The new year (and decade) is already going on for more than a week, and I have had some time to think about what I want to get out of this year in terms of my writing. And so, I’ve set up some goals for myself for 2020!
Reflecting a bit on last year, quite a bit has happened. I finally started taking my writing more seriously and decided I was finally going to write that novel. I’ve learned tons along the way by practicing with short stories, reading books and blogs about writing, story structure, and even marketing. I also started this website to really prove to myself I’m committed to this. And I did finish the very first draft of my very first book; it was an incredible feeling.
But now, we’re looking ahead! So here goes, my three goals for 2020:
1. Finishing my debut novel.
The most significant goal for me is to finish writing the book. It might be a bit much, considering it is my first book, and I still have a lot to learn, but I like to think it’s possible. Currently, I’m busy writing the second draft of the book (which consists more of rewriting entire scenes/passages/chapters than merely editing a few parts), and I’m about a quarter in. I’m confident that with some hard work and proper planning (still have my day job to go to), I’ll have written a book by the end of the year that I can be proud of. It probably won’t be published yet, but I daresay it will be published in 2021 (sorry to keep you all waiting, though).
2. Publish a short story in a journal.
Of course, I do want to give you stories to read while I’m working on the book, so you can expect several short stories to come your way. However, while it’s nice I can post them on my website so you all can read them immediately, I would love to have one published in a journal. So, that’s another goal for this year. It’s not an easy one, as journals receive a lot of stories and send out a lot of rejections, but I’m definitely going to try my best! And don’t worry, you’ll still get to read short stories on the website or download them to read on a device of your choosing.
3. Continue to build up the website and the email list.
From the start of this website, I’ve admittedly flaked a bit with. But my goal is to turn that around and to keep it regularly updated with things for you to read. This includes blog posts with updates on my writing, the book and personal life stuff, but also fun items like book reviews, short stories and whatever else I can come up with. I also want to grow the email list, as I enjoy having close contact with readers, and the email provides me to do so.
So, there you have it: my three main writing goals for 2020. What about you? Did you set any goals at the beginning of the year?
