The Kidlits 2013+2014 Writing Goals

jvc

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I noticed this in the other thread but thought it deserved a thread of its own. Plus it'll make it easier to find at the end of the year, when we will, yes WILL, bring the thread back and see how you all did.

So, what are your writing goals for 2013?

ETA: Bringing this thread back, like I said I would. Did you achieve your goals?

ETA: We'll use this for 2014 goals, too. Probably 2015 and 2016 as well. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
 
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JoyMC

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Oh, okay. Here's what I posted on the other thread:

Goals for 2013:

- finish the WIP I'm currently on - drafting, revising, editing, beta-ing, revising, editing, the whole shebang.
- query it
- complete a first draft of something else
- get more interactive on Twitter, although that's so unquantifiable, but still.
- oh, and maybe a reading goal. In 2012, I did the One Hundred Books challenge on the YA forum. I read 108 books! I don't think I want to increase that goal. But maybe just maintain it - 100 books again!
- and I just saw this great article on ways to support new authors, aside from buying the book. My financial situation is such that I simply have to get the vast majority of my books from the library. But I love that this list suggests so many other things. So I think I'll make a goal of leaving more positive reviews when I love a book. (Right now I almost never leave reviews at all.)
 

Fantasmac

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My Writing Goals for 2013:
1. Finish the novel I've been "editing" before school starts in February
2. Complete the next book that I've been percolating on for the last six months
3. Set up a website (and maybe even pay someone for it!)
4. My big goal for last year, as it has been every year of the last five, was to get an agent. So this year, is hopefully get published (more of a hope than a goal because it isn't really in my control)
5. Get back into writing short stories and maybe submit to lit mags.
 

sissybaby

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My goal for 2013 is to finish - anything!

I want to complete the WIP I've been ignoring for way too long.
I want to revise a trunked novel and change it from YA to MG.
I want to somehow, some way! get one of my PBs to the right agent or publisher.
I managed to succeed at the 2012 Reading Challenge, but I need to be spending more time writing, so I'm going to skip it this year. It was fun, though.
 

DavidBrett

Alas, poor Yorick, he fed me 'nanas
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My goals for 2013:
• Kick ass with Enigma Files on
PitchWars in two weeks.
• Finish revisions of the
aforementioned book in time for
any agents who might ask for fulls.
• Get an agent!!!
• Finish the pen-&-paper draft of
EF 2: CURSED
• Type it up once I'm definitely
sure my laptop is reliable :p
• Work on a few other MG/YA
books I've had plans for. No set
finish time for those. They just
need to be started.
• Read more - both printed books
and beta's works.

Can we sticky this? Y'know, so it's always front and centre, as a gentle reminder...?

Dave
 

Britwriter

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Here's what I posted on the other thread:

My writing goals for 2013:

  • Get my 35 word and 250 words as full of voice as possible, ready for Pitchwars.
  • Query my top 10 agents with DorkBoy, then reassess according to responses.
  • Get back to my younger age MG WIP and see where it goes.
  • Write my current picture book - right now I just have ideas, and a clear vision of one page.
  • Continue to discover and explore Twitter.
  • Build my website up by updating and adding more of my old articles, and writing some fresh ones.
I agree, a sticky would be great!
 

ucf612

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Mine are pretty basic in words but still tough for me.
1. Finish the first draft of the MG novel I'm currently working on.
2. Edit and revise said novel.
3. Towards the end of the year IF (a big if) it is ready, I'll query it. My first to actually be sent out!
4. Work on my other two YA novels when I need a break from my MG. I feel like they need a lot more work to get anywhere near ready for anything. One is a done draft but whew, my first ever so yeah. And my other I'm just stuck.

I was a total slacker when it came to writing in 2012. I really let myself down so I want to do better in 2013. I need a lot more butt in chair time this year. Well, actually my butt sits in the chair a lot, I need the actual words to paper this year!
 

SheilaJG

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I have a hard time setting writing goals. I've never been able to stick to a schedule of so many words a day. But I like to have measurable goals. I'll go with this:

Read 100 books
Revise two of my trunked novels
Write something new

Maybe I will add more later. That list looks a little anemic. I will resolve to set more goals!
 

MJWare

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Great goals everyone. I'd like to:
Get Zack & Zoey #2 out by the end of March.
Publish Super Zombie Juice #2 by the end of the year.
Finish and query my YA paranormal that I've been working on for a couple of years.
Sell 20,000 books in 2013
 

heza

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From the other thread (better organized):


  • Complete first draft of MG WIP by June.
  • Complete first revision of MG WIP by December.
  • Find a writing buddy/critique partner.
  • Produce an author website.
  • Create a blog.
  • Put something up in SYW.

I think that's enough for me. I'm trying to keep it simple. Theoretically, I should try to get more done, but I'll be happy with myself if I can just accomplish these things. Anything on top will just be awesome sauce.
 
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jvc

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There are some briliant goals here. I may just have to think of a few, or one, to post.

1) Read a book.

Hmm, must think of some more.
 

Rizdrah

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1. Write something.
2. Finish something.

I've got some neat ideas, but can't seem to get back into the flow at the moment.
 

Tigerlilly79

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*Read more books
*Publish my YA trilogy that's almost complete
*Write and publish a MG trilogy
 

Smish

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*Finish at least one novel. Revise. Edit. Polish. Query.
 

HatTrick

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1. Finish my YA WIP.
2. Get through a first draft (at least) on my MG Fantasy
3. Get an agent/published for one of my PBs.
4. Read 100 MG/YA novels and 200 PBs.
5. I like the idea of leaving positive reviews when I like a book. I sadly haven't been doing that. I would also like to add some book reviews to my blog.
6. Oh yeah, update my blog at least weekly.
 

Butterbean

This boy just ain't right
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Well JVC if I would have been able to get back around here earlier this year I would have had more and better goals, but since I just slipped in at the last minute I guess only have one goal.

1) Get back in the Kid Lit Gang at the Absolute Write Water Cooler site! It's been a long time.

Happy New Year everyone! :D
 

Tromboli

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Well, I wasn't hanging around here this time last year as I was focused more on YA but I'll share my overall goals and how they stacked up.

This time last year I was finishing up a YA contemporary and revising a YA fantasy for the gazillionth time, planning to query both. The fantasy first, the contemporary second.

My fantasy had a little interest but not much. Ended up with a few personal rejections that left me realizing it needs a big structural rewrite so I've shelved it since then with the plan to come back to it at some point.

My YA contemporary had more interest and at least one close call but all the agents reading stepped aside when I let them know I had a very interested editor (very well established small press) who wanted an exclusive to work on edits with me. That book is currently in acquisitions so its still up in the air.

My overall goal was to find an agent and if I didnt, prepare to self publish in 2014. I'm still down for self publishing at some point but since I know my fantasy needs big work and my contemporary still has hope of finding a home, thats not a realistic goal anymore. So I didn't technically reach either goal but I'm happy with my progress in 2013 and am hoping 2014 is the year some things start happening.

I also wrote, revised and started querying my MG fantasy. I've got high hopes for it :)
 

Laura J

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My goal had been to revise and edit one of my drafts. I dabbled, but didn't get there. I started two new ones and did some writing exercises.

I wrote a scary scene that terrified me. Unfortunately, I was alone in the house at the time and freaked myself out. I couldn't believe I could write something that scary and disturbing. Freaked me out so bad, I deleted it. I don't like horror., but apparently I can think up some pretty messed up stuff. Eeeek. I enjoyed trying out writing that didn't have a purpose for my books. I haven't done that in a while.

This year, I am working on streamlining and organizing my life in general. I am making a schedule and plan for the important things. Especially writing. So my goal is to make a writing plan and stick to it. What I accomplish will vary. I am going to schedule in a time to explore new writing ideas. That way, I don't feel like I am cheating on my revisions.

My plan is to:
-make writing a priority by creating a schedule and sticking to it.
-revise The Faery Thief, then edit, then beta, then query. By summer, I will have it query ready. If it is good enough, I will query to agents.
-finish my first draft of one I have started or a new one, perhaps during Camp NaNoWriMo in April.
-attend a writing conference. I will be going to LeakyCon in Orlando and doing the Lit Track, so that might have to count this year.
-I will do more writing exercises to improve my craft. One per week.
Phew!
Oh, I also want to be a beta reader for someone. If anyone is interested, let me know.
 
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JoyMC

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Oh, fun! I've done everything on my list, except I didn't track how many books I read, but I feel pretty sure it was around 100 again. I didn't noticeably increase or decrease my reading time, anyway.
 

SheilaJG

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Welcome back, Butterbean!

Tromboli, good luck with the YA contemp, and the MG!

Laura, that's hilarious, about writing a scene so scary you freaked yourself out. I bet it was goooooood!

Thanks for posting this, Jed. Another reminder of how uncommitted I am to my goals. Heavy sigh.

I had three goals, didn't come close to the first one (read 100 books). Started number 2 (revise two trunked novels), but then lost my computer and all that, (excuses, excuses). I did manage to do number 3 (write something new), but I haven't finished it. The end is killing me.

Now to make new goals I can ignore after I write them down. Maybe I should write them on little post-it notes and stick them to my computer so I see them everyday.