Your 2013 Writing Goals

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by crich70

All you have to do is win big at the lottery. The rich are eccentric by default.

That's my plan. I've already got the second part covered, just working towards the first part.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by kennyc

That's my plan. I've already got the second part covered, just working towards the first part.

[kennyc]

continuing almost meeting my goals.
I've completed

10 short pieces - 9 non-fiction and 1 fiction piece
8 poems

made a couple of blog posts and self-published a couple of things.
queries out on other non-fiction pieces I'm waiting to hear on.

many partial/draft works of both fiction and non-fiction.

I'm focused on putting together a collection of memoir essay non-fiction as well
as a collection of science essay work.

also nursing along a couple of longer (possibly novel) fiction ideas.

I've completed/finalized some 30,000 words this year - unfortunately that is only half of what I'd have liked to have completed at this point (1000 words/day)

[orlok]

Good going Kenny! I wouldn't beat yourself up about the 1,000 words a day target - that's hell of an ambition. Some days, maybe, but consistently every day is a real challenge (or at least for me).

[mbelec]

Originally Posted by kennyc

That's my plan. I've already got the second part covered, just working towards the first part.

Hey - when you have the first part figured out, share it with your buddies here at Mobileread.

I've finished the first draft of my book! 88,500 pages approximately. Now to go back and edit, edit, edit. I think I enjoy editing; it's a challenge to find the correct word to make a paragraph come off right, but it's so rewarding when you do.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by mbelec

I've finished the first draft of my book! 88,500 pages approximately. Now to go back and edit, edit, edit. I think I enjoy editing; it's a challenge to find the correct word to make a paragraph come off right, but it's so rewarding when you do.

Congrats!!!

[mbelec]

Thanks! 88000 words sounds great but I need to rethinking my beginning/first 40 pages. I may need to trash most of it and/or redo it because I'm not sure it catches a reader and pulls them in. I guess that's what editing is all about.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by mbelec

88,500 pages approximately...

That's one hell of a book . Seriously though, very well done. Getting the end of the first draft is the biggest part of the task, IMO. I've still got 30,000 words to go.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by mbelec

Thanks! 88000 words sounds great but I need to rethinking my beginning/first 40 pages. I may need to trash most of it and/or redo it because I'm not sure it catches a reader and pulls them in. I guess that's what editing is all about.

Welcome to life as an author...most of us if we are honest with our record keeping would be forced to admit that we through out FAR more words then we keep...

[Graham]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Welcome to life as an author...most of us if we are honest with our record keeping would be forced to admit that we through out FAR more words then we keep...

Yup. I've been going backwards all year so far. But I've pulled three short stories into shape. And I'm about 4,000 words lighter.

I've got an outline coming together for a novel though, so I'm looking forward to getting going again with a positive word count!

Graham

[Metal Mick]

Originally Posted by mbelec

I've finished the first draft of my book! 88,500 pages approximately. Now to go back and edit, edit, edit. I think I enjoy editing; it's a challenge to find the correct word to make a paragraph come off right, but it's so rewarding when you do.

HI all,

I thought I got through the first draft but then savaged and re-ordered my first chapter - I just thought it wasn't working as well as it should. Originally, I set a goal of (an arbitrary) 120k words, but I'm at 150k now.

For 2012, I wanted to be finished by Christmas, but I knew that wasn't going to happen; for 2013 I want to finish by the end of June and get a fair way into #2.

Most of #1 seems to work fairly well (chapter 1 notwithstanding) and now needs second draft where I plan to add "colour" and detail, check the voices of the different characters. I guess I'll add another 5k words during this.

Then the editing comes in - I personally find this a bit excruciating, unlike mbelec - where I need to check and recheck against rules of grammar, my punctuation, and so forth.

I have the luxury of being able to do this on a part-time basis during the day, so I think I just might have a realistic goal.

Assuming of course, that I can actually admit to myself that the work is "finished."

Cheers,

Michael P

[Alecia Stone]

My 2013 writing goal is to write the sequel to my debut novel.

[kennyc]

Just doing some review here. Status on my goals. Since the beginning of the year I've been able to complete 16 pieces mostly essays and mostly in the science vein at various reading levels but mostly targeted at a general audience. A couple of fiction pieces and maybe 10 or 12 poems. The prose pieces range from about 300 words for the shortest one (The Blanket - on my Mansions blog) to about 3000 words (Death at the End of the Century - a personal memoir and part of my Growing up stories collection).

Total word count is about 25k - not nearly what I'd like but respectable I think.

I'll be pushing real hard the rest of April to complete as many more as possible in my "How do we know" series.

I'd like to have book length collections of each of those two (How Do We Know, Growing Up Stories) completed by the end or the year and preferably much earlier -- like Sept/Oct if possible.

Some of these have been posted on my blogs

Hope everyone is writing hard and your goals are either completed or progressing well!

[discopig]

The only goal I have in 2013 is about the same I've had for the past few years: Write at least a three short (about 4000 words each is the norm for my stories) novels.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by kennyc

[...]Hope everyone is writing hard and your goals are either completed or progressing well!

Well done, Kenny. It must feel good to have some completed items under your belt.

I've done nothing more towards publishing my second novel - it still needs work (cover, editing, blurb etc.), but been concentrating on writing my third, which has grown to almost 150,000 words so far. That's over 90k this year but all first draft stuff, lots of clean up needed yet. I've had a few nights where it all comes together (over 3500 words one night recently - it was a buzz!) but I've also had many nights sitting here getting nowhere.

Sadly my hopes for my blog have fallen short. Too many other things on my mind to have room for what I wanted to put on there. Maybe when this third novel is out of my system I will find more time for it.

Originally Posted by discopig

The only goal I have in 2013 is about the same I've had for the past few years: Write at least a three short (about 4000 words each is the norm for my stories) novels.

Your post put me in mind of the Paul Kelly song: "From Little Things Big Things Grow". Not sure if it was the idea of short stories or the piglet in the avatar - it's so cute. Best of luck.