2018 Writing Goals & 2017 Review

[Toby Frost]

Is feeling rudderless also part of what being a writer is about at times? It can be quite a lonely profession. It'd be great if everyone had someone to guide them, to help out with where to go next

I agree. The problem, for me, is knowing what to write next. I know how to write to a publishable standard (which isn't necessarily a guarantee of literary quality!) but how to get something different published, goodness knows. It's a great shame that nobody can say "Write this, and you'll see print".

 

[anthorn]

How about being afraid you've only got one idea and that's why you seem afraid to write it. Let's see. I failed my 2017 goals and so I refuse to set some for 2018 as I know I'll fail. I just need to hope my grasshopper mind will die and I can settle on an idea. One idea to tell ONE story rather than, coming up with different combinations to tell it.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Let's see. I did not finish my mystery novel in 2017, nor even come close -- I believe I wrote a couple hundred more words in it. I did not finish my other novel in 2017, although I did write more than that in it. I wrote a 75 each month, won with one, wrote a couple(?) of 300s I think, wrote a story for the Sci-Fi London contest that eventually went to Kraxon and won Story of the Year there, wrote a story for NYC Midnight's short-story contest, wrote two stories for NYC Midnight's flash-fiction contest, had a story published in Woodbridge's Journeys anthology (or was that last year?), wrote an SS story, wrote some other short stories, and dithered around with a number of other things. Not a bad year, if not goal-meeting.

For 2018, I shall renew my goal of finishing my mystery novel and/or my other novel, writing for every 75 again, writing an SS story that I'm already signed up for, writing a Perp Challenge story, writing some 300s, and doing better in the NYC contests. I don't know if I'll do Sci-Fi London again or not.

I usually try to be writing at midnight on New Year's Eve, in the tradition of the old folk tale, so I should also aim for that.

 

[Toby Frost]

How about being afraid you've only got one idea and that's why you seem afraid to write it.

I'm not sure what to say about that except that I hope it isn't the case and to be honest I'd be surprised if it was. I think if you've got one idea you've probably got the potential for more, even if they seem like stupid ideas at the time. Sometimes what seem like throwaway ideas that would seem really light or silly turn into something much more interesting.

I usually try to be writing at midnight on New Year's Eve, in the tradition of the old folk tale

What's the old folk tale? I've not heard that one.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Oh, the one(s) that say whatever you're doing when the new year begins, that's what you'll do all year long. Presumably not constantly, LOL!

The version I remember best (have it around somewhere in a collection) is where the elf or good fairy in disguise visits various houses, and of course the greedy people are trying to get around the rule -- the greedy rich man who counts his coins at midnight to try and be rich all year long ends up dead under a pile of gold coins, and so on. But the nice little old couple simply sit there doing what they always do, weaving their rugs to sell, and they're blessed with good fortune by having rugs to sell all year long.

 

[Toby Frost]

Ah, I see. That's new to me. I'll probably be writing around then too!

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone and good luck with the writing in 2018!

 

[AlexH]

How about being afraid you've only got one idea and that's why you seem afraid to write it. Let's see. I failed my 2017 goals and so I refuse to set some for 2018 as I know I'll fail. I just need to hope my grasshopper mind will die and I can settle on an idea. One idea to tell ONE story rather than, coming up with different combinations to tell it.

I used to think that, but the more I write, the more ideas I come up with. I've seen professional writers say similar. I've got so many unfinished and unstarted stories.

 

[DelActivisto]

Got the first rough draft of my novel done! So, 2017 was pretty good for me. Now I just have to get it edited to a publishable standard, which is quite punishing. I'm pruning wildly and there's still so much that just doesn't need to be there.

Wrote a few short stories, tried to publish them failed, wrote for some of the challenges here, didn't get any votes (mostly I think my writing style just isn't suited to short stuff). We'll see how this year goes. Personally I don't mark anything by years. It's just all one big long process for me. I regularly eat calendars for breakfast.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I think I'll bow out this time and stick to my original plans with my writing for 2018. I finished the draft, stared at it and realised I just don't have the time for a book to be published either traditionally or otherwise.

 

[Steve Harrison]

I didn't finish my crime thriller this year like I'd hoped - my 'real' job got in the way during 2017 - and realistically it won't be completed before the end of March. In the meantime I'm trying to sell my YA SF novel, which will receive a boost next month when a US writer friend introduces me to his agent. If that works out - I'm always optimistic - and the agent sells the novel, I'll write books two and three in the proposed series.

I don't have any genre writing preferences, so I'm ready to take off in any direction, and if the thriller and YA novels are non-starters, I have horror and military action novels ready to go next.

 

[Susan Boulton]

My goal is to write when I can, as much as I can. I am not making plans, as plans always go sideways, and I feel guilty not making targets. So will just write. I won't burden myself with trying to write to sell, just write for me. That is how Oracle and Hand of Glory were written.

 

[Scarfy]

Wait for final feedback on THE CURSED MAN and THE DRAGON MISTRESS from the agents and publishers the books were submitted to, and then see where I want to go from there.

Will also plan and write another fantasy novel, one in which a group of teens from our world have been transported to another and have been stuck there for the past 20 years, with yet to find a way of getting home.

 

[Stewart Hotston]

I'm waiting on feedback from a novella Tor asked me to submit. Other than that I have two 'third' novels in two separate series to write, one of which is about five years overdue...But alongside that I have a new book - Bridge of Light - that I'm wrestling with. It's about a glorious golden city appearing on earth, entirely formed but entirely empty...exploring ideas of faith, meaning, power, good, evil and with demonic armies rampaging around for a bit of snap.

 

[millymollymo]

I lost my mojo when the rug was pulled from under me late summer 2017, but it allowed me to see the lay of the land ahead. I've always known publishing is a business, it's about money - regardless of quality. Still it's hard not to take it personal.
So for 2018, i'll put that on a backburner and I'll be happy to finish the current edits on DG and get it out into subland.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Now that my might-give-up-writing-scare has passed I've been thinking about this year. Last year wll go down as the year of root-canalesque research and has been the most challenging struggle in my writing. After I'm done with my WIP it'll be a cold day in Hell I attempt a history-based story. On one hand it's been/being a great learning process but it feels more like I've been writing a non-fiction book rather than fiction, and I can't say it's been particularly enjoyable.

Gone are the days where I sit down and let my mind just take over and the words come, and this plodding has stymied my creativity completely at times.

What are my goals for 2018? Who knows. I'm not one for putting the cart before the horse but it'd be nice to be able to multitask; writing the wip and another at the same time would be great but I do prefer single-minded focus when writing.

As far as publishing/agents etc, I don't think we can call them goals as we have no control over that - besides, I have nothing to submit.

I'd like to finish my wip this year but I'm cracking up with laughter as I type that...

Oh, the one(s) that say whatever you're doing when the new year begins, that's what you'll do all year long. Presumably not constantly, LOL!

In which case I shall be watching The Walking Dead all year.

pH

 

[crystal haven]

I'm determined to finish my next book in 2018, and try to write regularly and get rid of the self-doubt.

2017 was both wonderful and difficult at the same time. I had my book The Beguiler published which was something I never imagined would happen to me. Life in general though threw a few problems my way, but things are improving now.

 

[AlexH]

Wrote a few short stories, tried to publish them failed, wrote for some of the challenges here, didn't get any votes (mostly I think my writing style just isn't suited to short stuff). We'll see how this year goes. Personally I don't mark anything by years. It's just all one big long process for me. I regularly eat calendars for breakfast.

Same here, though I prefer calendars for lunch. I started a writing course in mid-December, so my aims are based on the 12 months from the start of that. It's close enough to 2018. I was also asked about plans beyond a year and I couldn't really say. I'd like to publish (and illustrate) an anthology of my own short fiction one day, but I'd prefer to get my first and second sales first, and then see how I feel - I image my next aim will be my third sale!

 

[Mouse]

2017 was pretty good all round for me. Submitted two novels, both were accepted, and both released that year. Particularly pleased with my sci-fi rom-com. I did fail at the NaNo though, only managing 30k.

2018...
I dunno. I've not written anything properly since November. Have already had a story published this year though, so can't complain! (Monster Hunter by E.J. Tett)

Proper goals? Finish the NaNo. NineStar have a call out for f/f paranormal shorts that I want to get in on. And I want to start polishing my urban fantasy, Locke & Co, once I have beta feedback so I can start the whole subbing process again.

Tis never ending.

(I also get the rights back to my first novel next summer as the pub is going out of business, so I need to figure out if I want to relaunch that or not. Seems like a lot of effort, but for a work I’m really proud of, I’ve always thought I missed the boat by not promoting it as much as I could have).

Is the pub going out of business? I didn't know that. You could try subbing to NineStar - I believe they picked up some authors after Torquere folded.

 

[AlexH]

2017 was pretty good all round for me. Submitted two novels, both were accepted, and both released that year. Particularly pleased with my sci-fi rom-com. I did fail at the NaNo though, only managing 30k.

I don't see 30k as a failure - probably much more than you would've written otherwise? And I bookmarked the Kraxon piece yesterday - it's nice to put an avatar to the name!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Sometimes, it just takes a little lift. Getting listed in Fantasy Faction's Top 50 books has really helped. Here's why:

Waters and the Wild is my quietest book to date but the one getting, overall, some of the best reviews (and some of the worst!) and is starting to get read in Ireland. But it has made me lose confidence and question if there is a market for books like that (Irish feeling, fantasy/mystery, with a huge dose of twisted characters).

Since bringing it out I have shopped my new one to agents - but without much confidence. Even the fact I've had 5 personalised responses (favourable) and 3 full requests from, at most, 20 subs wasn't lifting me - it was as if my belief in WHAT I write had gone. Coupled to that is the struggle to write a sequel to Inish Carraig.

But a beta comment has given me confidence in a possible new approach to that sequel. And the FF listing tells me someone likes my Irish take on fantasy and suddenly I'm going

Whosh! Near hits with agents! Let's revise that boyo once the subs run out and find it a good home!
Whoooo! New POV character for Inish and the original pared down approach is back!

And, yay! New computer coming next week with empty files!

Suddenly I'm a writing goddess in my mind. (This may not be strictly true)