Last January I decided it was time to get super serious about writing and I sat down and wrote out three main objectives for the year: query one story, finish edits on another, and write a new one. I surprised myself and achieved all three before September, so I had to come up with more goals for the rest of the year (rewrite & query, which just turned into rewriting). For 2015, I’m aiming a little higher. I want to do the same – query a story, finish the edits on another, and write a new one – but this time I’m planning on getting that all done in the next six (okay, seven) months.
To hold myself accountable (and if you’re interested), here’s that plan in a little more detail after the cut:
Objectives:
- (1) Finish & Beta Sand Wastes – (2) Query Ginger Witch – (3) New Draft Zero
JANUARY
- Finish Sand Wastes
- Take a 1-2 week break
- Assemble Beta Reader Team (TM)
- Read Whole of Sand Wastes
FEBRUARY
- Edit Sand Wastes
- Begin Synopsis/Query
MARCH
- March 1st: SEND SW TO BETAS
- Finish Ginger Witch Synopsis
- Rewrite Ginger Witch Query
- Send out 15 GW queries
APRIL
- Finish sending out GW queries
- Research new story
- Tentative new story outline
- Start writing by the end of the month
MAY
- Work on draft zero
JUNE
- Work on draft zero
JULY
- Finish draft zero
- Set aside, return to Sand Wastes
- Rewrite SW Synopsis
- Rewrite SW Query
- Send out at least one SW query
- Plan next five months
I’ll come back and update this list on occasion, too, as part of holding myself accountable. I also need to work on querying smarter – last year I got a manuscript request, but this year I want more than that. I need more than that.
Here’s to a super productive year!
K. A. Doore 