Seeing as how Sunday is the 2nd of January 2011, I thought a post about setting goals would be appropriate.
I did a post on goal setting for the Mad Genius Club blog – see here – where I cover all the usual things about goal setting then I add:
‘All work and no play makes a writer’s creative muscle grow weak, not stronger. So as well as setting goals for completing and submitting work, I think any creative person needs to -’ and I list five things to do, to stretch your creative muscle. Last year I did number 3 in a big way. I took on a new job and learnt a whole new skill set that really stretched me and made me a better writer, because it involved telling story through film.
Over at Tansy’s blog you’ll see how she set herself goals for 2010 and now she has assessed them to see what she has achieved.
I like the way she has divided her goals into WIP (work in progress), Future Projects and Home Life (things that will make her life smoother so that she has more time to write). This seems like an excellent way to set realistic/ achievable goals.
When we do our ROR retreats we set realistic goals and dream goals. It’s funny but our dream goals all seem to involve making enough money from writing so that we quit our day jobs and write full time.Which when you think about it, means we’d rather write than take a holiday, or win tattsloto. Mind you winning tatts would mean not having to work, so we could write all day. But you see what I mean. For us, writing isn’t work!
My long suffering husband has retired and sometimes he’ll say to me, Would you like to go see a movie, or have lunch out? And I’ll say, You know what I’d really like? I’d like two hours of uninterrupted time to write! Not very romantic, I know. But, if he takes me out and my head is in my WIP, he says he can hear the gears grinding, because I get that far away look in my eyes and there are long pauses in the conversation.
So I’m going to take Tansy’s advice and do my goals for 2011, and this time next year I can assess them.
WIP: Clean up and hand in the three books for The Outcast Chronicles in May. This project has grown because I realised I’d ended book one in the wrong spot, so I chopped it off earlier, then had to enlarge on a sub plot to create a satisfying ending. This had a roll-on effect in book two and book three that I’m still scrambling to correct.
Future Project: Do a draft of book one of the new King Rolen’s Kin trilogy and outline books two and three. We’re hoping to have a ROR in September, so I’ll need to have a rough draft of book one by then. I don’t really know if this is possible, as I’m teaching an accelerated course, with assessment every 3 weeks. When those weeks roll around I have to do 12 hour days to get through the marking. But I’m certainly willing to give it a try.
Home Life: This is the area that is problematical. We’re renovating. In the first half of this year we’ll rip out a wall, pull out the old kitchen, tile, paint and install a new kitchen. There’s also the laundry and my computer room, which will be retiled, repainted and cleaned up. It will be really nice to have everything fresh and clean and organised. But there will be major upheaval in the meantime. I guess for my home life, I could say that I’d like to get the renovating done so that I have a clean/organised office to write in. I also took out a gym membership (yes, I know I’m crazy) because I was missing my yoga. So I intend to keep fit, plus renovate, plus work, plus write my books.
My last goal for 2011 is this. To be kind to myself. I really need to balance the rest, work and writing parts of my life. I don’t want to run myself into the ground. I need to feed the creative crucible so that there is a rich well to draw ideas from for my next trilogy.
So there you have it. What are your goals for 2011?
WIP
Future Project
Homelife
And ?
Wow, you and Tansy have both set yourself so many words to write. I’m too scared to even look at Marianne’s 2011 goals. Margo’s word count goal will probably be closer to mine.
WIP/Future Project: I think in 12 months I can manage the first draft of another novel, “Great Southern Land,” and polish the draft of “Lighthouse” to submission standard. Short stories if and when they occur to me. With the exception of a couple of empty spots I am obliged to fill with pure genius that so far has eluded me. But I’m sure lightning will strike. Soon. Very soon.
I think “being patient with how long everything takes” counts as an important goal for 2011. I am the least patient person I know, and waiting six months to 2 years for one submission to be responded to makes me want to hurl my computer across the room and take up gargoyle sculpting. Refreshing my inbox 200 times in lieu of writing the next manuscript will not help!
Homelife: OK, so I’m back on my low carb, high protein diet, because my knees have started hurting. It’s the sure fire indicator that I’m carrying too much weight, like a little oil light that comes on in a car right before the engine seizes.
I just LOVE cake and lasagne. My husband LOVES potatoes. Low carb has helped us lose 20kg each before, but it is tough for us. I especially miss having real sugar in a cup of tea. I get loose leaf teas from the Tea Shop in an attempt to bribe myself not to eat cake. Stockholm Blend, with black tea, orange peel, safflowers, calendula blossoms, rose petals, vanilla and apricot. 1001 nights, with green tea, lemon, passionfruit and sunflowers. Unfurling balls of jasmine tea, Arctic Fire with black tea, coolmint and cornflowers.
But DAMN, they taste so much better with sugar!
Thoraiya
I feel your pain, Thoraiya.
I luuurve green tea with honey.
I do know how you feel about submissions, too. Everything grinds along so slowly.
Best of luck with your WIP. Hope you whip it into shape. LOL. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
You should totally set up a black market trade system in time, in your household. If anyone wants anything, you answer “yep, I can do that, IF YOU GIVE ME AN HOUR OF UNINTERRUPTED TIME FIRST.” Which might mean them sitting at your office door, sending people away on your behalf.
All those people, surely there’s a way to build a human wall out of them to keep the rest out!
Tansy I LOVE your idea of trading in time!
Wow guys,
You are all pretty tough. There’s no way I could be as hard as any of you.
For my WIP/future works: I want to expand the base of magazines I submit to (currently four), which means trying a few new styles of story, which in turn means a lot of experimentation (and rejection). I keep getting advice from editors that I should send this or that story to a certain magazine, and though I really like that magazine, I don’t want to keep submitting to the same place all the time. Also, I’m going to re-write the first three chapters of my novel and put it in front of someone who knows something about SF. I want to take your advice Rowena, and send to Bad Robot in March as a kickoff.
I want to write a fantasy short and I have plenty of ideas.
Finish writing the prospectus for my company and get it past legal and the other directors so we can list early in the year. If only the process of securing funding to write was as straight forward as securing funding for mineral exploration!
Home Life: TOILET TRAIN PUPPY! TOILET TRAIN PUPPPY! And…oh! TOILET TRAIN PUPPY! Remember to water garden more often. Tell a certain woman how I feel about her (possible disaster zone right there). Try a Thoraiya-style diet but I’m hopeless at dieting so probably just train hard and run a few races. No, make a commitment and stop being lame. OK. I’ll run the Burnie 10 and the Bruny Island UM.
Ok, that’s it. I’m going to stop now before I overcommit. Whoops…too late.
WOW, Chris.
You are really going to put yourself out there. I’m impressed. Taking risks in every area.
Toilet training a puppy is not for the faint hearted. LOL
No serious. I am impressed.
Short stories – Have you been to ralan.com to check out all the short story markets?
Good luck with Angry Robot.
And good luck with listing your company. At least with this, if you do it right it is accepted. With a story, you can do it right and the editor can say, Sorry, just not for me. Gaaaah!
Hope things are smooth sailing on the homelife for you.
Hi Rowena,
I have looked at Ralan and I also use duotrope. My natural style is to apply generous lashings of humour. This isn’t to everyone’s taste so I have to modify what I do, or just stick to mags that appreciate it.
I’ve tried a few things recently. We’ll see.
Thanks and happy new year.