So, another year ending, and time to review.
My plans for 2018 were (achieved goals struck through):
Complete the MFA thesis novel (military fantasy) by February 1.(August 15, but still done!)Complete my craft essay by February 12.(Done.)- Develop a paper into an academic article and send it out to the appropriate journals. (No time for this, it remained undone.)
- Participate in SFF PitMad in March. (No, without a finished MS, no point. It was a pipe dream, something to move me forward in the draft. I had little hope of that goal.)
Apply to Odyssey Writing Workshop by April deadline.(I did, and was waitlisted for the first time, so there’s forward momentum!)Go to Futurescapes in April (I was accepted and paid tuition already).(I did and I applied and got in for 2019!)Graduate with MFA in May (7 credits to go).(Done!)- If accepted, go to Odyssey Writing Workshop in the summer. I’ve now applied twice. Hopefully this will be the year, but only time will tell. (Sadly, no, see #5.) ***So, 5 out of 8 goals. Not awful.***
My plans for 2019 are:
- Finish first editing pass by January, print out manuscript for second editing pass.
- Hand off the manuscript to the developmental editor in February.
- While it’s out with editor, plot sequel.
- When it returns from editor, make changes as necessary.
- Go to Futurescapes.
- Revise the book by July.
- Query the agent who was interested in the project last year. If agent passes, start submitting to others I’ve researched.
- Prepare and deliver three online courses by the end of the year.
- Outline next project, a steampunk style story, hold sequel outline in reserve.
- If I get an agent and they want a sequel, start drafting. Otherwise, begin steampunk-style project.
- If there is time, begin reverse outlining trunked novel to find its flaws for revision.
- Apply to Odyssey again? To be revisited.
I suspect some of these are going to wind up being stretch goals as 2019 begins to fill up with stuff. But that’s all right. Aim high, and you won’t be disappointed, right?
I hope we all achieve our goals for 2019!
Writing Mercenary 