Setting Goals

Setting Goals

It is that time of the year again, 2011 is over and 2012 is here.  I found myself sitting down to write my list a few days ago.  Like a new years resolution, except there is more than one and it is made up of specific goals I’d like to complete in the year.  For 2011 I had a list of nine. Sadly, as of the time I am writing this, only 3 of them have been checked off.  Some of those goals were creative/artistic goals, others were personal betterment goals, and couple others were selfish purchase goals or travel goals.  I can say of the 6 incomplete, 3 of those were so close I still call them wins even if I can’t check them off. 

The biggest creative goal on last year’s list was to complete a rough draft of a novel. I have been writing in one form or another since I was elementary school.  Despite that, I never pushed myself to complete a draft of any of my ideas.  So for most of the year off and on I was working through monthly writing/editing goals on my fantasy novel of a NaNoWriMo from a few years back, thinking I could do it.  Then came September/October, and though the novel was closer to being a complete draft (currently sitting at 90k, about ¾ done), I knew it was highly unlikely I would push through it during 2011.  The closer and closer I got to November, and another NaNo project, I guess I gave up accepting it wouldn’t happen.           Then came NaNo, a completely new story, and basically for the month I blasted through it ending a week from December with a rough draft of the story (sitting at 71k).   

          

Even taking some inspiration after a conversation with a new writing friend of mine, LillieMcFerrin, I finally had a spark of an idea for a Steampunk story.  And putting 5 k down on that story before the end of Nov, and by Christmas I had finished the rough draft of said story, making it my second in as many months.  It is hard to explain just happy I was to meet said goal. 

           

Now to 2012, since I have accomplished what was the number two goal on last year’s list…what about next?  I have been thinking a lot about my writing goals for next year, now I have proven to myself I can push myself to finish a draft.  And I came up with three writing related ideas for my list.  (Side note, there are 12 things on my list I won’t go into detail here)

1 - I plan on spending the first few months after finishing my Steampunk novel doing a lot of editing.  Between the two recently finished rough drafts and my fantasy, I see it a good time to invest in some red ink stock.  I want to have at least one of these three as a fully edited draft; one I’d be willing to try push forward for others to read. 

2 - Another goal I have committed to is the WIP500, basically one writing sprint a night, and considering on average I write over that, shouldn’t be a problem.  Just need to keep myself motivated to do it (can be found on twitter, @ashviper, always looking for #writingsprints).    

3 – A rough draft of a new story currently not in my long list of works in progress…  This one could be the easiest of the three, as I am planning on using my WiP500 for the first few months to work on a new story.  On top of that, there is NaNoWriMo and the fact I will be doing it again in.

To other writers and creative types who may read this or follow my blog, push yourself.  Make a list, even if it is a small one on what you would like to accomplish over the next year.  Even going as far as to make a small list at the first of each month to give you the push to make the over all goal a success.