is outlined. The other two are at the discussion stage with outlines and characters being hashed out. Maybe one of them will see the light of day this year, or at least be officially announced
Better Social Media Presence
I’m not good at posting to my Facebook (both my accounts and pages) and barely use Twitter. I have a few more social media accounts that I need to figure out how to use, and which ones I’m most comfortable with.
Learn Marketing Techniques
That will be catch-as-catch-can since I’m on a very tight budget at the moment. Or if the rules I learn will still apply once I learn them. (Spoiler Alert- proving not if 2018’s craziness was any indication.)
So that’s my list for 2019. Ambitious? Yes. Realistic? Maybe. Doable? I’m going to give it my best shot. Now excuse me while I check this blog post off my goals list.