With the new year approaching, my writer’s group is getting ready to revisit our writing goals from last year and create new goals for 2012. I only made three writing resolutions last year because they were big goals and frankly, a bit overwhelming. I’m happy to report that I met all of them: 1) Submit three pieces of work for publication. 2) Finish the final draft of my novel and be happy with it. 3) Let someone other than myself and my best friend read the finished manuscript.
For 2012, I’m setting the bar much higher as a way to silence my inner critic. I always work better with a deadline and keeping busy will ensure there’s no time for my inner critic to spout her poison. I set the following goals to push myself harder than I ever have before, while also making sure I don’t burn out my muse.
1) Submit five pieces of writing to contests, journals, literary magazines, or the newspaper. I have a number of short stories, essays, and poems stored on my hard drive. In addition, I have loads of ideas for new pieces. It’s time to start polishing, writing, and sending them to prospective publications.
2) Finish minor changes in my first novel. When I got my manuscript back from four beta readers, they all found the same glaring flaw. While its basically finished, I want to go back in and fix the flaw. I know what to do and it should be an easy edit.
3) Work on my second novel. At the moment, the first draft is approaching the halfway mark. Ideally, I’d like to finish it before the year is out, but I’m going to be more realistic and shoot for reaching a benchmark of 60,000 words total. I’m at 42,000 now and I think I can punch out 18,000 words by next December.
4) Send out five query letters and be ready with a synopsis. I set this goal a little prematurely back in October and I realized very quickly I bit off more than I could chew. The perfectionist in me needs a little more time to make both my query and synopsis the best they can be. I may have failed at sending out queries by the end of 2011, but the lessons I learned from not reaching that goal will push me to try harder in 2012.
5) Keep up with my blog. This should be an easy one! My muse and I are always inspired to write for all my wonderful readers!
6) Network more with other writers. I’ve never been an overly social person, so this will be a challenge. I began this process a little bit this year by connecting with other writers via wordpress. The experience has been wonderful and that encourages me to reach out a little more.
7) Inspire other writers to keep writing. As a writer and a teacher, I love helping people find their words. Whether it be with an encouraging comment or a full-scale critique, I’ll do whatever I can to keep writer’s writing.
What are your writing goals?
c.b. 2011
You have inspired me to set writing goals for the new year.
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Yay! 🙂 May 2012 be a wonderful writing year!
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These are wonderful goals and I can see you reaching them all. I’m glad you threw in the bits about socializing and blogging. They will keep the stress down a bit as your soar with the others.
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I hope I can. 🙂
The socializing aspect is a tough one for me, but I got a nice start this year.
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Congrats on meeting all three of your goals this year, here’s to another successful year for you in 2012! 🙂
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Thanks! 🙂
2012, here we come!
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Looks like your year is very busy, good luck with your goals.
and kepp us posted 😉 Have a great 2012
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Thanks! I hope 2012 is a good one for you, too. 🙂
Hopefully, I’ll have something good to report soon!
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what a wonderful list. I’m already anticipating this time next year when you’ll be telling us how it all came to pass. Walk in beauty.
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I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work! 🙂
May 2012 be beautiful and bright!
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Congratulations and good luck, CB! My goal this year is to be published. Not too lofty, huh?
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Not at all! Go for it!! 🙂
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My writing goals for 2012:
1) Write a list like this.
2) Look at it.
3) er… that’s it.
M
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I know how you feel! I didn’t make a list of goals until I joined my writer’s group. It’s one thing to make a list, but quite another to have people hold you accountable. I work well under a little pressure, so a public goal list is what I need to stay focused. 🙂
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i hope you will have all your goals fulfilled in the coming year. i really enjoy your writings. happy new year! all the best to you and yours! : )
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Happy New Year! 🙂
A new year is full of new beginnings . . . I love that feeling!
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Those are fantastic goals, C. B.! I wish you the best of luck with them and hope that you’ll share the experiences with us :D.
Happy New Year!
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Thanks! 🙂 I’ll share the good, the bad, and the ugly. We’re in this together, right? 😀
Happy new Year!
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Sixty Thousand words sounds daunting! Your goals will make your stretch and I’m looking forward to following along.
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Well, my first novel topped out at over 100,000 words and most of them came within the span of a year. I figure I can 60,000 total words as long as I strike a balance between blogging and shopping around my first novel. I’m in the process of making a weekly schedule to make sure I have time to write every day.
Thanks always for following along! 🙂
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Way to go, reaching all your goals in 2011! My 2012 writing goal is similar to your 2011 #2 – Complete a final draft of my collection of fictional poetry, let others read it, and self-publish is for my family. Looking forward to following your progress…and taking you up on your 2012 #7 resolution!
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I love your goal! And I know you can do it!! 🙂
As for #7 . . . you know where to find me. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
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Congratulations on your amazing 2012 goals!! I’m a very bad writer, I never set goals. I just write when I feel like writing, don’t when I don’t, and call myself a writer anyway. 🙂 It is fun though!
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I wish I had the attention span to write without a schedule! I find that if I don’t set a time or create goals, everything distracts me!
You’re an amazing writer and I’d stick to what works! Stay random and brilliant!
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These are great goals and you are very brave (and kind) to share. It makes me want to write down my own. I always bite off more than I can chew, and then freak out and retreat. I’d like NOT to do that this year. Your goals seem do-able, though still challenging enough to keep up momentum. Good luck, I’ll be cheering you on. 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂 I appreciate the cheers!
I think writing goals down helps to make sure they don’t overwhelm. Its easy to see when its time to stop adding things to the list!
Good luck on your list! 🙂
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This all sounds marvellous. I wish all the best in achieving those goals during the coming year. It’s been wonderful to find you.. 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
I’m so glad I found your blog as well!
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Great goals! I always keep ideas of basically what I want to do in the back of my mind, but it’s been years since I’ve set a list of goals for the year for myself. You’ve inspired me to make a list too!
Best of luck! I can’t wait to see how you’ve done when 2013 rolls around! 🙂
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Thanks for the lucky wishes! 🙂
I’m so excited to see you’ve written a list . . . I’m going to check it out right now!
Happy New Year!
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Awesome goals! I have no doubt you will meet them all! Good luck and Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year! 🙂
May we both rise up and reach our writing dreams!
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Your optimism and dedication to your craft continue to be an inspiration. Happy 2012!
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Your list is remarkable! I’m inspired to sit down and draw up my own list of resolutions. I have to say the list would include:
1. Completing each novel from now until June
2. Submitting the article requested by the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia for their newsletter
3. Begin polishing a few manuscripts
4. Continue the novel-a-month challenge
5. Begin educating myself about the publishing world- more for curiosity than anything
6. Stop slacking with the blog posts
7. Most importantly though- HAVE FUN AND CONTINUE WRITING REGARDLESS OF WHAT LIFE THROWS AT ME
Cheers to a productive, satisfying and memorable year! Good luck with al your endeavours.
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What a great list! 🙂 #7 is my favorite and I think the most important for any writer.
I hope you keep going with the novel-a-month challenge – I admire you so much for taking on such fascinating project.
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Whooo hooo! Great list and great goals – each of them!
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Thanks! 🙂 So far, I’ve been able to keep up with all of them.
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