A Writer’s Life: Plans for 2022.
I really dislike making long term plans.
I’m good at short term goals. Every Sunday, I set up my goals for the week, and I manage to almost always knock them out. But for a whole year? I’m not as good at being successful with those.
I need to learn to do it, though. If I’m going to stay serious about turning myself from a life-long writer into an author, I need to get down to business.
The best way to do that, is to put some things in writing. Right here, right now. If I stick to five things - five major things - and divide them up into chunks over the year, I might just be able to do it.
Rework the outline of The Irish Project (Complete by 1/31/2022)
Finish the first rough draft of The Irish Project (Complete by 3/31/2022)
Rework the outline of The Avalon Project (Complete by 6/30/2022)
Continue making 2 blog posts per week. (Every week of 2022)
Finish second draft of The Irish Project (Complete by 11/30/2022)
Setup Pinterest board for The Irish Project
As you can see, I’m sticking with my two projects, with the intention of completing the first draft of one, and re-working the outline of the other in the first half of this upcoming year.
The Irish Project has hit a snag, and while I did write over 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo in it, I hit a spot where I’m really struggling to continue the story, and I want to rework the outline to make it flow better to the end. Hopefully in doing that, I’ll make a final decision as to whether this is a stand-alone or the first book in a short series.
As far as the Avalon Project is concerned, I’ve had three full months to consider it, and my developmental editors’ notes on it, and I have realized that it needs to be tightened up. I’m trying to tell too many stories in a short period of time, and I’m going to need to narrow the focus, so that Avadaine’s story can be told. My hope is to narrow the scope to Avadaine and Andred, and leave the other PoVs out. It’s going to take considerable work to do that, but I believe in the story enough that I’m willing to shed some tears to make it happen.
Oh, and there will be tears. I can guarantee it.
I’m hoping I can at least start the new version of The Avalon Project by the end of next year, hopefully when The Irish Project is ready for my super-star editing team.
By breaking these goals up into bitesize monthly/weekly goals I think I can make this work.
No, I know I can make it work.
Now, if I can just get the day job, the boyfriend, and the cat to cooperate….
2022 is going to be amazing. I can feel it.
