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August Goals
- Thread starter astonwest
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Try to survive the cold weather. Push Zeus for a publication date so I can get my teeth into some serious marketing. Paint the house.
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Write at an absolute minimum a page a day. I've finally hit on a good story, now it's just matter of B.I.C and actually writing it 
I'm going to -
Sub my first novel (again)
Write two more draft chapters of the next one.
Write and sub six more short stories.
Write and sub two more medical shorts.
Think up a really convincing excuse to take next month off ...
Sub my first novel (again)
Write two more draft chapters of the next one.
Write and sub six more short stories.
Write and sub two more medical shorts.
Think up a really convincing excuse to take next month off ...
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My August goals:
1. Finish the second draft of my novel Otherblood (I think I have between 3k to 7k of the never-written climactic scenes and epilogue).
2. Incorporate the excellent suggestions from my "open door" beta reader.
3. Identify at least three other beta readers for the novel.
4. Send novel out to beta readers.
5. Write first draft of query.
6. Post the first draft of query in Query Letter Hell.
7. Send out any stories and poems that come back.
1. Finish the second draft of my novel Otherblood (I think I have between 3k to 7k of the never-written climactic scenes and epilogue).
2. Incorporate the excellent suggestions from my "open door" beta reader.
3. Identify at least three other beta readers for the novel.
4. Send novel out to beta readers.
5. Write first draft of query.
6. Post the first draft of query in Query Letter Hell.
7. Send out any stories and poems that come back.
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Good luck, everyone!!!
My August Goals:
1. Finish reviewing my work thus far on Death Brings the Victory
2. Edit the first three chapters of Death Brings the Victory
3. Finish the final draft of "A Time for Truth"
4. Finish the first draft of "Borne Leaders"
5. Start my August book giveaway promotion (hopefully this weekend)
6. Plot another new short story
7. Submit queries for Heroes Laugh Last (or Friends in Deed) to ten agents
My August Goals:
1. Finish reviewing my work thus far on Death Brings the Victory
2. Edit the first three chapters of Death Brings the Victory
3. Finish the final draft of "A Time for Truth"
4. Finish the first draft of "Borne Leaders"
5. Start my August book giveaway promotion (hopefully this weekend)
6. Plot another new short story
7. Submit queries for Heroes Laugh Last (or Friends in Deed) to ten agents
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Trust me, it took a while to get to this point. One benefit of making goals month after month is that you start getting into a groove and it becomes much like breathing...
Over at MySpace, I have a blog about goal-setting...it may give some folks handy tips.
Over at MySpace, I have a blog about goal-setting...it may give some folks handy tips.
They are good tips.
I usually do things differently, but I agree that setting goals is a good thing.
I read some advice in a writing book (sorry can't remember which one) that suggested you work out where you want to be with your writing in five years time - and then work on getting there. It makes sense, I think. For example if you hope to have three books published then it will help if you actually write three books.
My personal aim is to be able to live off the money I make from writing! OK, there's no guarantee of complete success, but if we know what we want and work towards it, I think we'll achieve something. Maybe one day I'll be able to reduce the hours I spend at my regular work.
Breaking the goals into months is something I'm going to do from now on. Every time I write something that I can try to sell, I'll be a step closer to achieving my dream.
I usually do things differently, but I agree that setting goals is a good thing.
I read some advice in a writing book (sorry can't remember which one) that suggested you work out where you want to be with your writing in five years time - and then work on getting there. It makes sense, I think. For example if you hope to have three books published then it will help if you actually write three books.
My personal aim is to be able to live off the money I make from writing! OK, there's no guarantee of complete success, but if we know what we want and work towards it, I think we'll achieve something. Maybe one day I'll be able to reduce the hours I spend at my regular work.
Breaking the goals into months is something I'm going to do from now on. Every time I write something that I can try to sell, I'll be a step closer to achieving my dream.
I'm in!
August goals:
1. Two more chapters of How To (5 and 6)
2. Edit chapter 4
3. More chapters if I have time
4. Revise Table of Contents
It's really helped me a lot to have Aston do this. I'm sure it will this month too. Although I nearly killed myself last month, because I'd set such lofty goals and I was determined to meet them and not look like a complete idiot!
Good luck everyone!
August goals:
1. Two more chapters of How To (5 and 6)
2. Edit chapter 4
3. More chapters if I have time
4. Revise Table of Contents
It's really helped me a lot to have Aston do this. I'm sure it will this month too. Although I nearly killed myself last month, because I'd set such lofty goals and I was determined to meet them and not look like a complete idiot!
Good luck everyone!
I'm doing this to see how productive I can be while moving to another state and changing jobs.
*Begin rewrites on a trunk novel that still has great potential.
*Not chew my fingernails off while waiting on submission updates from my agent.
*Blog more often; hopefully every other day, minimum.
*Finish at least three of the five books I'm in the process of reading.
*Another 100 pages on one of my WIP's (I wrote three novels last year, and I've yet to finish a single WIP this year! Grrrrr...although to be fair to myself, I've done a lot of rewriting this year....A LOT...).
*Begin rewrites on a trunk novel that still has great potential.
*Not chew my fingernails off while waiting on submission updates from my agent.
*Blog more often; hopefully every other day, minimum.
*Finish at least three of the five books I'm in the process of reading.
*Another 100 pages on one of my WIP's (I wrote three novels last year, and I've yet to finish a single WIP this year! Grrrrr...although to be fair to myself, I've done a lot of rewriting this year....A LOT...).
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This month, I need to set some goals or I swear I won't get anything done. Both my job and my extra curricular activities all end this weekend and without a half dozen things going on at once I have a tendency to slug out. So...
1000 words at day (at least) on the WIP. At that rate I should have it done mid-September.
Read the 4 books I have for research on WIP 2.
Clean out that goddamn closet!
1000 words at day (at least) on the WIP. At that rate I should have it done mid-September.
Read the 4 books I have for research on WIP 2.
Clean out that goddamn closet!
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- I threw away my outlined version of Promised World, and I'm starting over. My goal for this month is to NOT THROW AWAY THE MANUSCRIPT! And maybe also to get about 25,000 to 50,000 words completed on the new first draft. I'm going to write this new version without the outline, because I know I'll make a much higher quality manuscript this way.
- Do every new work the way I used to do it: without an outline.
- Re-write Friend of Dragons.
- Write Draconis, a new short based on an old short from High School.
- See what happens with Bested. At least I haven't fouled that one up yet.
I need to finish the requested edits of LC and send it off to said requestee. And also do my summer homework, which unfortunately includes calculus.
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Excellent plan; I'm in!
1. A page a day on my WIP, which should be about 7,000 words by end of August.
2. Write at least one short.
3. Continue subbing short that's out, if ever I get responses.
4. Read at least 5 fiction books.
5. Read at least 1 non-fiction research book.
6. Check out and possibly join local Writers' Group.
Yeah, that's good.
1. A page a day on my WIP, which should be about 7,000 words by end of August.
2. Write at least one short.
3. Continue subbing short that's out, if ever I get responses.
4. Read at least 5 fiction books.
5. Read at least 1 non-fiction research book.
6. Check out and possibly join local Writers' Group.
Yeah, that's good.
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Tee-hee! I, too, am of this school of thought! I used to keep my goals quiet, so that no one would ever notice if I failed to meet them.
Now I intentionally shout them out so that, if my own motivation fails to keep me going, the "How's it coming?" questions do.
This is very much an idea I incorporate into my work life, so I feel a bit daft for not having thought to apply it to my writing life!
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And we motivate each other toward our goals by congratulating our successes...which really helps.
Good luck!!
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