Category Archives: Drafting
Why I’m not setting ANY #writegoals for 2013 (hint: I’m not quitting)
If you’ve been around these parts for any time at all, you know I LOVE goal-setting. I wrote a whole post on goal-journaling just recently (read it here). So why in the world would I choose to set no goals at all? I’ll tell you, just as soon as I review my goals from 2012 and see how I did. Or you can, you know, scrolllll down, but then you’d miss all my pretty check-marks. 
2012 Author Goals:
Note: On Jan 1, I posted my goals for the year. As I mention in this post–the crash course in goal journaling–I amend the list throughout the year. These are the goals as I carried them through:
- Finish draft 12 of Molten √
- Proofread-via-Kindle Molten √
- Query Molten √
- Edit DEMOLITION √
- Proofread-via-Kindle DEMOLITION √
- Write query & synopsis for DEMOLITION √
- Submit/query DEMOLITION √
- Send at least 3 queries/mo (total of 33+) √
- Write, edit, and submit for publication at least one short story √
- Draft a new project √
- And, of course, continue to build author-related relationships via social networking & blog √
- Reading goal: Read 50 books (having never before counted my reads, this may turn out to be an insane goal for me; we’ll see). X (I finished 32 books + read a sizeable portion of 14 more.)
See? Lots of pretty check marks. *pats self on back* Did you meet your goals? *pats you on the back, as well* *pats you on the back if you even set goals and tried to meet them*
I had one last goal for 2012: At the beginning of Dec 2012, to meet #10 above, I aimed to write 40,619 words. I did not in fact get all 40,619, but I did write 34,017 for a total of 113,397 and what felt like a finished zero-draft. Yay!
So, obviously goal-setting works for me. Why, then, am I not setting any for 2013?
Because I feel like 2012 holds Things–yes, “things” is a vague word–I can’t even envision yet. Because of my relationship to my word, if I set goals I’ll feel compelled to meet them, even if the task at hand is different. So. I’m gonna wing it. Maybe I’ll set goals later in the year, as I start to get a better sense of my unfolding author’s journey. For now, I will say this: I would love for this to be the year where writing deadlines replace writing goals. 
What are your goals (writing or otherwise) for 2013? Did you accomplish something in 2012? (Tell me so I can *CHEER*)
Year-end Goals? Set ‘Em Now + a crash course in goal-journaling (the way I do it) & how I stayed motivated during NaNo
*rubs hands together* It’s that time of year again: Dec 1. A.k.a. my last chance to meet this year’s goals, well, this year.
In this post I set 13 writing goals for 2012. The goal I still want to meet is:
#11. Draft a new novel.
My progress so far: Sept-Oct – 15,714 words (if you’re guessing I got stuck in editing mode, you’re right)
November: 63,667 words (NaNoWriMo, you rock!) And I win:
Total so far: 79,381
I probably wrote 110K for Molten (a 68K book). The first draft of DEMOLITION was 80K and resulted in a 53K book. My current WIP is a YA fantasy, so I’d like 80K. Thus, I figure I need 120K on my first draft.
120,000 – 73,381 =
New Dec, 2012 Goals:
#1. Write 40,619 words.*
(Yup, the “-s” in goals was a trick. I only have one writing goal for December.)
I’d like to get these words done by Dec 20th, so I can take vacation from Solstice to New Years.
* BUT if I sign with an agent in December, and s/he wants to put me to work on agent-edits for DEMOLITION, I’ll do that instead.
Speaking of Solstice and New Years…those are two of my journaling days. You asked for it (on Twitter), and here it is:
A crash-course in goal-journaling (the way I do it)
Step 0: Nog and cookies*
* Step 0 is optional, but highly recommended.
That’s vegan nog & gluten-free cookies, btw. And, yes, I am reading The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Aren’t those books fun? But I digress. For real now, the process. My journaling process is cyclical, so I’ll start where we are on the wheel:
Step 1 – December 21, 2012 (Winter Solstice): 2013 Goals, Draft 1
By this point, you’ve started to have ideas about how you’d like next year to go, right? Things you’d like to accomplish/experience, goals, intentions, that sort of thing. Now’s the time to get it down. The great thing about doing a “first draft” is that it doesn’t have to be organized, and you’re not committing to anything right now. So just do whatever’s easiest: An avalanche of thoughts? Point-form list? Brainstorm? Whatever. Make room to discover new ideas. Try out different visions. Have fun. Explore.
Then let it sit (but feel free jot down new thoughts as they come up) until…
Step 2 – January 1, 2013 (New Years Day): 2013 Goals, Official (+ intentions and touchstones)
This is it, your official goal list. I make separate goal lists for both writing and personal. I post my writing goals on my blog (I may post my personal goals – at least some of them – on FB, or I may not). I make hardcopies of the lists, too, which I post on my bulitin board, or keep on my bookshelf, or whatever, so I can physically cross off each goal when I reach it. Remember: A Goal is something that you, personally, can achieve. If it’s not 100% within your power – i.e. “signing with an agent” or “meet my soulmate” – then it’s not a goal. It’s an intention. Have some of those, too. I might even argue that those are actually more important. So, you might write:
Intention: Sign with an agent.
Goal: Send 3 query letters/month – at least 36 letters in 2013, or until I sign with an agent. (I’m not saying that’s the correct way to query; it’s just an example.)
The keys here? Challenge yourself, but don’t be overwhelming. Each list (personal, writing) should contain a number of goals you can hold in your thoughts at the same time. If you’re 100% sure you can meet all the goals, you’re not challenging yourself enough.
In addition to goals and intentions, I also articulate what I call “touchstones”. These may be words – courage, anyone? – or images, songs, movies, people who seem to have that energy…Basically, I have a sense for the energy that I am unfolding into and I make it clear to myself in some way. I realize that probably sounds vague. Hmm…It’s about being conscious of the process of Becoming–being, rather than doing.
Step 3 – Birthday: R&R – Review & Revise
Since my birthday is in September, it’s a perfect time to review and revise my goals. If your birthday is before June, you might pick a different date. This is simple: Look at your list. Which goals have you met? What is left? Anything you no longer want to meet? New goal to add? On Jan 1, you didn’t know how the year would go. That was like pre-mission planning. Now you’re on the ground. Revise accordingly.
My birthday is the time when I take a look at Where I Am, in all aspects of my life: Am I aligned (being true to myself)? I do a lot of personal journaling on this day.
Step 4 – Oct 31, 2013 (Halloween): 2013 Retrospective
Your remember those intentions and touchstones? Time to revisit them. Stuck anywhere? Had a painful year? Now’s the time to get all that out. Stuff to celebrate? New energies unfolding? This is just your time to look over the year, as it was. I do kind of an internal sorting–this to let go, this to carry forward.
Make a clear plan for meeting your remaining goals.
Step 5 – It’s Dec 21, again. Time to draft your 2014 Goals.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Questions, comments? We have a comments section for that. Please scroll down.
You read (or scrolled) this far, so now you get…
My (previously) Top Secret tips for Winning NaNo
& getting that first draft done
#1.
Celebrate daily goals.
#2.
Don’t revise.
Okay, everyone. Go forth and set your year-end goal (s)!
Molten Semi-finalist & Other Updates
Hello! Lots has happened since you heard from me last. One really cool thing: Molten was a semi-finalist in the 2011 Young Adult Novel Discovery Contest hosted by Gotham Writer’s Workshop. The entry consisted of the first 250 words (i.e. the first page) of the manuscript, plus title. That’s it. Being a semi-finalist meant top 23 out of nearly 1000 entries. Pretty cool, no? I think so.
On February 14 I finished draft 15 of Molten. Valentine’s Day FTW! (Finishing on that day turned out to be auspicious and awesome on a personal level as well, but I’m not going to tell that story here. Yet. ) I’ve started querying Molten. You know the drill–I won’t report much on the process until I sign with an agent. (As always, the word “until” is meant as an affirmation, not arrogance.)
As I was finishing up Draft 15, I got a new (better!) idea for how Molten would work without vamps. & I have edited the first 100 pages (about 40% of the ms) accordingly, in case there’s interest. I love the new idea, but my heart is still with the way I originally wrote it (raise your hand if you have an undying–undead?–love of vampires). *raises hand*
My new short story, “Rattlesnake Eyes,” is complete and out for beta-feedback right now.
I’ve begun edits on DEMOLITION, the YA dystopian with heavy romantic elements that I started drafting during 2011 NaNoWriMo. (March turned out to not be official NaNoReVisMo–not sure why I thought it was–so I ended up splitting the month between a variety of projects, rather than just this one.)
& I have a new writing partner with whom I am working on my very first feature-length screenplay! April is Script Frenzy, yo.
I feel very abundant and blessed, both writing- and personal-life-wise. & I am, as always, grateful to have people who care and follow along with my updates.
How are everyone else’s writing and other goals coming along?
<3
Layla
2012 Writing Goals (+ Molten update)
Hello, and welcome to 2012. It’s going to be a great year! Do you have your writing (or other) goals/intentions articulated, yet? Here are mine.
FOCUS–2012 is going to be all about nurturing my creativity. My focus can be summed up thus: Don’t try; just be yourself. & don’t give up. Trust the characters, the story, and your creative process. (Stay tuned for related Molten update, at the end of this post.) Without further ado…
Author Goals 2012:
- Finish draft 12 of Molten
- Proofread-via-Kindle Molten
- Query Molten—at least 3/mo (total of 33 in 2012), or until I sign with literary agent
- Edit YA dystopian WIP
- Send draft 3 (or 4) of dystopian to betas
- Edit dystopian post-beta-feedback (no more than 3 additional drafts)
- Proofread-via-Kindle dystopian
- Book proposal for dystopian
- Submit/query dystopian
- Write, edit, and submit for publication at least one short story
- Draft a new novel
- And, of course, continue to build author-related relationships via social networking & blog
- Reading goal: Read 50 books (having never before counted my reads, this may turn out to be an insane goal for me; we’ll see)
1st Quarter Author Goals:
Jan:
- Finish draft 13 of Molten
- Proofread-via-Kindle Molten
- 5-10 personalized queries for Molten
- (Optional) Draft creepy short story
Feb:
- Send first round Molten queries
- (Optional) Synop for Molten
- Read straight through dystopian SNP
- Synop of dystopian (for me)
- Draft 2 of dystopian—structural + (optional) fill in blank spaces
March: NaNoRevisMo
- Draft 3 of dystopian—edit text all the way through (Beta-review draft)
- Send second round Molten queries
Peeking ahead to the 2nd quarter: While dystopian is with betas, write pitch & synop. Submit/pitch/query dystopian by end of May, at latest.
Molten Update:
I planned to tell a long story about how I came to the realization I’m about to share, but I’ve been journaling all day and I’m tired, so I’ll just share the essence. On Jan 31–in other words, last year, but also just yesterday–I had a conversation with the hero of Molten. And he says he’s a vampire. The de-vamped experiment is thus over. I got three things out of the experiment: 1. I wished I’d written in present tense; I no longer do. I like the past-tense version. 2. I wasn’t sure I’d gotten up all the metaphorical bones of the story. After reviewing the novel, I’ve filled in the holes I found, but for the most part those were small. It hangs together as a whole. So well, in fact, that I havn’t been able to make the de-vamped plot work. 3. I’d come to doubt my choice to write a vampire book at this time. I no longer do. This is the story that came to me, and the story I want to write. I knew that when I started, and it’s good to be reminded. Molten is, in essence, a about a guy who will not give up on that which he loves. How can I do any less for him and his story?
This decision is reflected in the goals above. I ache a little about it–for the character possibilities I saw that will now never live, at least not in this book–but I think the ache is just part of the process.I remain, as always, willing to be wrong about this. If an epiphany to the contrary strikes, I’ll get back to you .
[Update, March 28, 2012: You know how I said I was willing to be wrong? Well Shortly after writing this, I began to dream about the de-vamped version, and I realized I had missed something obvious. There is an alternate vamp-free plot hiding in there, it just isn't exactly what I tried before. The best part is that since the changes come out of the Molten universe, they are fairly straightforward. For the bulk of the book, the words can stay the same, especially since I'm sticking with past tense. I did some more editing and now have the first 100 pages of this version available as well.]
Happy 2012!
p.s. Oh! I just realized I forgot to share a token person goal. Want to know what I’ll be up to in 2012? Well, I’d like to go on at least one in-person date. Wish me luck!
2011 Writing Retrospective
Hi, all. Ready to wish adieu to 2011? I am. Starting with a review of the goals I set 365 days ago. (Original goal in black, notes in orange.)
1. Revise Book 1 and have it proofread. √ <– by which I mean, “check,” not “square root”
2. Query at least 3 agents/month until I gain representation. This goal is still in the works, so I’ll just sum it up by giving myself a √. Agent feedback prompted me to return to the manuscript to a) edit again for a stronger (quicker) opening, & b) see if the book can be re-written without the vampires.
3. Write Book 2. I wrote about 40K on this book, 20K of which I figured was usable, and which I also edited. Then I put it aside to attend to the above edits, especially since if I end up going with the de-vamped version, this sequel is unlikely to work.
4. Make money in writerly and writing-friendly ways. (Still clarifying the shape(s) this will take. In addition to novels, possibilities include coaching and copywriting.) Attempted. Got a job for a resume writing company. Hated it–felt it took mental energy from my novels. Decided to revaluate my budget to avoid need of this extra job.
5. Upgrade my website. √ Tried two new versions, actually. I <3 this one. Pretty, no?
6. Continue social networking. √
7. (Optional) Edit Book 2.
8. (Optional) Write, edit, and submit “experiment project.” This beginning of this project is in the metaphorical drawer. Maybe it’ll come out some day, maybe not.
In my mid-year goal review, I replaced this goal with “Draft YA dystopian Shiny New Project.” For this I get a √. Thanks to NaNoWriMo for getting me started. Thanks to me for finishing. *patting self on back*
9. Read good novels. √
My favorite reads of 2011: Forbidden
On Goodreads? Compare favorite books with me at Goodreads.com/layla_messner.
Lastly, the two personal goalsI mentioned: “deep-self-listening practice” & “wear perfume.” √√ Two resounding successes.
Stay tuned tomorrow for 2012 Writing Goals and, in the meantime *sets off fireworks* enjoy the party.
p.s. My writing highlight of 2011: meeting 2500 wds/weekday goals from Nov 1 through Dec 20. What about you?
