Did I blink? The Weeping Angels didn’t get me but the year sure went by in a flash and here we are at the end. It’s funny, in looking back over my writing blog and my Yahoo! Contributor Network page, I can see that I haven’t been sitting still. I’ve accomplished a good little bit. (I put up 9 new pieces just this month!) I “won” Camp NaNoWriMo and National Novel Writing Month by writing over 50,000 words a month in August and November. But it’s largely not the things I put on my “Writing Goals” list last December.
Was I distracted? Perhaps, but perhaps I was taking advantage of opportunities. There are things I really wish I had done so I will have to carry them over to my list for this year. This past year has also brought some clarity about what I want to do with my writing so there are some things I will take off the list. Here’s what I wrote last year for goals –
- Read Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass and use ideas in writing and editing.
- Edit middle grade mystery novel.
- Write more and edit mainstream novel.
- Show both books to writer’s group for feedback.
- Choose agents and editors to submit to.
- Keep track of expenses. (Treat writing as a business.)
- Write an essay monthly and submit it to the Yahoo Contributor Network.
- Write an entry weekly for Melora Johnson’s Muse.
- Write an entry weekly for http://storymusing.blogspot.com.
- Write short stories as ideas come up.
- Read, read, read
- Consider paying for a professional copy editor to give me feedback
- Keep submitting.
#1 – I did read it and I think I incorporated some aspects into my writing. It was very informative.
#2 – Nope. Now, I don’t think I will at this point. Children’s Lit just isn’t where I want to put my efforts at this point in my writing career.
#3 – I’ve definitely written a lot more in 2012 than in 2011 and I did write most of Biomalware. I just need to finish it and then edit, edit, edit.
#4 – Kinda. I did share a lot with the writer’s group but didn’t finish the novel so I didn’t show it to them.
#5 – I still have an agency in mind to submit to first..
#6 – No, I didn’t keep track of expenses. We’ll see what tax season does to me. I did make enough from Yahoo! that I’ll have to declare it so I’m just hoping I won’t have to start paying quarterly taxes.
#7 – Well, I can’t say I submitted something every single month, but I submitted so many in some months, that I added about 50 pieces of writing this year. I’d call that solid work.
#8 – There were a few weeks I skipped but I did add an entry most weeks.
#9 – Ditto for #9.
#10 – Yep, I wrote several short stories this year and submitted some to contests and online.
#11 – Well, definitely not as much reading as I would have liked but I did spend more time listening to books on CD in the car this year and that has been fun. I’m reading the latest Harry Dresden novel by Jim Butcher in hard copy right now and loving it.
#12 – Yes and no. I have been submitting, just not a novel yet.
I think my overarching goals this year were to write regularly and to make some money off my writing. I definitely accomplished that. In 2013 I will finish Biomalware and start submitting it. I’m just not sure how long that’s going to take. Eventually, I’d like to say I WILL make a living at my writing but I’m afraid I’m still at HOPE right now.
What were your goals this year? Did you accomplish them all or in part? What are your goals for your writing next year?
Melora Johnson's Muse 
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