When it comes to ushering in the new year, goals are always the hardest part for me. I even had a hard time writing this down. If I do not reach them, it can be disheartening and that affects my work. So I wanted to keep the goals manageable and down to me. But I also want to have some accountability, get over this seat of my pants thing.
My biggest, and probably the hardest for me: Finish my first novel. I have a good short game, but this stamina thing is new to me. This is a biggie, but it is an achievement I want to cross off. It means learning to turn off my inner editor, critic and quality control. It comes down to just do!
Secondly, I want to submit more than I did this year. I summed what I did this year up in my end of 2014 post, so I have to submit more than thirteen times. Which means I have to tidy up some of these babies and get them out there. I’d ideally like to get some more stories written and back out there. But getting the ones I’ve written published is my aim.
Thirdly, I’d like to hone my craft, and that comes from goals one and two, plus any additional extras I can lay my hands on. Courses and conferences like the Surrey International Writers Festival. Maybe formal courses but we’ll see how that fits in with other plans for the year.
It’s going to be hard to top last year, as the first year of being published is a special gift, but surely that will only get better when my name is on half a dozen of these babies (starting the year with high hopes, as you can see).
So, keeping it simple. I hope that I can keep up to my end of the bargain. Here’s hoping 2015 is a productive and fruitful writing year for all the writers in my life and a year full of wonderful for all. Bring it on!