Dec 282020
2020 is coming to a close, and I set certain writing goals for myself at the start of the year.
So how did it go, in this crazy year? Let’s take a look back at those goals…
- Send out regular batches of queries for the novels I have in the querying stage.
- Complete my current pulp fiction story and write at least one more pulp fiction story.
I met these two goals without a problem. I spent a lot of time querying agents about Penteract of Blood and The Nightbringer in particular. No success this year, but I did get one full request, even if it ultimately ended in rejection.
Meanwhile, I finished the pulp fiction story I had in progress at the start of the year and then wrote another one. I hope to share news about both of those stories in 2021!
- Revise On An Island of Oaks and send it to a beta reader.
- Edit The Sunken Sapphire.
On the other hand, I dropped the ball when it came to these goals, mainly because I underestimated how much work On An Island of Oaks needed. Instead of revising it and sending it to a beta reader, I nearly completely rewrote it twice, which left little time to work on revising any other novels.
I’m pleased with its current state now. It still needs more revisions, but not to the point of becoming next year’s major project again.
- Write at least 3 more short stories.
- Update my two side websites on at least a monthly basis.
These next two goals are in a gray area. If you count the previously-mentioned pulp fiction stories, I definitely wrote three short stories this year. If you don’t (and I can’t remember what I had in mind when I made the list), then I only wrote one new short story, but made some solid revisions to a few others.
(I also made notes for several new story ideas.)
As for the websites, I stayed fairly consistent with regular updates at Lovecraft Video Games, but my KH Theories updates were much more sporadic.
And that brings us to our final unfortunate goal…
- Participate in an additional book signing/event.
Obviously this didn’t happen, because large in-person gatherings were not a thing this year. Here’s hoping for a better 2021.
Did you set any writing goals at the start of the year? How did you do? Let me know in the comments!
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“Obviously this didn’t happen, because large in-person gatherings were not a thing this year. Here’s hoping for a better 2021.”
Maybe that’s a lesson to get your year-long goals done…early!
(In the winter?!)
That doesn’t exactly work when it’s a goal related to events scheduled by someone else. I can’t call up all the festivals, events, and conventions and tell them to please take place in January instead because I want to accomplish my goals early. XD
Ain’t some of them in January anyway? 😡
There’s probably some, but none of the ones I’ve attended in the past or that looked like a good match.