Some Writer Goals for 2018

This post was inspired by Top Ten Tuesday, a blogging linkup hosted by That Artsy Girl! (It used to be The Broke and The Bookish...)

*gasp*

Goal #1: Read 150 NEW books this year. 

     Last year, I tried to read 200 new books in a year. And I didn't quite make it...though I probably DID read 200 books, if you count re-reads...And I'll also be in college, so I don't know how much that'll set back my reading....So hopefully I'll be able to complete my goal this year

Goal #2: Write at least two BRAND NEW first drafts

I mean, come on. I did that last year. It should be a snap. I know that I will at least be working on my newest WIP, Twelve Golden Windows. But who knows what the second one will be...

Goal #3: Revise one of my old first drafts (which may means scrapping half of it and starting over) and make it a working first draft

Well, my nanowrimo project is 50k of random, plotless gibberish and In a Dream needs a lot of work plot wise...I certainly want Capes, Coffee Shops & Cake to be done before the next nanowrimo, but I'd rather work on In a Dream right now, so we'll see how that works...

Goal #4: DO CAMP NANOWRIMO!

Based on my current plan, (which is overly detailed and constantly changing) my Camp NaNo project will be the second draft of Twelve Golden Windows, but I might throw in a side project of some sort.

Goal #5: Do NaNoWriMo

I'm going to be writing the sequel to Capes, Coffee Shops & Cake this November and I am so excited. (Even though I can hardly stand to look at Capes, Coffee Shops and Cake right now...)

Goal #6: Complete at least one second draft

Which naturally is going to be Twelve Golden Windows in April, but my plan is to do at least two more...

Goal #7: Actually get one of my stories to the third draft stage.

I actually have never gotten one of my WIPs to the third draft stage. I don't know if I've mentioned it before on the blog, but my writing process is:

First Draft: The first time I write the whole story out on paper
Second Draft: Read through the first draft, make notes and re-write
Third Draft: EDITING BEGINS! In the first edit, I edit everything on the computer. Its easier to see mistakes when editing on paper or listening to it, but this way I can get the majority of it out of the way.
Fourth Draft: Print it out and scribble. all. over. it.
Fifth Draft: Read out loud or listen to it being read by some program. There are a lot of programs out there that will read your papers to you, since it is easier to hear mistakes that way.

Goal #8: Get one of my stories to my AMAZING ALPHA READERS!

My Alpha readers will get to read it the first time somewhere in between the second and third draft. I would prefer to give it to them AFTER I've had a chance to edit, but I also don't want to edit and then re-write pieces and make major changes so...

I think I'll give the story to two of my Alpha readers and make Lilah wait until I've edited. (Typos are her weakness.)

Goal #9: And maybe even Beta Readers?

Granted, I'll be pretty close to the end when I start asking for Beta readers, but maybe....maybe it will be this year.

Goal #10: Plot a bunch of new novels!

I have a bunch of stories to plot. And while some of them are still basically just plot bunnies, a few of them are ready to be plotted out. And by "a few" I mean more then 8.

Goal #11: Start writing query letters and researching agents.

Granted, my stories are no where near being ready for this...that doesn't mean I can't start looking into agents and finding some that would match my writing.

And I will be writing rough query letters from now on in the plotting stage




Well, we'll see how many I actually get done...
What are your plans for 2018?

-Mary Kate