I’m a bit late to the New Year goal-setting party, but here goes. For my writing, I want to finish my second novel and get it published, and start on a third. I also want to write more short stories and submit them to magazines and contests. For my reading, I want to read a book a week. I think I do this already, but have never really tracked it for a full year to find out if it’s true. So this year I want to make a note of every book I read, and also review it on this site, and I’m aiming for 52 books for the year. I’ve added a new page on the top menu, 2010 reading, where I will post updates.
That’s it. Nothing too difficult – I believe in setting realistic goals and actually meeting them (I only came to this belief after years of pie-in-the-sky New Year’s resolutions that came unstuck by the end of January). What about you? Any goals you’d like to share for 2010?
There are 5 comments
Andrew, you just gave me a panic attack reading that!
Wow, great goals! I look forward to what you’re reading, and I still need to get your book so I can read it. It’s on my list, promise. 🙂 I’m just very slow.
My goal is to get an agent this year, but I don’t see it happening. It can’t hurt to try. But I’d also like to begin a new novel this year as well. Something much more literary than what I’ve got going on right now. 🙂
I’d like to finish my book, but I don’t think I will because I always say I will and then never do. Maybe next year 🙂
Other than that I just want to have time to read or write. But its hard to make time a goal, because its something I can’t seem to change.
That’s a pretty big list you’ve got there!I’d like to read more this year, maybe not quite 1 book a week, 1 every two weeks would be manageable. Sometimes I envy people who ride trains and buses to/from work – they get a bit of downtime to read while I sit in traffic and try to get around the cyclist in front of me wearing low-riders and no underwear. Not a good start to the day.
I think I’d like to learn more about the publishing industry. I was blogging for two months before I figured out what a WIP was, so I have a bit of a ways to go! I’m sensing that there’s still a lot of protocol I have to master.
I also want to get to my one year blogaversary which is sometime in June, or is it July? (Getting a new calendar would be a good rezo too, I suppose).
I’m cheering for you on finishing novel #2. Good luck! – G
Thanks for the comments! Sorry for the panic attack, Trevor! Don’t worry, though – the year is young. I’ll only be panicking around December if I haven’t met these goals 🙂
Lady Glamis, I’m glad you’re going to read it, and no pressure – I know you’ve got a lot going on. Getting an agent is tough, yes, but I don’t think it’s an unrealistic goal for you. I managed it, so I’m sure you can too. Perhaps, since you can’t control the outcome, your goal could be at least to submit your work to 10 agents. Good luck on the new book – look forward to reading more about that on your blog, now that you’re back!
Elie, I know that feeling. But come on, there’s plenty of time for pessimism later in the year! Maybe this will be the year you do it. What kind of book? Time is certainly hard to find – can’t create more of it, so the only way to get more is to give something up. For me, it was giving up the career job as a journalist and working as a night-shift temp that freed up the time for me to write my first novel. Not an easy step by any means, so I understand the difficulty of your position.
Georgina, that’s funny – I ride trains and buses a lot, and always envy the people who can sit in their cars, insulated from the jangling music, the chewing gum, the spilt Coke and chicken bones on the seats, etc etc. I guess the reading time is good, though! Hope you do get to the one year blogaversary (love that word), and many more after that – really enjoy reading your blog.