Happy 2017!
I know, I know…I’m a little late on the welcome wagon. It’s been a busy December, and things have finally slowed down (enough, at least).
One of the best things about the new year is I get to set New Year Goals. Goals are essential for growth; without them, a person would be like a boat without a sail, drifting in the sea, being taken wherever nature pulls it. By setting goals, we can accomplish what we want, how we want, and when we want. There’s no point in waiting until we’re old and grey to finish that book, hike that mountain, or do that other important thing. (Although, having goals when you’re old and grey is likewise important.)
So, I thought I would share some of my writing goals with you today.
Publish a Short Story
Obviously, this is easier said than done. Getting published isn’t just on me, but upon the publications I submit to (and yeah, a lot of it’s on me). That being said, having this goal will make me write more stories, which will in turn help me with the next goal (see below).
Of course, I may not get a story published this year. If not, that’s okay. I’ll still try. If I do, then great! If not, then at least I’ve written a lot more and have many more stories finished that I can refer back to whenever I feel a need.
Stories Podcast
This is kind of like my version of an audio book, but for short stories of a specific topic. The topic I already have, but I’ll refrain from going into more detail until I’m actually ready for the recording stage. However, by trying to publish short stories, I will be writing many specifically for this podcast. If I sell one…great! If not, then I can use it for this. No matter what, the stories will be awesome. I’ve already accumulated a few stories for this, and need maybe 7-9 more. This will be one of my main focuses this year.
To accomplish this goal, I plan on writing 1-2 short stories a month. Once I have all the stories I want, I will take time (Saturdays, early mornings, evenings) to record them using my best narrator voice. I’m very looking forward to this, and am fortunate that I already have the equipment needed for production.
Finish Beneath the Haze
This goal will be relatively easy to accomplish, as I’m over halfway done already in just over a month. Of course, I won’t have the same time I had during NaNoWriMo to finish it, but I will certainly be done by summer (knock on wood).
Revise Dwarf Mountain Book 2
Along with that, I should probably settle on a name for said book. The first draft has been finished for over a year. It’s about time it got polished. That will happen between short stories, but I have lots of feedback already and am ready to get to it.
So there you have it. My writing goals for 2017. I fully intend to do everything I can to achieve these goals. If I do this, and still don’t reach the goals, then at least I’ve moved onward and upward and 2018 will be the year. Slacking off is not an option this year. There is too much to do and far too little time.
So keep me accountable, will you? Shoot me a tweet @kocherb and ask how I’m doing!
