Monday, December 5, 2011

Where am I and where am I going?

As this year winds down and I am sixteen days from turning 60 - yep you read that right - my mind turns to what I've accomplished and what paths I still want to explore. I have found one of the most brilliant uses of blogging is for me to state my goals. I tend to like to do what I say I will even if I know that it would be very rare for any of my readers to remember what I said I would do, let alone bug me about it. Still - it seems to work and I like anything that works. I also find that organizing my thoughts and plans out loud helps me find out what exactly I've been formulating below the surface. Capeesh?

So, fresh from the inspiration of my fellow Burrower, the Water Tartlette, I am going to outline my writerly plans (for any other plans check my blog - Living the Complicated Simple Life - in the next little while).

TRUE - after my latest attack on it, True stands at 87 thousand. It is in fair shape having been gone over with a fine-tooth editorial comb by the editor I hired to do so. It is in third person now and many of the changes I desired to make have been made. I still have a couple of seemingly biggys to do. I want to rework the ending and also go through the editorial letter I wrote myself a few weeks back to make sure I've addressed everything in that. Am I going to have time to do this before the new year? I don't think so - I'm busy at work and have all the fun things (yep, even we Buddhists get ensnared in holiday madness) that go with the season. I'm going to say that I will be done all revising by January 16th. I will take the next two weeks of January to get my submission package together - including editor going over every piece of the thing and starting afresh with an edit of the big piece. For my submission package I will want two or three chapters polished to shiny goodness, the longish synopsis and the shortish one, a bio and a covering letter. I don't think my editor will be able to do a copy edit of the whole manuscript but I won't be sending the whole thing out anywhoozie so that should be fine. February 1st I start submitting to agents and publishers. I plan on sending at least four packages a month until I hear back from somebody in a positive way.

THE ROCK WALKER - this mystery has been done and dusted and read and reread but yet! Yep, back to the revising desk with it. I think it needs about a month's worth of revising, then it too will go to the editor for a hard look. So - February for TRW. Then probably March for rewrites from the editor's notes and then half of April to get the package ready for it. Then it too goes out the door - not to agents in this case - only to publishers.

EARTH BOUND - finish first draft by end of June. Then revise and work with editor. I'm thinking that this will be ready to send by September 1st.

Whew! Can I do it? Don't know but I do know it is do-able. The early part of the new year is my time to write. Biz is slow and snow days many - I should be able to hunker down and pitter-patter.

The year I turned fifty was a swell one. I met my sweet patootie, I did the Dublin Marathon and I started a novel. I plan on this upcoming year being equally exciting and enriching. I want some writing retreats scattered in there and hopefully a chance to attend a BIG writing conference. How about you all as the year winds down? Plans? Dreams? Let's make them realities.

12 comments:

Lou Belcher said...

Okay.... so now you have me thinking that it's time for me to make a list. Good luck with yours... You make it look as if you have things well in hand. Me.... not so much.

Lou
http://www.beforeyouwrite.com

Bish Denham said...

This coming year may be the first for me to think seriously about setting goals. I haven't in the past, but I think I may need to. You've inspired me to give it a shot.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

You and I are on the same wavelength today, thinking about goals! I like yours. Best wishes with them, Jan!

Elspeth Futcher said...

I should think about goals as well - seeing it all before you makes it seem more attainable, somehow.

Talli Roland said...

I need to set my goals for next year, too! I find stating them publicly spurs me on.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your goal setting. Been outlining mine this past week. I'll refine the list and adjust accordingly.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I was inspired by Hart's post as well. And now yours. Awesome!

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

can't think of one other person more capable than you to accomplish this.

Best week and New Year!

Mary

Carol Kilgore said...

You are on a roll! Yea!!
The hardest part is sticking to the plan :)

Jan Morrison said...

Thanks all you fabulous broads and one fella! Each of you will be a stitch holding my intention to the task! Or a bit of bum glue if you'd rather...tomorrow I'll be spending some time seeing how this might play out - expanding the plan and checking the reality.

Faith Pray said...

What a thrilling list of goals! I know you will achieve them. Your determination and balance will make it so. Each story looks and sounds like a winner. Happy pre-birthday! I have an overflowing tub of goals, but am not quite ready to face them yet... hopefully soon!

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