Happy New Year's (eve day) everyone! I'm not sure anyone is doing much writing at the moment, but I thought I'd throw this up just in case.
Prior Goal: Outline / have baby.
Achieved: Zilch.
Goal for new week: HAVE BABY!
Excuses / comments: I'm officially "overdue" now. I went overdue with my first as well, so I guess I should have expected this. There isn't any writing or outlining getting done over here. I'm just waiting and pouting and waiting. I was really hoping he'd come before the end of the year, but it looks like he wants to be a 2009 baby!
Have a safe, fun New Year's tonight! I hope everyone is gearing up to tackle their new 2009 goals! I love when a new year starts - it feels so refreshing to me!
Cheers!
2009 New Year's Resolutions / Goals
This is coming a tad later than I had planned (yup, I'm still here and large *grumble*) but here it is - my 2009 New Year's goal post!Like I mentioned before, I'm not entirely sure where my writing will fall in the scheme of life once the new baby arrives, but I'm hoping I can get back into a routine within a couple months and be able to meet these goals. And now, without further ado... my public declaration of goals for 2009.
- Write new outlined book by May or June.
- Edit / Revise / Beta-read by September (hopefully.)
- Start querying in September (if manuscript is really ready.)
- NaNoWriMo 2009 through November
- Continue querying through the end of the year (unless I magically get an agent sooner.)
- Continue working on NaNo manuscript if I'm happy with it.
- Buy and read at least two or three books a month (shouldn't be a problem *grin*)
- Continue to learn about writing / publishing.
- Continue blogging regularly.
- Start doing more book reviews on my blog.
- Post either a teaser here or something for critique at AW every few months (at least.)
- Focus on overcoming weaknesses and issues found in 2008.
- Review this list every month.
I have high hopes for 09 and hope my Blogger / writer friends will stick through it with me. And speaking of, what are your goals for 2009? Feel free to post them in the comments, especially those of you that keep up with our weekly Wednesday goals!
If I go MIA on the blog front before then (please baby, please) have a safe and Happy New Year's!
Merry Christmas and Reflections on 2008
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas yesterday! I ate waaay too much but had a wonderful, relaxing day.Before I disappear into the land of baby bliss (I'm still hoping he'll show before the first,) I wanted to reflect on the waning year.
So... 2008, let's see.
2008 was a year of very few goals and accomplishments for me. My only writing goals, really, were to keep learning, improving, and to finish at least one manuscript. It's debatable whether or not I truly accomplished these things, but I'm going to say I did - I just don't feel extremely good about them.
But, I did accomplish the following:
I became more interested / determined in becoming a published author.
I made some awesome new writing / blogger friends. *Waves*
I became a somewhat regular blogger.
I kept writing throughout the year, despite an awful spell of "writer's block."
I experimented with writing different genres.
I learned a ton about the publishing business.
And,
I started reading YA, which I now love.
I'm cautiously optimistic for 2009. It's hard to say what I'll be able to manage with the new addition mixing things up, but I've got some New Year's resolutions and goals brewing in the brain for when things start to settle down. Providing I haven't had the baby, I'll be making my New Year's goal post some time this weekend.
Have a beautiful Holiday week if you don't hear from me!
Wednesday's Word Count
Yes, I'm still alive. On bed rest for high blood pressure, sick, and still pregnant... but alive, barely I think. Heh.
Prior Goal: Outlining.
Achieved: Very little.
Goal for new week: Work on the outline if I'm feeling up to it and have a baby.
Excuses / comments: I've been having a rough week. I was put on bed rest because my blood pressure keeps coming up high at my appointments and then I caught a head cold. Not fun. So... I came up with a few new ideas for my novel, which I put down on my outline, but that's about it. I've mainly been trying to rest, which isn't always easy with a two year old. Hopefully the baby will wait until after Christmas to make his arrival now but anytime after that is fair game as far as I'm concerned. I'm so tired.
I wish everyone who celebrates a wonderful, fun-filled, beautiful Christmas tomorrow!
Merry Christmas Eve Day! Please continue to post your Wednesday goals if you'd like!
Prior Goal: Outlining.
Achieved: Very little.
Goal for new week: Work on the outline if I'm feeling up to it and have a baby.
Excuses / comments: I've been having a rough week. I was put on bed rest because my blood pressure keeps coming up high at my appointments and then I caught a head cold. Not fun. So... I came up with a few new ideas for my novel, which I put down on my outline, but that's about it. I've mainly been trying to rest, which isn't always easy with a two year old. Hopefully the baby will wait until after Christmas to make his arrival now but anytime after that is fair game as far as I'm concerned. I'm so tired.
I wish everyone who celebrates a wonderful, fun-filled, beautiful Christmas tomorrow!
Merry Christmas Eve Day! Please continue to post your Wednesday goals if you'd like!
Wednesday's Word Count
Happy Wednesday! Everyone getting ready for Christmas? Nine days left. Are the holiday's interfering with your writing?
Prior Goal: Finish outlining / character profiles.
Achieved: More / revised outlining and a couple new characters.
Goal for new week: Keep at it - maybe finish?
Excuses / comments: I'm definitely not finished, getting closer though. I had to revise quite a bit of my outline this week when some things took a different direction. I also have quite a few more plot details to figure out before I'll feel comfortable wading in. Characters are coming to me slowly, too. I'm trying to make each one unique and memorable in some way (if they matter) but it's not easy - that's for sure. I really don't want cardboard characters though!
So, how are the rest of you doing? Anyone tackling a healthy-sized goal this last week before Christmas? Hope you're all doing well!
By the way, if I go MIA it's probably (hopefully) because I've had my baby. So far he seems intent to stick it out to his due date though. You just never know when they'll come in these last couple weeks. I'm really hoping he doesn't go overdue... but he's only going to come when he's good and ready.
Cheers!
Prior Goal: Finish outlining / character profiles.
Achieved: More / revised outlining and a couple new characters.
Goal for new week: Keep at it - maybe finish?
Excuses / comments: I'm definitely not finished, getting closer though. I had to revise quite a bit of my outline this week when some things took a different direction. I also have quite a few more plot details to figure out before I'll feel comfortable wading in. Characters are coming to me slowly, too. I'm trying to make each one unique and memorable in some way (if they matter) but it's not easy - that's for sure. I really don't want cardboard characters though!
So, how are the rest of you doing? Anyone tackling a healthy-sized goal this last week before Christmas? Hope you're all doing well!
By the way, if I go MIA it's probably (hopefully) because I've had my baby. So far he seems intent to stick it out to his due date though. You just never know when they'll come in these last couple weeks. I'm really hoping he doesn't go overdue... but he's only going to come when he's good and ready.
Cheers!
Books, Bards, and Babies
Just a quick update since I haven't blogged in a few days.I started reading "The Emerald Tablet" by PJ Hoover. My first thoughts? Fun, fun, fun! I love the world and characters so far.
I received my edition of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" FINALLY! Yeesh. I should have just bought it at a local store on its release day. I didn't realize shipping would take so long. The Other came home yesterday to find me snuggling it on the couch and admiring its cover. I haven't let myself start reading it yet though. I've decided to save it for a day I'm feeling especially down and tired, which probably means tomorrow since I'm getting to be SO done with being pregnant.
The humongous full moon we just had? Yea, I had my hopes... but no gravitational-pull water breakage happening over here. Guess it's just a wives tale after all. *Pout*
My outline? Going slooooow. Now that I'm into the nitty gritty of the plot I'm spending a lot more time on trying to figure out little details. I have an impressive list of questions going about my world, plot, and characters. Do you outliners really take the time to answer ALL of these questions before writing? It seems like it would be the best thing to do, seeing as I could then incorporate said knowledge into the novel as I go, but it just seems soo daunting.
I did pull out my copy of "Plot and Structure: (Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish)" by James Scott Bell. I forgot how much I LOVE and value this book. The chapter on structure really helped me figure out my "second doorway of no return." I highly, highly recommend this book as well as "The First Five Pages" by Noah Lukeman, which I always have floating around the house to reference at any moment.
That's it for me today. I'm looking forward to getting out and doing some Christmas shopping. I just have one person left to buy for. Yay! And who knows, maybe the moon still has something in store for me.
Hey, an uncomfortable pregnant woman can wish, right?
Wednesday's Word Count
Wednesday again. I hope everyone had a great week!
Prior Goal: Three to five pages of outlining.
Achieved: Seven pages of outlining.
Goal for new week: Finish outlining and hash out more character profiles?
Excuses / comments: I didn't do too bad with the outlining, surprisingly. It's more like five or six pages, really, since the first page is an index and a couple other pages aren't completely full. In any case, I definitely met my goal. I'm hoping to finish within the next week but I'm sort of stuck at the moment - having some issues with my plot. Hopefully I can push through and figure those out.
I'm definitely seeing the benefit of outlining though. Seeing how I've changed key elements of the story about three times already. That would have been pages and pages of writing down the drain if I had just jumped in to write. Maybe this really will benefit me after all!
How did everyone else do? I know we had some healthy goals of 5,000 words - I hope you met them! Oh, and how is the querying going, Angela? Any bites?
Keep up the great work and goals everyone!
Prior Goal: Three to five pages of outlining.
Achieved: Seven pages of outlining.
Goal for new week: Finish outlining and hash out more character profiles?
Excuses / comments: I didn't do too bad with the outlining, surprisingly. It's more like five or six pages, really, since the first page is an index and a couple other pages aren't completely full. In any case, I definitely met my goal. I'm hoping to finish within the next week but I'm sort of stuck at the moment - having some issues with my plot. Hopefully I can push through and figure those out.
I'm definitely seeing the benefit of outlining though. Seeing how I've changed key elements of the story about three times already. That would have been pages and pages of writing down the drain if I had just jumped in to write. Maybe this really will benefit me after all!
How did everyone else do? I know we had some healthy goals of 5,000 words - I hope you met them! Oh, and how is the querying going, Angela? Any bites?
Keep up the great work and goals everyone!
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