Looking Ahead To 2015 - Writing Goals

Looking ahead to 2015, I'm making my biggest push!

SPIRIT QUEST
[  ] Complete manuscript polish (early Jan)
[  ] Submit queries to at least 5 agents (early Jan)
[  ] Create a detailed outline for my next SERT novel (February)


OTHER PROJECTS
[  ] Complete latest Back Issue! magazine assignment (end of Jan)
[  ] Learn writing techniques from the styles of at least 3 authors
[  ] Create a detailed outline for Legacy of Shadows

READING
[   ] Read 2 books/month

BLOGGING
[   ] Writing blog (twice a week)
[   ] Marvel 1980s blog/tumblr

WRITING GRANTS
[   ] Ontario Arts Council (Feb 18, Jun 16, Oct 15) 

[   ] Toronto Arts Council (June 15/2015)
[  ] Canada Arts Council (October 1/2015)

Piece of cake, right?

Looking back at 2014

As I sit down to compose my 2015 writing goals, I thought I'd look back and see how I did last year.

Here are my 2014 goals:

Prepare my submission package for Spirit Quest
[  X ] Revise synopsis
[  X ] Polish first 10,000 words

Longer term goals for 2014
[ X  ] Complete the Second Draft of Spirit Quest
[   ] Read 2 books/month

Continue Blogging
[   ] Writing blog (twice a week)
[ X  ] Marvel 1980s blog/tumblr
[ X ] DC 1980s blog

Continue to pursue writing grants
[ X  ] Ontario Arts Council - WRITERS' WORKS IN PROGRESS (February 18, 2014)
[ X  ] Toronto Arts Council (June 16/2014)
[ X ] Canada Arts Council (October 2014)

Not bad. In 2014, I got my novel, SPIRIT QUEST, in good shape. I not only polished the first 10k, but completed the 2nd draft pass on it and I'm currently about 70% through the 3rd draft stage. In addition, I completed its synopsis and worked on an agent pitch that I'm hoping to send out early in the new year.

One of the two big fails of the year was my writing blog... and I have no excuse. So, it'll go back onto the top of the list for this year. I've also dropped my DC in the 1980s blog as I've had to start cutting back. On the positive side, my Marvel Comics of the 1980s tumblr page is almost at 10,000 followers!

And the last of my big fails of the year was reading. While I did read 10 books this year, it fell short of the 24 I had wanted to reach. 

Unfortunately while I did apply for all of the writing grants, they didn't warm up to Canadian urban fantasy pitch.

Overall, some great progress and some clear goals for 2015.

Next up, my 2015 goals!

The Halloween Gloom of 2014

Halloween is normally my favourite time of the year. But, this year, not so much. I'm not sure what's different about this year, but I'm not really feeling the Halloween spirit. Usually, I spend the month's evenings watching an assortment of Halloween flicks, but I really struggled to do so this year, only watching a handful of movies.

It's been a terribly busy October with my daughter's multiple birthday celebrations, Canadian Thanksgiving, my parents visiting, my son starting hockey, crazy busy weekends, murder mystery events and the Toronto Zombie Walk. Work has been really challenging as well and has sapped a lot of my energy. And the cold, gloomy weather with the winter and snow looming doesn't help.

Maybe I'm just tired and worn down. Or maybe it's just getting old that's sinking in.

Here's hoping the Halloween spirits drop by and rekindle my love of this holiday!

NaNoReWrimo For Me This Year

No NaNoWrimo for me this year despite having "won" for the past 3 years. I'm in the middle of the second draft of my novel Spirit Quest.

However, I don't want to let the energy of NaNoWrimo slip away, so instead of writing 1,700 words a day, I'll be rewriting my novel. NaNoReWrimo.

I'm really pleased with the first 100 pages of my 105,000 word novel, about 22,000 words. So that leaves me with roughly 83,000 to tackle over the 30 days, 2,800 words a day.

Kicking off my 2nd editing/revision pass

Completing my second draft felt really good. I know the back end is weaker and that I'll have to spend a bit more time on it. My goal is to have the 391 page manuscript polished off by the end of the year. So, with roughly 111 days left in the year, I'm going to have to fix about 3.5 pages per day to reach that goal. Ouch. But, there are parts of the book that I feel really good about and those won't need as much work.

I've also received my editing summary for the first 100 pages and there's a lot to digest. Lots of ideas and focal points that need to be sharpened and decisions that need to be made. 

In addition to that edit, I think that I need to do my own read through of the manuscript and jot down notes as to what needs to be fixed/upgraded.

As for the hunt for an agent, I'm putting that on hold for a few months. The revise and resubmit isn't due until the end of the year, so I'm going to focus on cleaning up the manuscript as much as I can until say November and continue going while I send out my agent submissions. Assuming a few months turnaround, I'll have it all in good shape for when they ask for the complete manuscript.

Back to the edit recovery!

Second draft of Spirit Quest - Completed!

I crossed the Second Draft finish line over the weekend. Although I don't feel a lot like celebrating as I know how much work there's still left in the next drafts to follow. The back end of the novel felt a little rougher, needing more connective tissue. I feel like a second second draft might be in order, but I want to give it a bit of time to settle.

The first 100 pages of my manuscript are being professionally edited and I'm a bit anxious and excited at the prospects of recovering her comments.

What's on my plate for the next month?

- Prepare my application form for the Canada Arts Council grants
- Prepare my agent queries/submission packages
- Recover the first 100 pages of edits
- Work on my Third Draft to sort out all sorts of issues that I noticed through the initial drafts, clearing up the magic system, synch up the ages of characters, add a bit more details and descriptions in those talking head chapters.

Piece of cake, right?

If you have any advice or experience with wrapping up second drafts and third (and fourth and fifth) drafts, please comment and share.

Some nuggest of wisdom from Joe R. Lansdale

A series of thoughts on writing by Joe R. Lansdale
For the entire article, click here: www.joerlansdale.com/writing.shtml

 Here are my humble notes:

- the next day I start all over by rereading what I wrote the day before.
- Three to five pages is what I work for, but I don't fight it if I get more. I rarely get less. I can't remember when I got less, but it happens
- read a little before I write. It can be fifteen minutes or an hour.
- Reading is the fuel, and you have to fill up the tank constantly.
- These suggestions work for me and have worked for many others and might work for you. And they might not. But to find your method you have to experiment.
- I also think that writing books haven't done much for me. Two have helped, and only for certain things. The first helped because it had the idea of writing only one page a day. That became three to five for me.
- Do I write for money? Yes and no. I write because I love to write, but I write with the plan to get paid. I pay bills by writing.
- You should write to be paid and start in the best market possible. Have faith in yourself. If it doesn't place where you like, go down the list.
- Seeing something in print you're proud of spurs more creativity and more checks. You need both in this life. Starving and being paid poorly does not make you an artist.
- For me writing is a passion, not an obsession. One is good and fun, the other feels a little like you're stalking yourself. I have to have things in my life other than writing to love the writing. I think if all I had was writing it would consume me. Not the life I want.