Wednesday, December 7, 2016

 Yes, oh my, it is time for another meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group! Click the name and go to the site to sign up. It's a world of fun.



DECEMBER'S QUESTION: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what's your plan to get there?


Jeesh - I don't only have to show up - I have to think. Five years, five long crazy years. Will I be back in Nova Scotia? I sure hope so. I suppose that isn't the question but my writing life is entwined intimately with my life life. In five years I would like to have three books published. Bright Angel will be first - I think it will be published in 2017. Next up will be the one I just finished the first shitty draft of - Crooked Knife.  The other one I'm less certain of - it may be one that I've already finished but need to polish before it goes a looking for a home - The Rock Walker.  It, like Crooked Knife, is a mystery and I have another one mostly done that has the same protagonists. It is called Earth Bound. Or I might try another of my literary novels - True  or Feckless.  Hard to say. Both of them need another go round though they are mostly ready. Or it might be a totally new one I'm brewing - Caribou Dreaming. That's going to be a graphic novel so needs a different approach. I like to learn new things. 

I would like to consider my poems too. Last year I wrote 65 poems for my best friend over the year. I finished in September and I really like them. They belong to her though so I'd have to see if she'd let me try and get them published. If not, I have loads of poems with no end in sight.

What a very fun topic this is. 

Now - how do I get there? One word at a time - whether it is a shitty first draft word, a revision word, or a selling package word. I feel really good about Bright Angel. It is out there and I'm not worrying about it. Oh - I haven't forgotten it - but I'm not stressing one way or the other. I know my package works and I trust the novel so we'll just see. Once it is published I'm well aware I'll have lots of work to do. No one handles the whole thing for writers anymore and I'm good with that. I was a publicist in a past life and I have no problem publicizing the heck out of that one. I like the story it tells and I think it is an important one. As to the other ones - I have to finish the one I just got up to 80 thousand words on. That will take me a bit of time - it is a holy mess. And then when ever I get bogged down on that I will polish on one of the other ones. Yep. A plan!

That's my plan - how about you all?








13 comments:

Gail M Baugniet - Author said...

Your plan is more complete than mine. I have the "what" but not so much the "how" worked out.

Enjoy the holidays and Happy New Year to you and your family.

Pat Garcia said...

Good luck, Jan, with all of your goals. Hope Bright Angel launches in 2017! And I hope you get the chance to return back to Nova Scotia.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G

Anonymous said...

I love it that you're planning like that, Jan. I'm working on my own plan, but I'm also learning that life doesn't always work out the way you plan it. The trick is to move ahead, anyway, and adjust the plan. Wishing you the best, and I do hope you get back to Nova Scotia, if that's your dream.

M.J. Fifield said...

I'm like Gail—I have the 'what' and not the 'how'. But one word at a time certainly sounds like a good place to start.

Best of luck to you!

Anonymous said...

I wish you all the best in attaining your goals and publishing dreams :-)

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Maybe your friend will let you use the poems if you dedicate the published poetry collection to her. :)

Stephanie Faris said...

That's the best way. "One foot in front of the other." In writing, that's one word at a time!

Anonymous said...

In terms of goals, I'm a big planner - what I "see" I can achieve. Not sure why your poems "belong" to someone else. Your writing is yours. Best of luck with your goals for Bright Angel!

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

I'm pretty short on planning. I just started in writing and have kept on--didn't know I was supposed to plan :) I have, at least, learned that I need to plan the books.

You know what really impresses me? You have titles, and nice ones, for books that are still in early stages. I have a huge problem with titles!

—Rebecca
My IWSG Post

Unknown said...

Great goals! Mine are much the same... keep writing and keep publishing! :-) Good luck!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hope Bright Angel happens next year. And a graphic novel? Too cool.

Cathrina Constantine said...

It appears like you have your goals set, and I'm wishing you the best of luck!!!

Jan Morrison said...

Thanks everyone! And for those wondering about poems belonging to someone else - you can give your writing away. It is unusual but possible. I know my friend will let me use them but I am not sure I want to put any condition on the gift which was freely offered.