2020 Visions | My Writing Goals for The New Year

Believe it or not, we’ve reached the end of not just another year, but an entire decade. The 2010s are coming to a close, and soon we’ll be ringing in the roaring 2020s!

With the new year comes new goals.

In this post, I’m sharing mine.

Writing

As of this post being uploaded, I am fifteen chapters into my latest novel, Forged in the Salle. (Sort of. It’s complicated. I’ll be explaining that in an upcoming post).

Based on this progress and having a sense of how long it takes me to finish a first draft (especially when I’m writing it by hand), I’m hoping it will be possible to complete this phase of the writing process by the end of 2020.

Additionally, if possible, I would like to start on my next project (titled to be revealed sometime down the road). At the very least, I would like to make a dent in plotting.

Editing

The editing side of my 2019 was heavily focused on Guises to Keep. Towards the end, however, I decided to finally take a break from that project and shift focus to Bound to the Heart.

I’m hoping to get through the first round of edits on Bound to the Heart and maybe even finish a second this year.

Publishing (or at least, moving in that direction)

This is the goal on this list that feels a little out of reach in this point in time, but that doesn’t mean it is completely unobtainable.

As I mentioned above, this year will be focused more on Bound to the Heart, which I intend to publish first.

I don’t expect 2020 to be the year it is published, but it is the year I’m hoping to take a few steps in that direction.

My major goal is to get Bound to the Heart edited to a point where I can start enlisting beta readers.

From there, the plan is to take the feedback I receive, tweak the story in one more round self-edits before turning it over to a professional while I (deep breath) take the plunge and start looking for agents to query.

I’m also planning to do posts along the way, sharing the knowledge I find in researching various aspects of the process and my experiences along the way.

One of my overall intentions for this blog was to provide a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into writing a book, and that includes the various aspects of working towards publishing.

It’s going to be an exciting and, quite frankly, scary time.

Additionally, I might get started on the next round of edits for Guises to Keep. These are going to be pretty substantial, as I’m going to be redesigning the manor house serving as the main setting and making other changes throughout, so I’m only adding that part to my list of goals on an unofficial level. While it is my favorite project to work on, it isn’t the most important one right now.

Self-Care

Apart from writing goals, I’m also setting goals for my non-writer self.

I spend a LOT of my free time doing writing-related stuff, like drafting and editing, and also work on new content for the blog.

In some ways, it can be like having a second job.

At my “real-world” job, I often forget to take my breaks. My current gig isn’t usually as demanding as others have been, but it can still take its toll on me if I’m not letting myself get enough sleep at a reasonable hour because of my trying to squeeze in another paragraph before bed or let myself get stressed out about not being able to write as much as I would wish.

In this coming year, I want to place an emphasis on self-care. This includes trying not to be so hard on myself because I am my own harshest critic, but also allowing myself to have some days off from writing to relax, maybe read or watch a movie. Something that isn’t writing.

I think I’ll also abide by The Parks and Recreation philosophy of “Treat Yo Self” more often. Not to the extreme of buying myself a Batman costume like Ben did in the fan-favorite episode but just a nice little something for myself now and then like a new candle or eyeshadow pallet.

Like I did during this past year, I’ll be doing a goal check-in post around June to see how I’m doing (and to recalibrate as needed).

That’s a wrap on 2019. I’ll see you all next year!