Hindsight Is 2020 | Wrapping Up And Reviewing This Year's Goals

2020...well, it happened.

Like a lot of people, I went into this year with a list of goals and things I hoped to accomplish by December.

Things started off okay and then fell apart. It's been a HELL of a ride and then some.

As a result of the tumult and strife this year has brought, I decided to be a little more lax when it came to my goals. One of the reasons I got so much editing work done was because my creative juices were drained, making it difficult to put a lot of effort into my newer project—a significant setback since I managed to write the last two in under a year each, whereas I'm nearing the eighteen-month mark with Forged in the Salle.

But I digress.

At the start of 2020, my goals were as follows:

1. Finish the first draft of Forged in the Salle

2. Make a dent in plotting my next writing project

3. Get through the first round of edits for Bound to the Heart

4. Maybe start a second round of Bound to the Heart edits

5. Get Bound to the Heart beta-ready

6. Start taking the next steps towards publication

By June, I had a number of these checked off, most notably those pertaining to Bound to the Heart. This year, I got through several rounds of edits and enlisted a handful of beta readers to provide their feedback.

Later in the year, I officially entered the query trenches and started sending materials to a handful of literary agents. Even though I haven't received any offers of representation yet, the act of doing so is a major win for me.

When I wrote my June check-in, I made mention of potentially starting my next project depending on where I was with Forged in the Salle, but that didn't pan out. I'm not too upset by this, given that it wasn't on the original list.

However, not finishing the first draft of Forged in the Salle is a little disappointing (and first on the agenda for 2021). Again, extenuating circumstances are at play this year and impacted just about everything, but I do wish I could have gotten that done along with everything else. I am down to only a handful of chapters to write, so it shouldn't be long before that's finally done.

Overall, there's not a lot to be said. Unlike this seemingly endless year, I'm going to keep this post short and sweet.

Next week, I'll be going over the goals I've set for 2021.

Here's hoping next year's wrap-up will be a little more eventful!