Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Fresh Slate

me skiing as a youngin' - note the stellar form!

Ah September, when one's mind wings to thoughts of clean promise. I will do my homework and not get behind in projects. I will keep my binders neat and tidy. I will make sure the clothes I put on are clean and my hems not fallen down about my knee caps. I will keep my diary up to date and walk the dog and stand up straight and have the elegance of Barbra Streisand (my heroine at 14). This year WILL be different.
So here in my writing blog I will lay out my intentions for the start of the year - the real new year for those of us who spent the first 13 years or so of our sentient selves starting afresh in glorious September!

Writing Intentions for the school year 10/11

1. If working a first draft - write 2,000 words five days a week.
2. If revising a second to thirty-second draft - work for two hours five days a week.
3. Develop a pitch for The Rock Walker and pitch the publisher at Word on the Street.
4. Send out The Rock Walker to a couple more places.
5. Finish the draft before the line edit of True by Dec. 21st.
6. Apply for mentorship program at The Writer's Fed.
7. In 2011 start sending out queries re True.
8. While True is out finding a home go back and finish Earth Bound.
9. Look into self-publishing a book of Friday Challenges.

and most importantly :
10.  Keep a cheerful mind about writing, remembering always that I chose this life!

check out Living the Complicated Simple Life for my overall plan for improvement!

14 comments:

Hart Johnson said...

FABULOUS plan! That is a lot of writing! I can do 1500 a day, but 2000 strains me.

I think you should find an artist or graphics person and make your Friday challenges into a 'writer's weekly calendar'

Jan Morrison said...

What a good idea! Hmm...I do work with a graphics person - I'll talk to her...
And as to the 2000 words a day - come on! You've done those darn novel in a month thingy's - the only thing I got out of them besides a really messy first draft is a knowledge that I can write way more words per day than I thought! Ah, who knows, I'm still in revision and I LONG for having to write just what comes out of the ends of my fingers for a while. NO! I didn't say that - I still love revising even though right now I could - arggghhh - my right hand came up and tried to strangle me but my left fended it off....must go.

Words A Day said...

Thats so much! Well Done in advance Jan! That's a really really good idea regarding the Friday challanges - they would be great in a writers diary too!

I love this back to school feeling - I remember writing sooo carefully in my homework copies for the first week or two back, and the new pencil cases - heaven! I need a kick in the ass myself this Sept, back onto the chair. Its interesting that you evaluate work in the later drafts in terms of time, its much harder to evalute their progress - the first draft process can be so forgiving - spilling out those words!

Jan Morrison said...

Hi Niamh - yes, I love it too and I want to capitalize on it while it lasts...
I'm not sure how else to evaluate revision - it is such a here and there activity...

Unknown said...

Those are great goals. I should set some.

CD

Carol Kilgore said...

I'm adopting/stealing Nos. 1,5 & 10.

Helen Ginger said...

You're setting some high bars to jump. Maybe my goal should just be to not let other things keep me from writing. Or perhaps it should be to set the timer and ignore all else for an hour or two hours and spend that time writing.

I'll see how long that lasts.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

What a great plan! And I always think it helps so much to *have* a plan--even better to spell it out and put it up for everyone to see! I'm sending best writing wishes to you. :)

Liza said...

My goal is that on October 1, I'll start revising a lousy first draft. Jan, thank you for your comment on Middle Passages today. I read the poem...and I so got it.

Jemi Fraser said...

Love your #10 rule - definitely going to keep that one :)

Talli Roland said...

Great goals, Jan! Good luck this year with them all - I'm sure you'll meet them.

I'll email you when I'm back in Halifax. Chips on the wall sounds fab! Yum. :)

Jan Morrison said...

Clarissa - making it public spurs me on!
Carol - yay! Pitter patter fly atter as me father says...
Helen - oh that is exactly why I relish the opportunities when they arrive - I know the drive lessens to keep to my discipline but also that doing a discipline increases one's desire to do so. weird but true.
Thanks Elizabeth - you always strike me as a gal with a plan. I always imagine you writing by the public pool as your kids carry on! That's discipline.
Liza - good on ya! Yes, I like that poem and it is the only one I've memorized - ha ha!
Jemi - that is my mantra always...keeps me from being a whining whinging whack-job (like that alliteration?).
Talli - of course chips means breaking another intention on my other site but food eaten on a wall cannot harm you - that's the truth!

Ann said...

Great plan Jan! I love the idea of writing a September plan/goal list. I think I will do the same.
Thanks.

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your experience at Word on the Street. As you know, I'm a big fan of conferences and conventions.

Patricia