2017, I await

For a construct created by human minds at a random location in our orbit around the sun, there is something magical about a new year. Hope. A chance to refresh and renew. A new start into the next big adventure. I LOVE beginnings, as the myriad pieces of stories in my to-be finished folder will attest. Maybe that’s why I love the New Year.

Especially this one. 2016 was a true kick in the pants. Friendships strained over political debates. Hearts broken over the loss of beloved actors and musicians. Mega natural disasters rocking the world. I’m ready for a fresh start, even an imaginary one.

As for my budding writing career, I did not hit my goals for 2016. Let’s face it. They were a bit ambitious anyway. Let’s analyze them a bit.

  1. “One chapter per week in whatever my current WIP happens to be.”
    • I failed this one when the goal is consistency. Though I made more progress than I have in previous years.
    • I’m 20 chapters behind in drafting The Case of the Fallen Dragon.
    • The Innkeeper’s Daughter is drafted and through the beta readers. I need to rewrite and revise this one.
    • Tarbin’s True Heir is in the hands of my publisher. I will perform whatever edits she requires, then to print! Though I did not outline book two yet, as I had planned.
    • I would give myself a C for this goal. I still feel it’s a reasonable goal and will attempt to improve next year.
  2. “One short story per month, with one being a script for an online venture.”
    • Complete failure here. I only wrote 3 short stories, 2 are more like flash fiction. I’m having a hard enough time making my novel word count. The added short story effort has waned.
    • I am sending out all four stories using Duotrope as a guide until they get published. (One story I wrote in a previous year.) At least, I’m trying to put myself out there. I wish I had more stories to add to the pile.
    • A script? What’s a script? Haven’t even had time to research how to approach such a project.
    • I earn an F here. I NEVER get an F. Come on 2017. I need you!
  3. “One blog post a week.”
    • I started strong and ended with a whimper. The funny thing is I began blogging to build a writer/reader audience, but my Girl Scout posts receive WAY more attention.
    • I published 24 blogs (including this one). Not quite half the year, but almost. I’ll still pat myself on the back for this one because it’s three times what I’ve done in the past.
    • I give myself a generous B- for great improvement but not quite getting there.
  4. “Increase my social media presence.”
    • I have each month planned in advance for my Facebook page. My page reads have grown as I mix humor with useful knowledge about writing. I keep up with messages and comments. I get an A here.
    • Twitter has been fun. I’ve increased my followers to mid 1300’s by participating in the writing games hosted by other authors. Not only do I meet interesting people, but I revise sentences as I search for the key words and try to fit them into Twitter’s limits.
    • So frustrating trying to connect Twitter to Facebook, however, because they’re registered under two different emails and I can’t figure out how to merge them.
    • I earn an A here, but I’m not sure how much good it actually does my writing career. We shall see.

Overall, a pretty sad year for writing productivity. Still, much more than any previous year. I’m going to count progress as progress and keep chugging along. I’ll consider all of these factors as I’m lining up my goals for next year. I don’t feel like a failure, except for short story writing. I’ll probably keep my goals high and swing for the bleachers.

How did you do with your goals? How does that affect your goal setting for next year?

 

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