2011 in Review
A year ago today, I posted my 2011 goals. Now it's time to see what resulted.
1) Begin querying for Normal by late January. Keep five queries in circulation at all times.
Note that the goal didn't say "get an agent." To me, that was just setting myself up for failure. It was enough to do what I COULD control: send out the queries. I sure didn't expect to get two offers of representation and have an agent in mid-March.
2) Continue participation on OWW and hone my writing skills.
I have stayed active on OWW all year, but I'll be leaving the site in 2012 and relying on Codex instead.
3) Continue to send out submissions to smaller contests and publications, always having at least seven stories/essays/poems on submission.
I think my submissions dropped to 4 or 5 at a few points, but I've managed to keep stories in circulation. It's weird how the acceptances and rejections seem to come in waves.
4) Write at least one new story and make one new short story submission a month (the Light Ray option) from Write 1 Sub 1.
W1S1 has been one of my greatest motivators this year. I've sold a lot of the stories I have written through the program, and there were several months where I probably wouldn't have written any short fiction at all but I did, just because of W1S1.
5) Aim for another pro (SFWA-listed) publication in 2011.
I had a qualifying sale to Daily Science Fiction. I still need one more to apply (making a total of three pro short story sales) for full membership in SFWA.
6) Aim for another essay publication in a major anthology like Chicken Soup.
Done. I have an essay in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens that came out in July.
7) Continue to participate in 50book challenge and LibraryThing, reading at least 50 books during 2011 and posting reviews for all.
Done. I read 91 books this year, which means I topped the 87 I read in 2010.
8) Finish the rough draft of Minstrels of Fate by the Ides of March. Start posting on OWW by May 1st.
Done. I ended up finishing the rough draft on March 1st and started posting it on OWW in March.
9) Participation in NaNoWriMo 2011? If prudent, go for it; if not, forgive myself, or set some other writing goal for November.
Ah, I am so thankful for my foresight. I was afraid I would feel guilty for missing Nanowrimo for the first time in 10 years. However, since I wrote the full draft of Clockwork Dagger in September and October, I felt pretty darn accomplished.
10) Maintain my professional website and promptly update with any publication news.
Done. And I need to do another update this weekend because I have new, professionally-done author pictures.
11) Don't give up. I've come a long way in the past year and there's plenty of mountain left to climb. If tired of climbing, use dynamite.
I think I need to go on Amazon and order me some dynamite...
In all... yeah, the year didn't turn out too badly. I emerged with an agent, a pile of new publication credits, and I feel like I'm in a good place for 2012.
I'll post my 2012 goals tomorrow!
1) Begin querying for Normal by late January. Keep five queries in circulation at all times.
Note that the goal didn't say "get an agent." To me, that was just setting myself up for failure. It was enough to do what I COULD control: send out the queries. I sure didn't expect to get two offers of representation and have an agent in mid-March.
2) Continue participation on OWW and hone my writing skills.
I have stayed active on OWW all year, but I'll be leaving the site in 2012 and relying on Codex instead.
3) Continue to send out submissions to smaller contests and publications, always having at least seven stories/essays/poems on submission.
I think my submissions dropped to 4 or 5 at a few points, but I've managed to keep stories in circulation. It's weird how the acceptances and rejections seem to come in waves.
4) Write at least one new story and make one new short story submission a month (the Light Ray option) from Write 1 Sub 1.
W1S1 has been one of my greatest motivators this year. I've sold a lot of the stories I have written through the program, and there were several months where I probably wouldn't have written any short fiction at all but I did, just because of W1S1.
5) Aim for another pro (SFWA-listed) publication in 2011.
I had a qualifying sale to Daily Science Fiction. I still need one more to apply (making a total of three pro short story sales) for full membership in SFWA.
6) Aim for another essay publication in a major anthology like Chicken Soup.
Done. I have an essay in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens that came out in July.
7) Continue to participate in 50book challenge and LibraryThing, reading at least 50 books during 2011 and posting reviews for all.
Done. I read 91 books this year, which means I topped the 87 I read in 2010.
8) Finish the rough draft of Minstrels of Fate by the Ides of March. Start posting on OWW by May 1st.
Done. I ended up finishing the rough draft on March 1st and started posting it on OWW in March.
9) Participation in NaNoWriMo 2011? If prudent, go for it; if not, forgive myself, or set some other writing goal for November.
Ah, I am so thankful for my foresight. I was afraid I would feel guilty for missing Nanowrimo for the first time in 10 years. However, since I wrote the full draft of Clockwork Dagger in September and October, I felt pretty darn accomplished.
10) Maintain my professional website and promptly update with any publication news.
Done. And I need to do another update this weekend because I have new, professionally-done author pictures.
11) Don't give up. I've come a long way in the past year and there's plenty of mountain left to climb. If tired of climbing, use dynamite.
I think I need to go on Amazon and order me some dynamite...
In all... yeah, the year didn't turn out too badly. I emerged with an agent, a pile of new publication credits, and I feel like I'm in a good place for 2012.
I'll post my 2012 goals tomorrow!