December 28, 2012 
I want to have at least 6 short stories published in literary magazines in 2013. I’ll use a pseudonym which I won’t disclose at this time.
How will I accomplish that? I already have a number of stories out & will send out more in January.
I want to finish up my set of linked stories and make at least one strong editing pass through it.
Plan? I’ll find a friend to hold me to it and a strong critique partner to give me feedback.
I want to make good headway on a creative nonfiction project which I hope to eventually shop around to literary presses.
How? This one is still at concept stage to a small degree, so will probably have to be dealt with on my own. This is a favorite project because I conceived it a week or two after my concussion in August. I had to think of something to do when I was barred from doing so much.
I want to finish up a co-authored manuscript of speculative fiction.
Plan? Working on that off and on w/author through whatever communication means available to us at the time – online, Skype, in person. Shared Google docs work well for things like that.
I have other irons in the fire, but those are most important to me. I’d love for some of you to hold me accountable for them, reminding me on occasion of my promise to myself.
Now. Tell me about yours. Go into as little or as much detail as possible. Maybe I can construct a follow-up post in a few months and we can see how we’re doing.
Goals? And how will you accomplish them?
Yours, lovingly with all my heart,
~Chila
P.S. That’s how Anne Shirley often ended her letters to Gilbert, Marilla & Matthew, or close friends. :)
With the potential for so many medical irons in the fire with my two-year-old, I’m just hoping to keep writing at this stage! I’ll be better able to plan my year in the next couple weeks–and I’ll know whether writing is a back burner activity or front burner.
Here’s hoping you can find bits of time here and there for such, Liberty. Blessings.
I have two completed novels to enter into the Genesis contest. One of them finaled in the First Impressions contest, though the winners will not be determined until Jan 25th. In the mean time I’m editing both in preparation for the Genesis.
Win or lose, the strong placing has encouraged me to pursue an agent with the one that did final.
I’ve started my curriculum on “Introduction to Writing Fiction”, and want to finish it by May. I have a current manuscript that I want to polish and edit, and hope to begin a new novel by the end of February. This new one is part of series that’s been on my mind for eight years now, and I’ve practically written it in my head already.
Recently, I received an invitation to judge another contest (this one is a bit of a surprise to me) In late March through early April.
My hope is to get one novel published, and go to the ACFW conference in September.
Good on you, Tim. Keep up the good work!
I’d like to finish a draft or two of my current novel, and I’d like to outline another concept I’m developing, and finish a couple of short stories. Then I’d like to read a couple good how-to-write books. I guess I’ll just have to work, steadily. I’m busy already and I’m going to college next year, so I really don’t know what’s going to happen. I just want to finish something.
College? Good on you, Dave! And I’m rootin’ for you, if that helps at all. You go!
On the writing front, I want to write and publish four to five full-length novels. As a mom, I want to master at least five new recipes that require me to do more than plop something in the microwave. I’d gotten way too lazy in the kitchen.
Nice, Ruth. Best wishes on all of the above!
Chila, why will you be using a pseudonym? (just curious)
I’m throwing some goals around but I’m not sure I’ve completely defined them.
On the novel front, I’m very close to having 2 completed, so I’d like to find a home for both of those this year, and if I don’t, I will make one.
On the short story front, I have 3? stories out right now, and I will be sending another out in January. I realized looking at my records I have about a 15% success rate, so there’s a good change one or two of those will be published this year.
I also have songs I’ve written that beg to be shared. They’ve been laying around for a *long* time, so maybe, just maybe, I’ll get one “public-ready” this year.
Other things on my to-do list are: stay sane, waste time watching TV, do nothing, and do nothing.
Hi, Jessica. Pseudonym for simplicity’s sake – take another look at the spelling of my *real* name.
And good on you for the rest. You can do it!
Goals for 2013:
1. I hope to make slightly quicker progress on the self-editing the small press publishing committee says the big novel still needs.
2. Complete and edit a 50,000 word novella for that same small press.
3. Study the story world of an SF e-zine so that I can pick up the stories of a character created by a now-deceased writer and continue them there. Other things will probably crop up as well.
Nice. Hope you get a few things pubbed this year, Heidi. Keep pluggin’ away!
Goals. Hmmm…
Finish the full cycle of cybernetic elf stories (Along the Astral Leys): 4 done, 8 in work. Some of them are experimental in one or more ways, so working through them is slow slogging.
Finish 1st draft of the steampunk fantasy sequel to Tools of the Trade.
Wrap up next set of Kamanthian chronicle stories (alternate world fantasy).
And get the research done for the next story about Nerelos and his giant spider companion. I enjoyed writing Spider Dance — I want to do more in that milieu.
Those are at the top of my list. There’ll be much editing as well but I can only plan on the edits for my own works.
Lots of fun stuff there, Glynda. And speaking of edits … may need to snag you sometime in the spring for a short stint.
Best wishes.
Goals for this year?
I am also being mentored by Chila this year so I am assuming there will be some work involved there…lol.
1) Finish tweaking my novel, Parched, and find a home for it.
- working with Chila
- researching appropriate homes.
2) Complete second project
- if I find a home for Parched then I will work on the second of the trilogy, Scorched. If I don’t then I will work on my other project.
3) Gain more of an online presence.
- maintain new Facebook page
- blog at least once a week
- take time out to visit/comment on other peoples blogs/pages.
- perhaps…sigh…revisit twitter.
There are other non-writerly things I would like to accomplish as well in the new year. I am pleased at what I accomplished last year. I feel like as a writer I took another step in the right direction.
Happy New Year to all!
Kudos, Karen. I look forward to learning alongside you in the coming months.
Uh, goals. Um, let me see.
I plan to finish the development for my fantasy novel “Dream of a Shrouded Quest” by midsummer. Let’s just say I’m not sure how I plan to do it, except steady work.
I also intend to quell my perfectionism and send “Sacrifice” to the Intergalactic Medicine Show magazine. The plan? Buckle down, edit, edit, edit, and then send it off.
And try and make some of my awful attempts at poetry actually readable.
Very good, Kaleb. You can do it – learn to edit well – read, study, absorb. I look forward to hearing about your successes in the coming years.
Thanks, I’ll do that.
And I look forward to hearing about my successes too.
Goals? For writing?
Um…
#1 Finish the Condemned Courier serial through JukePop Serials. I’ll accomplish that by continuing to write an episode every 10-14 days. I think I’m about halfway through, but it’s hard to tell since I’m walking the tightrope without a net on this one.
#2 Take care of the edits for Lines of Succession as Under the Moon’s editor gets them to me. Since this one involves someone else, it takes priority over #1, which is just me. (JukePop doesn’t have a specified deadline unless I want to be involved in the contest part of it.) When I get a file with the edit notes, other projects will be shelved until this is done. Remnant in the Stars took a total of 3 passes to get it done. I’m thinking Lines of Succession will be about the same.
#3 Finish the first draft and — hopefully — first edit pass through Loudest Actions. Whenever I’m not working on #1 or #2, this will be my next job.
#4 Submit Drug War for a contest. I need to take an editing pass through it and finish the contest requirements next week.
#5 Clean up Like Herding Wind so I can run it past my critique group then do the corrections on it so it’ll be “ready to go,” too. They’ve already seen half of it, so this might not be as difficult as it sounds. I intend to tackle this next week, too, since I’m up again in February with the group.
#6 Rewrite Bird’s Eye. Telling the whole story from the parrot’s and dog’s perspectives was funny, but didn’t quite work the way I wanted it. The critters aren’t always where I needed them to be. There are a few scenes at least that need the humans’ POVs. With so many other things on my plate, I’m not sure I’ll get to this one. We’ll see.
#7 and equally important with all the others: encourage and — when appropriate — help other writers.
That’s a lot, but I imagine you’re up to the task. Good luck, Cindy!
Thanks. Should keep me out of trouble … or help me get into it. Hard to tell which sometimes.
Goals, goals. Ah, yes. I plan to become an expert juggler. Or pretty darn close. With my series going from eBook to print, I need to revisit my marketing. Always looking for new angles there. A new contract for a book (women’s fiction) coming out in August will add to that (as well as whatever editing phases I’ll be required to go through on that). I have a WIP that I hope to complete by — say — spring, and hopefully get that polished up to pitch in 2013. I’m considering looking for an agent for that particular piece. On another note, I’m forever reworking a mss I once sent to you. Linda really gave it a go-over, and who knows… someday I may be sending it back your way.
First off, congrats on the book contracts, Naomi – knew you could do it! And whenever you finish that one book, yes, I’d be glad to see if it fits our vision. Best to you.
HI Chila,
I want to spend this year editing and polishing the MS I wrote last year. I’ve recently been awarded a mentorship at PYP (yay) and joined a fantastic crit group. I’d like to polish a chapter every 1-2 weeks. If I do that, I should be able to complete the whole MS and get it ready to send to contests. Then, if I’m really lucky, I can start on MS #2. I already have ideas for my next 2 works!
Excellent goals, Lisa. Here’s hoping you complete every single one. (Looking forward to working w/you too.)