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Hi everyone! Today is my quarterly goals review, and the setting of my new goals for the summer quarter. I have quite a lot I want to accomplish this quarter, and it is going to be a crazy time, as I have so much going on in the upcoming months. I am excited for all these things happening right now, though, and having set goals will hopefully help me be super productive this quarter.
Let’s start with my goals – or should I say GOAL for last quarter:
FINISH FIRST DRAFT OF WIP
As absolutely disappointing as this is, I did not accomplish this. I am a little beyond 50,000 words right now, which is more than halfway. But not done.
My last post was a very honest confession about how I haven’t been as dedicated as I should (or know I can) be. That is all in the past. I think that accountability is so important and helpful in a writing journey. You have to be self-accountable, but public accountability can be really motivating as well. From now on, I will be posting some word count updates on Twitter, in real time, as I write. They won’t be every single day, or every single time I sit down to work on the draft, but I think that occasional updates will help me stay on track and be a fun way to connect with you guys and share successes (and failures) with this awesome writing community!
So, this next quarter, my main goal is the same as last time… finish the first draft of my WIP. However, I want to take it a step further. Not only is my goal to finish by the end of the quarter, it is to finish before August 18th, the start of fall semester. The end of summer.
My second goal is to then begin fleshing out my next WIP idea, while allowing Fantasy WIP to sit and settle and become fresh to my eyes again. That way, when winter quarter starts on October 1st, my goal can be EDIT. Yay!
Alright, on to the next fall goal.
FINISH FIVE TBR BOOKS
Guys, I am doing it this quarter. Like I’ve mentioned, I don’t read very fast. But I am trying to prioritize reading again, so I am really pushing myself to accomplish this.
ATTEND A WRITER’S CONFERENCE
This is kind of cheating, because I am already registered for the Tennessee Writing Workshop next month. But guys I am so excited! This is my first conference, and I cannot wait. There are amazing speakers and awesome panels. Agents, authors, literary gurus… you name it! Look out for pictures, because I am sure I’ll be taking LOTS =)
FINISH SENDING OUT ALL QUERIES FOR WHAT LIES ABOVE
I am in round #3 of WLA queries, and once I finish sending these, I am done. I will await responses, and then begin pursuing representation for Fantasy WIP. I am not giving up on WLA completely. I will just be setting it aside until a later day. I love WHAT LIES ABOVE, and I am passionate about it. If it lands an agent, I would be beyond thrilled. But sometimes, you have to move on and write something new. I look forward to seeing what the future holds.
MAKE TBR LISTING
I don’t have an actual physical TBR list, other than the one in my head and a small one on a memo in my phone. I want to make an actual list, and cross each book off as I finish it. I love lists and striking through items. It makes me feel like I am accomplishing things and getting closer to a goal!
START GETTING UP EARLIER TO WRITE FIRST THING
I have had this as an unofficial goal for quite some time now, but I am bound and determined to be more disciplined and start waking up and writing. I get up early for work, and relatively early on my days off. My biggest pitfall is that I am a night owl, and stay up until the wee hours of the morning getting things done. I've got a planner, a schedule, & a new routine I'm getting accustomed to - getting up earlier and writing first-thing is a part of that.
There you have it! I could go on and on about some smaller, personal goals I have – finish the latest season of When Calls the Heart, for example – but those are my main writing goals. What do you think? Can I do it?
I’ll be keeping you posted, especially regarding word count for Fantasy WIP. Hugs everyone, and thank you for your support, even when I don’t meet my goals, and even when I fall behind. Your encouragement helps keep me motivated!
What are your goals for this quarter? Share in the comments below.