I figured since today is New Year's Eve, I'd share my writing goals for 2009. It's not so much goals of getting published, as that is always the goal, but for the work I plan to do.
My main goal for 2009 is to write a novel. I have a few different ideas for which one I want to write, but I haven't made that final decision. I have quite a few fantasy story ideas, but they involve trilogies, and I'd prefer to write my first novel as a stand-alone effort. I have sort of written one before, but it wasn't successful enough to even call it my first novel--I plan to discuss where I went wrong in a future post. Without giving away what my novel is about (I think it's bad luck to talk about a work in progress--I know, it's silly), I will take posts throughout the process and share what I've discovered, learned, and/or used to success and failure. Should be fun!
Another goal I have for 2009 is to write a screenplay. I like the fact that screenplays are, for the most part, straight ahead stories that don't get bogged down in details. That's the way I like to write. I've found a few free programs that'll format the script while I write, and when I get closer to starting the writing process, I'll choose which one I think is best. I'm sure I'll post my choice here in the blog. My novel is my first choice this year, though, so this one will take a back seat for now--I'll probably spend time reading up on creating screenplays and outlining one before I tackle the actual writing.
I also plan to create an new blog on humor writing, a la Dave Barry. I think it sounds like a fun way to get out my goofy side while I write my more serious (or at least darker) stories. I plan to publish a new article every weekend, and I'll post my link on this blog when I go live, probably this coming weekend.
Short stories will still be a part of my writing year. I'll continue to market the stories I already have out there, and I also want to try to write one a month. I don't know how close I'll keep to that. It depends on how my novel goes. If it sucks out all my creativity I'll probably not get many new stories out, but since I have over a dozen either already looking for publishing homes or ready to be revised, I'm not too worried about new ones at this stage. I guess I'll see how it goes.
My final goal is this blog. I enjoy keeping the world updated on what I'm doing, as well as passing on tips of what I've learned in this game of writing, so I'll keep it up. My goal is to post a new one each Wednesday and Saturday, so keep an eye out. I'm hoping I'll see some success in 2009 with my word processor. Happy New Year!
