Monday, January 2, 2012

New Year, New Goals!

This year has been a good one, but I have not achieved much of what I'd hoped. I'd thought it would be easier to get time to write with my daughter in preschool for half days, but all that did was create one more reason I had to be out of the house for a couple hours each day. That, paired with other issues, insured I never managed to establish a routine for my writing, which is what got me through 2010 with a novel written.

That being said, I'm bound and determined to do better this year. I'm not one to set New Year's resolutions, but I have no problem with setting goals for the year to come.

It's been awhile since I posted a Project 52 update, so I figured I'd post my update, then add goals for the new year to fill it back up to 52 goals for 2012.


I finished:

13. Prepare flash fiction contest. (See HERE for more information on the contest).

21. Find old floppies with saved writing. (This is not technically completed, but is being removed, as I have discovered said floppies appear to be gone forever).

25. Check out RMFW and consider membership. (I have checked it out and do intend to become a member)>

27. Make blog tabs for resources, prompts, publications. (I made the tabs for what I wanted for the time being).

37. Research non-fiction book. (I'm removing this, because I've lost my enthusiasm for this particular project, but am considering another).

38. Start Scrivener file and introduction for non-fiction book. (Removing for the same reason as 37).

46. Post a weekly photo through the end of the year. (Accomplished, yay!)

50. Discover at least 1 new blog per week. (Done, and then some, yay!)

With these removed, I now have a list of 37. Considering I started the journey fairly late into the year, I'm satisfied with that completion rate, especially as some of those still on the list are partially, if not mostly, completed.

Courtesy clker.com


The rest of my list is as follows:

38. Prepare for the 2012 A to Z.
39. Contact publications about flash fiction contest.
40. Submit at least one flash fiction piece for publication.
41. Spend less time on the computer (unless writing).
42. Try hand at travel writing.
43. Submit one travel writing piece for publication.
44. Take four "field trips" this year.
45. Read at least two books on writing.
46. Establish writing routine through beginning of summer.
47. Join Friends of PPLD and RMFW.
48. Register for Pikes Peak Writers Conference.
49. Finish listening to writer's workshop materials.
50. Attend more writer's meetings.
51. Get better about reading through Writer's Digest magazines when they arrive.
52. Write at least five How-to articles for Helium.

What are your goals for the year?

May you find your Muse.

16 comments:

Cherie Reich said...

Happy New Year!

Good luck with all your goals.

I hope to get more writing, editing, and reading done this year.

Pearson Report said...

What an inspiring list.

#38, 41, 44 and 46 are on my list.
Re 44 - my modification is to take a four week vacation to visit the place my current WIP is based on.

I have a different sort of list...I'll be posting it in the next few days, I hope you'll drop by and check it out.

Cheers, Jenny @ PEARSON REPORT

M.J. Fifield said...

The A to Z Challenge is on my list too but my biggest goal involve publishing something this year and participating (and winning) in NaNoWriMo again.

Good luck with all your goals...

Happy New Year.

Rebecca said...

wow that's a great list good luck with it

Christine Rains said...

Awesome goals. Good luck and happy new year! :)

I hope to write more short stories. I'm going to try for one a month. Then I need to do a lot of revisions on three of my manuscripts.

Anonymous said...

I love your goals. Good luck with them. You can do it. :) I'd like to finish two WIPs in 2012.

Happy New Year.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Cherie, good goals!

Jenny, definitely! I like the idea of a four-week trip to the setting. If that doesn't get the creative juices flowing, what could?

M.J., good goals! I haven't decided whether I'll participate in NaNo for next year. November is just a really crazy time in my household.

Becca, thanks!

Christine, one a month sounds good. I know someone who set herself a goal of one per day, and that struck me as insane.

Medeia, two WIP's? Good luck! I bet you can do it!

Susan Oloier said...

Great goals. I was a travel writer in a previous life (all right, my job ended in 2010). I highly recommend travel writing, though.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I've found the fewer the goals, the more likely I will be able to accomplish them. Or the fewer regrets I will have. LOL. Thanks for following my blog. I truly appreciate that. Don't be a stranger, Roland

Arlee Bird said...

My, aren't you the ambitious one! That's quite an achievement you've made. I need to make a list like that.


Lee
Wrote By Rote

Miranda Hardy said...

It looks as if you've completed a lot of those goals and only have little to go. It will be great hearing of their completion this year.

Amanda Milner said...

I've decided that I'm going to look at 2012 as a Do-over. Lol! 2011 sort of sucked for me personally so I call a DO-OVER! ;)

I want to have my novel completed and in the query process by mid year. :)

Trisha said...

I'm with you on not making resolutions but setting goals! Resolutions are just a little too set in stone! hehe

Good luck with your goals in 2012!!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Susan, that's great to hear, thanks!

Roland, very true. This list, for me, is meant to be ongoing, not just for a year, and to organize my thoughts a bit.

Lee, I like the list! When I'm lacking motivation it helps me to look at the list and pick something specific to work on.

Miranda, thanks!

Amanda, ah, yes, the do-over! Good luck with it, and I hope it goes better this year. I think you've got a great goal.

Trisha, so true about the resolutions being too set in stone. I don't resolve to do anything, but there are things I'd like to try for.

Annalise Green said...

Belated Happy New Year!

It sounds like you accomplished a lot this year, even if you didn't manage to find a writing routine yet. You have a lot of goals, but I love how specific they are - rather than something vague that's hard to judge when you've accomplished it or not! Good luck accomplishing the rest of your Project 521

Shannon Lawrence said...

Annalise, thank you! Good luck on your journey this year, as well.