Even though I have seven goals on my list for this year, it seems my muse only has eyes for one. Novel #2 continues to be at the forefront of my efforts and I’m thrilled to report I am heading rapidly towards the finish line of a second draft. While it bothers me that some of my goals have seen little or no movement, I’m trying to remind myself that I gave myself permission to make Novel #2 a priority. So far, my muse agrees with that move and I’m not about to argue with her.
1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.
Sticking to a writing schedule helped me finish another month with a five digit word count total. The more I work on Novel #2, the more excited I get about it. Every day I literally cannot wait to get home and jump into Amanda’s world. That obsession paid off with great stats for the month of February:
Start Word Count: 40,103
End Word Count: 55,440
Total: 15,337
73% Completion
Every Monday, I post updates on the status of Novel #2. Follow along for tidbits on my writing process and a sneak peek into different elements of the story.
2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.
Novel #2 continues to occupy my attention, so this remains shelved until revisions are complete.
3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.
I have my eye on two competitions and I’m currently brainstorming ideas for a short story or two.
4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2
By sheer luck, I came across two agents who are currently looking for submissions that fit the specific genre in which Novel #2 fits. I’m taking this as a good sign that I’m on the right track. I saved their information so I can query them when Novel #2 is a polished manuscript.
5) Continue building author platform
The A to Z Blog Challenge looked like so much fun last year, but I was too busy with other things to join. This year, however, is different. I signed up and I’m already starting to come up with ideas to cover every letter of the alphabet. Stop by the A to Z Challenge website to check out the details and join in the fun!
As for social media, Facebook and Goodreads have been my main hangouts, but I managed to gain followers across the board:
My Facebook Page has grown from 262 Likes to 276
On Twitter, my followers have grown from 504 to 523
Thanks so much to all my new followers. Your support means so much!
To be part of the fun, see my sidebar.
6) Read three books on the writing/publishing process.
Recently, I went to a used book sale where I loaded up on some great fiction. It’s also not helping that I have my nose stuck in some great YA novels (the Beautiful Creatures series and Sever from the Chemical Garden series). Seeing as it’s only February, I’m not worried, yet.
7) Inspire others to keep writing.
As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!
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c.b.w. 2013
C.B. Wentworth 