Onward and Upward

The past few days have not been productive. Various things kept coming between me and my December writing goals. Errands, headaches, and family commitments are just a few of the items which took precedence over the words. They were pushed to the back burner and not made a priority. This is a habit I want to nip in the bud as I prepare to write with purpose in 2014.

I have been thinking about my goals in 2014 and what I want to accomplish. First on the list is write at least 100,000 words during the year. A bit ambitious for me since I recently started writing again after an almost two year break. But I want to complete a second draft of my NaNoWriMo project and complete the first draft of the second book. I didn't start out to write a series, but it seemed natural to do so. The main character's story wasn't finished after one volume.

Which brings me to the second and third goals on my list; write the second draft of The Valiant and write the first draft of The Hunted. The plan is to rewrite a scene a day once I begin working on my second draft. In a perfect world, I would begin writing the first draft of the second volume at the same time, also focusing on a scene a day. With the turmoil which is my life at the moment, I doubt I will able to stick to this schedule.

Fourth on my list of 2014, is send the finished second draft of The Valiant to willing beta readers. This goal is by far the scariest on the list. I haven't shared my fiction often. Fear holds me back. I'm afraid of failure or someone will tell me I'm not a writer. I think all writers are a bit afraid. Having the courage to share a story with others deserves respect and kudos. Our stories are like our children and it is frightening to send them out in the world. What if no one likes them?

Last on my long list of writing goals for the coming year is to write a query letter to an agent. I have never attempted to write a query, let alone mail it to someone. If I am serious about writing, then it is the next logical step in the process. My palms are getting sweaty just thinking about it. What is the worst that can happen?  I get rejected. But I have to try. I can't let all the words I've written in my life time be for nothing. I have to try.

What are your goals for the coming year?