I have big plans for 2018. The new year probably isn’t aware of my plans, and likely doesn’t care. Every year I write a post, declaring my goals for the year, and by March it’s usually all out the window. I’m sure this year will be no different, but a girl can hope! Here we go…
1. New Website: This first one has pretty much already been accomplished. My new website, powered by WordPress, is streamlined and focused on what I’ve decided is important to me. I’m new to WordPress, but compared to Drupal, it’s much easier to use and I love all the features I now have access to.
2. Writing Contests: I listed this last year and I managed two submissions to The First Line, which is my favorite and my plan is to submit a story for all five prompts. The first story is due Feb 1st – 3000 words or less. And all the stories submitted have the same first line. I also like Writer’s Digest Your Story Competition. Sometimes they utilize a first line and sometimes its a picture. I’m also signed up to participate in the 85k challenge (85,000 words in 90 days) and I will participate in NaNoWriMo, as usual.
3. Newsletter: I’m still not convinced the newsletter is a good thing, but I really haven’t given it a fair trial, either. This year I’d like to grow the newsletter and be diligent on sending it out quarterly.
4. Writing Groups: I’m a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and through them I’ve found a couple of groups that I’ve joined but stayed on the outer circle. It’s a confidence issue, plus a time issue – but I know these groups will be useful – for networking, knowledge, and friendship – so I plan to make more of an effort to participate.
5. Read and Review: I did not do a great job at reading this year. I didn’t come anywhere close to my goal of 52 books and so my goal for 2018 is to definitely read more. I have plenty of books on my TBR list. I love to read and I know reviews are important to every author.
6. Write More During Free Time: I had this as a goal last year and with Scrivener available for iPhones and iPads, I could and did take my writing everywhere! I have access to all my novels at the tip of my fingers and I got quite a bit of writing done last year. I plan to keep it up again this year and have even fashioned some word count spreadsheets to keep me on track.
7. Work on The Heart Between: Eventually I plan to write a sequel for To Love Twice. Actually, my plan is to update and lengthen To Love Twice and re-release it, along with a selection of short stories called, The Heart Between. Then I will write the sequel. The sequel will center around Kate’s daughter, Mary, and she is also the central character in The Heart Between. Those short stories follow her through her childhood and into young adulthood. The sequel will be her story of finding her happy ever after.
8. Marketing: I hate marketing. I detest it. I wish it wasn’t a necessary evil or that I had someone else to handle it for me. But this is the route I chose and so marketing is part and parcel to my business. In my “spare” time this year, it is my plan to learn how to market myself. I need quick and easy, yet effective.
9. Publish: This was my number one goal last year but it didn’t happen. It’s on my goal list again, as it should be, but it’s not my number one priority. I want to publish well-written and enjoyable books…so if it takes me another year to get them out, then I will get okay with it. It will happen when it happens.
10. Breathe: I put a lot of pressure on myself to get these books done and I think sometimes it makes my muse disappear. Last year she took a six-month hiatus. The year before, she was gone for four months. I have to stop getting caught up in my self-imposed deadlines and just let the words and story flow. Like I said in number nine above, it will happen when it happens.
I think that about sums up my plans and goals for 2018. One goal I had last year, that I completely forgot about, was publishing my littles’s work to those free-reader sites. That is also going back on the to-do list.
Feel free to share your goals for the coming year in the comments.
Happy New Year!
xoxo
-Heather