CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!

It’s about half an hour before I fold up shop. Today has been an interesting mix of student counseling, email, phone calls, and interviewing potential instructors. So, it’s not like I didn’t get anything done! But my goals for the day, sitting front and center on my desk, aren’t exactly accomplished.

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It’s a good analogy for writing. Some days, you know that you’ve spent time on your writing, doing worthwhile things. Not cat waxing, but, you know, researching for the book, outlining, writing character sketches, reading the work aloud: all things you need to do that are part of the valuable writing process. All which seem to take more time than I usually plan for. And then, there’s the valuable wait for getting feedback from your test readers, because hey, gotta show off my shiny new patience. More time.

And then a year goes by, and you wonder why your novel isn’t finished.

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With that in mind, then, I think about the writing year ahead. Let me give you two versions of what I’d like to get done.

The Public Version:

Writer’s Workshops : This year, I’ll attend two writer’s workshops: a weekend in Dallas in March, and two weeks in Taos in June. I intend to have a sample of Abigail Rath versus Blood-Sucking Fiends ready for the first, and a sample of Substance of Shadows ready for the second.

I do not know what the work load for Taos will be, so I am trying to be very conservative about output overall.

Readings: This year, I am scheduled for probably four readings. I will read excerpts from the two works in progress, as noted above.

Novels: By this time next year, I’d like Abigail Rath out and circulating to agents. This strikes me as realistic, given the strength of the first draft, and its middle grade size.

I would also like to have the second draft of Substance of Shadows done, and be well into what comes next with that book (research? third draft?)

Blog: I’d like to use Writer Tamago as a venue for more other writers, as well as myself.

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Now, to give you an idea of how crazy I really am, this is the super-secret list of what I’d like to get done. Which is the reason why I often have things sitting on my desk at the end of the day.

Here we go.

In spite of workshops, readings, and their potential workload, I want

Abigail Rath out to agents!
Substance of Shadows out to agents!
AT LEAST five short stories circulating!
The first draft of the first Klarion book done!
Continue to keep up the usual quality and level of contributions at Writer Tamago!

WRITE ALL THE BOOKS! CLEAN ALL THE THINGS! USE ALL THE STAMPS!

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Therein lies the unrealistic expectation. Being the overachiever I am, I expect, honestly, that the first list is achievable, that some of the work I end up producing at Taos will be out circulating, and I might get a short story or two done, because it’s part of an assignment or something.

I really do plan to work hard on novel writing over short story writing this year. I think it’s a wiser career move.

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Tonight, I’ll be continuing to bone up on the LA area. I need to make sure Abby’s book has the same feeling of authenticity that Hulk Hercules did when I set it in Chicago–some real stuff, and some made up stuff based on real stuff. Yes, it has to be LA. There are old B-movie stars in this book, notably Abby’s monster crazy dad.

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So, how about you? What are your writing goals for the year? What are you working on right now?

CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!!!