The Coileáin Chronicles
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Go Big or Go Home (2018 Goals)
Happy New Year, everyone! May it somehow be better than last year.
So, it has become my habit to set a series of goals on the first of the year to be completed by the end of the year. These are big, bold goals, or occasionally very silly things. One year, I set a goal to eat more donuts. Don’t ask me how I intended to measure my success with that goal, but at least I had a reason to eat a lot of donuts.
Because, you know, I need reasons to eat a lot of donuts.
But there shall be no donut goals this year. Instead, I am laying out my biggest, toughest, boldest (possibly stupidest) goals yet. And yeah, there’s an excellent chance that I shall outright fail, but I like to think that there’s also the outside possibility that I might not. Or perhaps I’ll fall somewhere in the middle. Regardless of where I end up come December, I feel like bold is the way to go this year. To paraphrase a line from an episode of The West Wing (and you shall receive super ultra mega bonus points if you can name the episode), if I’m going to run into a wall, I’m going to do so at full speed.
So…just remind me of that when, in six months’ time (or six days’ time…), I’m hiding under my desk and crying into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.
Let’s begin…
The Writing Goal
This is the goal by which my entire year is always measured. I don’t care if I achieve everything else on this list. If I haven’t accomplished what I wanted to do here, my year has been a failure. Which is, perhaps, not super healthy, but it is the truth. That said, here are my truly insane writing goals for 2018:
1. Publish Second Nature. If for no other reason that I’m so sick of having to write out this goal every January. And I’m close. Just so, so close. I hope.
2. Publish Vinnie & Ellie (working title). This is that (potentially crappy) romance novel I’ve been playing with off and on for a while. I’d love to have it available for this big book fair I have coming up this year, so it’s on the list. And yes, I realize this means I’ll have to come up with a much better title for it. And, you know, finish it.
3. Publish book of work-related sarcastic haiku. I’d love to have this available for the same book fair as mentioned above. I have half a plan for this book, and I’m looking forward to working out the rest. Including a title. The working title is Retail Rhapsody, but I think I need something better.
4. Complete first draft of Full Circle, otherwise known as Book Three of my fantasy series. I’m really looking forward to finally getting into this story. I mean, there’s a scene where my characters are happy (Well, happy-ish. For a couple of paragraphs, anyway…All right, fine. Maybe just the one paragraph. Or the first half of that paragraph. Still, they’re happy. Ish.) and that’s just so weird. I can’t wait to find out where this story will end up because I know it’s probably nowhere near where I think it will end. I mean, I am totally in control of my characters and what they do.
The Reading Goal
I create one of those Goodreads challenges every year, too. Last year was 40 books. This year, I’ve decided to go with 52. Because I don’t already have enough planned for this year.
The Fitness Goal
As I reached my 2017 mileage goal with relative ease, I’ve decided to up this year’s goal as well. Instead of running, walking, or biking at least 3 miles each day, I’m aiming for a yearly total of 1500 miles, which comes out to approximately 4.10 miles each day. I know I won’t actually log 4.10 miles each and every day, though. Unless I get one of those treadmill desks. Well, maybe not even then.
The other part of my fitness goal is to start doing yoga again. I fell out of the habit a while ago, and I really want to get back into it to see if it can help with my chronic back issues. I plan to start off with two yoga workouts a week with the intention of moving up to three someday.
And I think that’s where I’m going to cap the goals this year. There’s more than enough on that plate, and I’ll drive myself crazy enough as it is.
Wish me luck! (or just call the men with the giant butterfly nets to come and take me away now because I have so very obviously lost it…)
Did you set any goals and/or resolutions for 2018?
Editing Update
All right, so this blog has been largely ignored this entire year. Because that is what I do. But, in the event that you don’t already know, I have been working on releasing into the world the second book in my fantasy series, Second Nature.
With mixed results. Naturally.
The going has been slow, progress has been minimal, and I fluctuate daily (sometimes hourly) between loving and not loving this story. Right now, I’m in the latter category.
Which is not to say that I hate my book. Because I don’t. (Well, maybe on occasion.) It’s more…I don’t trust how things are going, or that I have managed to do anything even remotely close to the way it should actually be done.
You know, normal things.
Yet, despite of this, I seem to be making some semblance of progress.
Here’s how the To-Do list was looking when I started this “final” editing stage about a month ago:
—Implement the proofreader’s corrections/suggestions
—Complete corrections on the editing run-off list you will inevitably compile while implementing the proofreader’s corrections/suggestions
—Complete front and back matter (Acknowledgments, Bio, and Blurb)
—Contact formatter/book designer and get on her schedule
Where Things Are Today:
—Implement the proofreader’s corrections/suggestions
Done.
—Complete corrections on the editing run-off list you will inevitably compile while implementing the proofreader’s corrections/suggestions.
Nearly done. There’s one sentence with which I’m still not super happy. Just haven’t hit upon the right wording yet. It’s possible that I’m being entirely too picky about it, but I suppose there’s no way to know for sure.
—Complete front and back matter (Acknowledgments, Bio, and Blurb)
The bio is done, and the blurb is…mostly done. There’s one sentence in the blurb with which I’m not entirely pleased, but I don’t know how to fix it yet. Or even if it needs to be fixed. I’m still working on the acknowledgements page. I’m struggling to find the right flow. Transitions in and out of paragraphs, and whatnot. Occasionally, I’m tempted to just write “YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHY I LOVE YOU” and call it good, but they deserve better than that.
—Contact formatter/book designer and get on her schedule
Yeah. So here’s the thing…apparently, the woman who did the book design and formatting for Effigy is no longer in the book design and formatting business. Which is a bummer because I was looking forward to just handing over the manuscript and saying, “Please do what you did with the first one.” But now, instead, I have to find a new designer. I haven’t started that hunt yet, but I imagine I will be soon. I’m running out of other things to do. Though I do seem to be making those other things last as humanly possible.
Once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator, I guess.
But, however long it takes, I’ll keep working at it. And I’ll try to keep you informed of the progress.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Maybe This Time
Happy New Year, everyone! May it be somehow better than that dumpster fire known as 2016.
This is my now-traditional start-of-the-year post in which I lay out my big goals for the coming year. (note: these are just the broad, ultimate goals. The breakdown as to how I might actually accomplish said goals does exist, but for brevity’s sake, I don’t share it in this post.)
Usually, this post begins with a recap of how well I did with the goals from the year before, but we’ll be skipping that portion this time around. Mostly because I have a lot of the exact same goals. Mostly because I failed to accomplish them the first time around.
But it’s okay. I’m totally cool with it. Really.
Well…maybe not.
Onto the goals! First up, as always, is…
The Writing Goal
Publish Second Nature.
As it was featured on various social media sites multiple times over the last year, you may remember this picture:
It was taken on the first of January 2016, and marked the start of my editing process. Turns out, I can post it again today because I. Am. Still. Editing. Part of this is because of the amount of time I was forced to take off last year, but a larger (and much more important) part is that I’m not yet happy with it. I can’t put out a book I’m not happy with, so that’s that.
As of this post, I have nine scenes across five chapters still awaiting my attention. Four of which I have absolutely no idea how to improve to my satisfaction. (There’s a woman in my critique group who believes I have some kind of manuscript dysmorphia. Which is probably a blog post in itself.) The other scenes are, in theory anyway, easier fixes. Just time-consuming.
At any rate, finishing these freaking edits once and for all is Priority #1.
Then I’ll worry about the rest of it. (Except that’s kind of a lie. I worry about everything all the time.)
I’m aiming for a May 30th release. I know that’s only five months away. And I know I’m probably just going to end up watching as it sails on by, but I have a book fair event scheduled for the start of June, and I would really love to have Second Nature ready for that event. Again, I don’t know how realistic a goal this is (It’s not. At all.) but go big or go home, right?
The Reading Goal
Read 40 books this year.
This goal just keeps shrinking and shrinking. I used to set much larger reading goals, but keep on falling short. Last year, I only managed to read thirty-something books. Low thirties, even. Not my best showing. I must improve in this area.
The Fitness Goal
A few years ago, I was actually in a good fitness routine. Regular work-outs, actual willpower when it came to oversized baked goods, that kind of thing—and I was healthier and happier. (I think. It’s been a while.) And then, something happened. I don’t remember what the something was, but I fell out of the habit, and it’s gotten worse since I’ve been living in this ridiculous, entirely-too-warm, swamp state Florida. (I do not like to go outside in Florida. I like to sit in front of my air conditioner and weep.)
Hence, my goal is to get back into that fitness routine. Some way, some how. Probably not jogging, though…
The De-Cluttering Goal
This is probably pretty self-explanatory. There’s way too much clutter in certain parts of the house (i.e., the rooms I happen to inhabit. I don’t know why.) and I would like to change that. Or, at least improve on it. We’ve been in the Florida house for almost two years now (whimper…) and I still have a bunch of stuff in boxes. Which means I could probably get rid of all of it. Most of it. Well, maybe just some of it.
Anyway, it’s time to get organized and whatever. This goal, I like to think, will become Priority #1 once Second Nature actually makes it to the proofreader. I’ll need something else on which to focus then…
We’ll see how it goes, I guess.
Well, except for the books and weaponry, of course…
And on that note, I am outta here. Those edits will not complete themselves. I should know…I’ve certainly waited long enough for that to happen.
Did you set any goals for 2017?
The Year of Doing Better (The 2016 Edition)
Happy New Year, everyone!
This is my now-traditional post where I lay out my goals for the brand-new year. I have a lot planned for this year, partly because I like to set myself big and challenging goals, but it’s mostly because I had a pretty terrible 2015, where goals were concerned.
I now feel the need to make for that.
So here we go…
The Writing Goals
1. Publish Second Nature.
If you follow me on other social media sites, you may have already seen this picture:
That is my manuscript—all 841 pages, and 325,000 words of it. I’m aiming to edit approximately 60 pages a day (Naturally, I’m already behind) with the hopes of getting it into the hands of the beta readers in February (Do you hear that, beta readers of mine? I’m coming for you…). After that I don’t know. There’s just darkness and some dragons (Name! That! Reference!) but should we get through the darkness and the dragons, we’ll working toward publication.
2. Complete first draft of Full Circle.
Full Circle is book three in my fantasy series. There’s currently no real plan for it because the events of Second Nature blew the original plan to smithereens. So this year will be about figuring out a new plan and getting the damn thing written. I honestly don’t have a lot of faith that I can accomplish this goal this year, given the other writing goal that’s in play, but I’m going to be working on it anyway, so why not make it a goal?
The Reading/Blogging Goals
1. Read 50 books this year.
I really dropped the ball on the reading goal last year. I had a goal of 60 books, and only managed about 32. My personal worst, by a long shot. This year. the number is set at 50 in order to accommodate that whole “publishing a book” goal I have. I will admit, though, it kind of makes me feel like a slacker.
2. Be better about reviewing the books I read.
I used to do this all the time, but for some reason I fell out of the habit of doing so. I need to correct that. There’s really nothing more to be said.
3. Be better about updating this blog.
My reading and reviewing were not the only things to be neglected last year. My Pet Blog was woefully ignored, so I’d like to get back to my old blogging schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Friday, with Fridays being set aside for guest posts. So if you’re an author out there with a book or two or twelve that you’d like to promote, please let me know! Otherwise, I might have to talk about all the TV I watch.
The Fitness Goals
1. Walk, run, or bike at least 750 miles this year.
Another goal I neglected last year. Don’t want to do it again. I’m not off to a very good start, but I can totally catch up. Probably.
2. Eat healthier.
I add this goal to the list every damn year. I have yet to accomplish it. But perhaps 2016 will be my year. Probably won’t because I have zero willpower where cake is concerned, but it makes me feel better if I at least say I’m going to attempt it. But stranger things have happened, so who knows?
I do. I know.
And on that happy note, I’m going to sign off for the day. I still have a good 700 pages to read and edit. I wonder how many highlighters and red pens I’ll go through. Place your bets below!!
Come On, Get Happy
Some time toward the end of last month, I managed to do something that I quite honestly never thought I would do.
I finished writing Second Nature.
So, you may be wondering why, if such a momentous occasion occurred, you didn’t see a post filled with some choice Happy Dance gifs such as the following:
And maybe just one more (because I can never resist using this gif when it suits the situations…)
Doing posts filled with Happy Dance gifs has become my habit/tradition upon the completion of a draft. Well, maybe ‘habit/tradition’ is too strong a word/phrase. I mean, I did do it that one magical time that I actually managed to finish a draft, but I didn’t do that post this time. So maybe it’s not a habit or a tradition or anything else.
But whatever you call it, or don’t call it, I didn’t do it this time.
Because, here’s the thing: When it comes to the finishing of this monster novel of mine (and at 325,000 words, it really is a monster), I’m feeling more like this:
Maybe I’m just tired. Or sad. Or both.
Or maybe I’m just not happy with how it turned out.
I mean, I know it’s the third one. Of course it’s the third one. The other two may be contributing factors, but the truth is that I am not happy with how it turned out. I just think I screwed it up.
Now, if I came on the blog and talked about how pleased I was with my work, you’d all be running for the hills trying to escape the invasion of the body snatchers, or whatever, because me being hyper critical of all I do or don’t so (*coughcough* exercise *coughcough*) is just what I do. Along with being sarcastic and worshiping at the altar of Joss Whedon.
But I did the Happy Dance post before, so even if I wasn’t particularly pleased with what I had written (and given that I’m still me, you know I wasn’t), I was pleased that I had done the writing. I was pleased to have written.
This time…not so much.
And it’s stupid, too, to feel this way, given that the manuscript in question is in its first draft. First drafts don’t have to be good. They just have to be written. They just have to be done, and I did that.
So why am I not happy about it?
Right now, it’s sitting in a drawer where it will remain until I decide to look at it again. It’ll be a month, at least. Probably two. Maybe three. Maybe I’ll never look at it again.
Probably not that last one.
Time away between drafts is a good thing, I think. It allows one to look at a story with fresh eyes, which makes needed edits much more obvious and clear. It is my hope that time away will not only give me those vital fresh eyes but will also get me to that Happy Dance place (I don’t know why I keep capitalizing Happy Dance. It just happens.).
I want this story to be good. Better than good, even. Or, as good as I am capable of making it, I suppose. This story contains my absolute favorite character, and I want to make sure I can do her story justice.
So I’m waiting. Patiently, as only I can.
D5 Creation