2010 Goals

Birol · Nov 29, 2009

Just a heads up, come the end of December/beginning of January, I'm going to ask you to think about where you want to be this time next year and what you're going to do to get there. I'm not asking now, mind, but I will be asking in about a month. Now's the time to think about it.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 29, 2009

Um. K.

But I'm planning on sitting on the same couch since we just bought it.

Trauntj · Nov 29, 2009

I'll put in my goal right now for Nov/Dec 2010.

I wish to have the manuscript for one of my novels written and finished. considering I haven't started yet, that's about it. If I can find someone who will actually take if I complete it next year, then all the better.

Ken · Nov 29, 2009

... failed to achieve my goal this year, so next year's will be the same. I may add another smaller one to it within the coming month.

PoppysInARow · Nov 29, 2009

Get. An. Agent.

The Lonely One · Nov 29, 2009

I wish to become more hungry and more empty so I can want to devour with more fervor and focused wanting.

And when I devour I wish to become so hungry that no meal of words can fill.

This I think is called madness.

C.M.C. · Nov 29, 2009

My goal is going to be the same as always: come up with an idea I like enough to work on.

gothicangel · Nov 29, 2009

Finish writing novel #1, get draft 1 of novel #2 down on paper.

Birol · Nov 29, 2009

Trauntj said:
I'll put in my goal right now for Nov/Dec 2010.

I wish to have the manuscript for one of my novels written and finished. considering I haven't started yet, that's about it. If I can find someone who will actually take if I complete it next year, then all the better.

Part of having a goal is also having a plan to make it happen. How are you going to achieve this? What's your plan of attack?

Ken said:
... failed to achieve my goal this year, so next year's will be the same. I may add another smaller one to it within the coming month.

What are you going to do differently this year in order to yield different results?

C.M.C. said:
My goal is going to be the same as always: come up with an idea I like enough to work on.

And how are you going to do that? Are you certain you don't just need ANY IDEA and some good old-fashioned BIC?

The Lonely One said:
I wish to become more hungry and more empty so I can want to devour with more fervor and focused wanting.

And when I devour I wish to become so hungry that no meal of words can fill.

This I think is called madness.

Ri-ight.

Maxinquaye · Nov 29, 2009

Simple. Write at least 2000 words of fiction per day, in addition to my non-fiction. I'll have 3-4 100k novels by this time next year, of which 2-3 will be doing the slush pile rounds.

MsGneiss · Nov 29, 2009

My goal is to focus more on writing fiction. It'll take a bit of planning and self discipline, not to mention a time-turning sort of device that will allow me to be in multiple places at the same time.

eqb · Nov 29, 2009

My goals are simple, but time-consuming. They all involve novels under contract, so I best be an organized writer bunny over the next six to eight months.

bearilou · Nov 29, 2009

*thinks upon it*

JoNightshade · Nov 29, 2009

I'm aiming low this year since I have no expectations about what life will be like with a kid. However, I am setting one bar for myself which I WILL NOT fall below: Submit 25 pages for critique at my writing group every month. If I do AT LEAST that, I will be done with my rewrite about mid-2010, and then I can start querying again. And I really don't need to set any querying goals for myself because I am perfectly motivated on that front. I have to restrain myself from doing it way too soon.

half.jaded · Nov 29, 2009

I want to have Catharsis shiny and ready for querying.

Oh, and I want to write and finish another novel next year.

Pretty simple, huh? ^^

scarletpeaches · Nov 29, 2009

I've recently given serious thought to my goals for next year.

Measurable progress and markers along the way are essential, otherwise a 'goal' is nothing more than a 'dream'.

A goal is like a target. You need something to aim at, or you won't get any feedback or indication that you're improving.

BrooklynLee · Nov 29, 2009

I had two resolutions this year: lose 25lbs and finish a novel. And I did both of them. It's pretty much the first year ever for that, so next year is kind of a buy, I think.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 29, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
otherwise a 'goal' is nothing more than a 'dream'.

Writing has been both a dream and goal. Neither has come to fruition.

Caitlin Black · Nov 29, 2009

Assuming my life doesn't become too hectic, I have 2 goals. One was inspired by Lori and my success with NaNo this year - write 1 million words in 2010. Lofty sights, seeing as the first 2 books I wrote took 5 months each, and were only 65k each, so 130k in 10 months.

But for NaNo I've done 100k in a month, so I believe I can make it. It's really just 3k a day to reach 1 million.

And my second goal is to get an agent, which requires editing the hell out of my work and submitting to every agent who'll accept submissions (starting in Australia, then moving to America if no success). It'll be a long process, waiting 4 weeks on a partial for agents in Aus, and probably closer to 8 for overseas, and then longer for the fulls if I get any.

But there are limited numbers of agents in Aus so if I can't get in with them, then I'll have to try elsewhere.

2010 will be the year of the agent search for me, and the year of writing recklessly.

kaitie · Nov 29, 2009

My first goal is to find an agent. I think the odds are a bit stacked against me on that one from what I've read, so maybe I'll amend that to say my goal is to put every effort I can into finding an agent even if I never get one.

Goal two is to finish the next book, which shouldn't be too hard because it's shorter than the current one (I'm anticipating around 100k).

Goal three is to get my translation submissions completely finished, sent off, and at the very least apply for some technical translation work so I can hopefully pay off more of my student loans.

Goal four...which should probably really be goal one but this is actually how my priorities lie at the moment: GET A JOB! Yeah, the hardest one. I have until next August or September to hopefully find something. I wasn't exactly a desirable hire to begin with (over-educated and under-experienced), but with the current job market I'm thinking it's about the stupidest thing in the world for me to be going back and leaving my current well paying at least I have insurance and can pay off my loans job. That should probably have been hyphenated, but I don't like hyphens. They look funny and stuffs. :tongue

Rushie · Nov 29, 2009

Rewrite, edit and polish my NaNo excuse for a novel and submit it somewhere, and then write an outline for 2010 NaNo.

honeysock · Nov 30, 2009

I am a goal-setting freak. That may be one reason I love January 1 sooooo much!

Goal 1: Stay unemployed. (Take passive-aggressive approach: be super-sweet to husband, spend no $--divorce would really interfere with the new writing lifestyle. : ) )

Goal 2: Get an agent.

Goal 3: Finish #5 by May 1.
Goal 4: Finish #3 by August 1.
Goal 5: Finish #4 by Dec. 30

Thanks, Birol, for doing this. Hope it's okay that I didn't wait for the new year?

Birol · Nov 30, 2009

No problems at all. I was just giving people some time for reflection and planning is all, but if you already have your objectives all thought out, go for it.

spectrefox · Nov 30, 2009

My goal has something to do with submitting my short stories

!

More realistically, I must first write them. Then rewrite, and revise, revise, revise! Then edit, edit, edit

! Then submit!

It's a lofty goal to get into my favorite magazines, but if I don't submit there, then they'll never even have a chance to see my work

!

Enthusiasm, ouchies.

rosiroo · Nov 30, 2009

Hmmmm. I've got mine.

Finish my Nano novel (before end of this year.)

Edit, edit, edit. Send to beta readers.

Finish fantasy WIP. Edit, etc.

Get both to a publishable standard.

And think about publishing.

2010 Goals

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