As I promised, I’ve had a long, cold drink in the living room (under the air-conditioning, because we had temperatures around 40C) and my goals for 2008 are planned.

I think I get better year by year at making them specific and reasonable enough that I actually get a few done – perhaps not in fiction writing but certainly in other areas, and I was so proud to actually exceed my plans for paid freelance writing. But in my heart I’m a fiction writer, so I don’t want to focus on the paid travel writing at the exclusion of my “big dreams”.

When I wrote my 2008 Resolutions, quite unintentionally I put all the writing goals at the top. I guess that’s a good sign (though maybe not for my weight or my ambition to reorganise the house). Here they are:

1. Edit my 2007 NaNoWriMo novel and submit it
2. Plan and write my second novel idea – plan during the year and write in NaNoWriMo 2008
3. Write more short stories: submit to at least 20 contests
4. Increase blogging work and freelance travel writing income by 50% (my real goal list has the figure, but that’s a secret!)
5. Monetise my Ballerina blog. I think. I’m still not sure if that’s where I want to go with this one – but let’s say, at least consider the issue carefully

The fact that I really did write the draft of my first novel next year makes me feel confident that I can do #2; I’m less sure of #1 since I haven’t looked at said draft since November 30. #4 is really a continuation of what’s happened the past two years, and perhaps I should be shooting for more, but I don’t want that to get in the way too much of saving time to write fiction.

Anyway, now they’re out there. You can hound me on these. Ask me every day if you want. If I know you people out there are holding me accountable for doing these things, miracles occur! (I learnt that through completing NaNoWriMo). Bring on 2008!!

Posted in Goals and Motivation | 3 Comments »