hello 2020 | writing goals

The second part of my usual NYE round up is always resolutions.  Or maybe more like plans than resolutions, or perhaps an equal mix of both.  I always have three main ones that I try to make guide the year:

1. Be productive
2. Be happy
3. Be healthy(ish)

These could probably be a template for all areas, from art & writing, from work to relationships, and definitely play out a bit in the intention setting I like to do in various areas of my life, ie if something no longer makes you happy, or if a situation/circumstance is toxic, move away quickly. Have good attitudes about rejection, professional jealousy, insecurities, how to  not let them run you.  Don't be affected by other people's insecurites.  Work hard, but also take time to actually enjoy the process not just the product.  To not just move on to the next thing.  For the year not to just be a series of checked off lists.  All good general guidelines, but I also like having a roadmap in terms of where I might wamt to go while keeping all these in mind. 

Since the post was running a bit long and unruly, I decided to break it down into more manageable bits addressing various areas I like to set goals in--writing & art, the press, library, and personal.  I'll be posting different parts throughout the course of this new week as we wander into it, beginning with my hopes for writing this year.

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1. I would, of course, as much as I can get back to writing daily.  I miss the feeling of accomplishment it brings.  That even if a day was a total wash or disaster otherwise, I did write something I had to show for it, even if it was not so good.  And again, like a runner, I feel the daily writing made me stronger, better, in my work, even if it didn't always yield genius.

2.  I still have the entirety of two more longer books completed and just needing some work.I would like to get these wrapped up and maybe draw up some sort of submission plan for them. Since there are a lot of book projects in the mix, I don't know what that looks like just yet, but I would like to get a start on it.

3.  While my 100 rejections plan was ultimately a bust, I did get a few publications out of it I might not have gotten otherwise. Looking at Submittable I only sent out around 20 things, garnering 13 rejections and 7 acceptances.  Maybe I should just aim to get a given number of submissions out, wherever they fall, so perhaps 30 sounds do-able, 50 if I am feeling really ambitious.

4.  With the new book coming out in April, I'd like to be a bit more intentional when it comes to release and promotion.  My past few full-lengths always dropped in weird and chaotic times, so I've only occasionally even actually planned a release party. I'd also like to work at getting some more review copies in hands, a book trailer, social media marketing etc and actually have some sort of plan laid out beforehand for these. Also, just planning more readings in general in the aftermath, which I've never really done with purpose before.

5.  I still have bits and pieces underway of the library-related memoirish project, but I feel like it needs more work and fine tuning, and ultimately just MORE, so I'd like to do some work on this in hopes of getting something like a pulled-together draft by the end of the year.


6.  I think I always include that I want to blog more, but this past year, I actually hit this one out of the park.  I had upward of 250 posts--a high not seen since 2007 (and given, in those years, I used the blog much like I do social media now, this year's crop are definitely more full-bodied content. I'd like to aim for blogging daily.  It's probably not that tenable given general life things.  But it's a noble endeavor.  It might be as simple as being a little more intentional in my content-planning and having a ready list of things to write about so that when I have time, it's just a go.