Resolutions

That's right.  I'm a resolutions type of gal.  I am a goal-setter.  Every year I set a few goals for the year and try to meet them.  I usually have a couple of personal goals and a couple of writing goals.  Last year I posted on my website about my goals for 2011.  Sadly, I met ZERO of those personal goals.  Exercising and yoga--zero time and a broken foot kind of put the brakes on those two goals.  Spending more time with loved ones I never see who live nearby . . . I have no excuse.  I dropped the ball on that one.  I did not meet that goal to my satisfaction.

I did, however, meet both of my writing goals.

So this year my personal goals are going to be largely the same:  exercise at least twice a week and visit those loved ones a lot more!

One of my biggest goals that falls between personal and writing has to do with reading.  My plan is not to buy any new books in 2012.  I'm only going to read what I've already got on my Kindle or in my physical pile of To Be Read which added together is almost 200 books I think.  The only books this next year I am going to allow myself to purchase are books by writers I am semi-online-friendly with whose novels are coming out in 2012.  (Like L.J. Cohen's The Between which comes out in January; Suzan Stirling's Silence of Mercy Bleu which comes out in March and Jennifer Hillier's Freak which comes out in August - and anyone else whose book might have slipped my mind).  This will be a REALLY hard one to keep!  But it should save me boat loads of money!

My writing goals for 2012 are as follows:

1.  Complete a really great, polished, ready-for-public-consumption draft of Hold Still
2.  Begin a first draft of something new or go back to work on something old
3.  Read at least 5 books on the craft

And hopefully some publisher out there will make it their goal to buy my book(s) this year.  Mwah hah hah. 

How about you?  Do you set goals?  If so, what are your goals for this new year?  Any specific writing goals?

Comments

  1. Congrats on meeting your writing goals and good luck this year. I have three writing goals: 1) finish the edits for my first WIP, 2) find an agent for it, and 3) finish another manuscript.

    Just writing them sounds a little ambitious!

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  2. I've set a similar goal for getting a polished first draft completed within the year. And the exercise one. That's a goal every year too. Sigh.

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  3. I'm a goal-setting gal myself. I got oodles of them (too long for the comment box) but overall can be summed up with: Write More. Eat Less. Pray Daily.

    :)

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  4. Good ideas! Here are a couple of my favorite books on the craft:
    Making the Perfect Pitch by Katharine Sands
    Wilde Ink by Victoria Hanley
    On Writing by Stephen King
    Happy holidays and good luck with your resolutions :)

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  5. avoiding foreclosure is way up there on my list! haha

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  6. My writing goals are the same - write as much as I can.
    And I admire your no-new-book rule. There's no way I could keep that (I'm so, so weak). I'm interested to see how that goes.

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  7. Good luck! I've got my fingers crossed for you. :D

    Hmm...

    My Writing Goals:
    - The Q-Word. 'Nuff said. ;)
    - Write the sequel to STRENGTH
    - Crit/Learn as much as humanly possible

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  8. I like your goals. I've learned not to make resolutions on or about the new year. I do better making and revising resolutions as I go. Good luck with your new goals and happy new year!!!

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  9. I don't specifically make New Year's resolutions. That seems to do nothing but set me up for failure. But I do have goals. Not necessary with time lines though. I just keep working at them 'til they're complete.

    My first goal: finish my first WIP already! Yes, it's been "done" for awhile, but since I haven't landed an agent yet, it obviously still needs work. Which brings me to my second goal: land an agent. This one's a little less in my control, but there's a lot of work to be done there , nonetheless. That second goal brings me full circle to the third one: complete a first draft of my second novel. There is one more thing I want & plan on doing in 2012: attend my first Writer's conference - BoucherCon, in Cleveland. This will enable me to achieve my fina goal: meeting you in person! So freaking excited!!! Bring on 2012, baby!!!!

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  10. Hahaha! I love the part about hopefully someone made a goal to buy your book. I love it!!

    Best of luck on all your goals!

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  11. I love resolutions and goals too. My biggest one is to finish my novel and get it in good shape by the end of the year.

    Good luck with all of your goals, and I hope some published will pick up your book soon! Happy New Year to you and your family, Lisa!

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