Oh. My. Goodness. We've made it--2011, peeps! It just looks weird typing it. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. Where are the flying cars?
Besides that, Quita and I are uber-excited. This is the first time in a while that I've truly been optimistic about the New Year. Good things are on the horizon, I can feel it. We have our standard resolutions: eat right, exercise more, yadda yadda yadda. But for today's post, we really wanted to focus on our writing resolutions for 2011. So, without further ado...
Pam's Writing Resolutions
1. To revise the ending of Wants by the end of January and submit it to my super agent.
2. To complete my second contemporary YA manuscript and send to beta readers by March/April.
3. To revise my supernatural YA that I wrote for NaNo and see if it has any kind of potential (it's weird, but I've actually missed the characters. Maybe I do have something there...)
4. To settle on an idea for my third contemporary YA manuscript and outline it by this summer.
5. To try to write at least 500 words each day. If I can't reach that goal, then to NOT go more than three days without writing anything.
6. To continue to support the YA community by reading TONS of books. I'm shooting for at least 2 each month. Work and school will get in the way, but I'm determined to keep up with my reading.
7. To read more adult fiction. Reading Room was a revelation. I've been ignoring too much awesome writing outside YA, and I really miss Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, and Brett Easton Ellis. I would love to read at least six adult titles this year--one every other month.
8. Finally, wishful thinking, to get a BOOK DEAL. I know, I know--this isn't the most important thing, but it's been my dream since I could hold a crayon in my hand to see my name on the spine of my own published book. 11 has always been my favorite number, so maybe 2011 will be my year. :)
Quita's Writing Resolutions:
1. To complete my first contemporary YA manuscript by the end of January/early February.
2. To nab an agent with my historical YA manuscript, In Limbo.
3. To revise my NaNo supernatural YA manuscript by the end of March/early April--it's so lame, but maybe I can make something happen from it.
4. To complete our shiny YA idea inspired by Inception.
5. To read as much as possible so that I can continue to learn (especially more historical YA--The Book Thief, Fever:1793, and What I Saw and How I Lied, here I come!)
6. Ditto to Pam's adult fiction comment. I'm working on John Grisham's The Confession now.
7. To plot a new contemporary (or historical) YA by early June so that I can write it over the summer.
8. Again, ditto to Pam's comment about writing at least 500 words a day, or just writing SOMETHING each day.
9. Oh...and this might be complete wishful thinking since I don't even have an agent yet, but I wants me a book deal, too :)
Tell us, have you set your writing goals yet??
9 comments:
Pam, I definitely think it's a good thing that you can't get your NaNo characters out of your head! Sounds like you really could have something there...
And Quita, good luck! (And definitely read The Book Thief—it's amazing!)
these sound excellent! I especially like that you jumped right past the health/wellness/etc goals to the writing goals. Those are the ones that count, right?
I am super excited about this New Year! 1/1/11 seems like a good sign to me!
Pam - I have no doubt you will get a book deal, you have got an agent, girl! Let her work her magic. I absolutely cannot wait to buy a shiny copy of Wants when it finally hits the bookshelves! Ok, so maybe my shiny copy will be purchased digitally on my shiny Kindle :)
Quita - I feel your pain... I started writing again (FINALLY!) and I was super excited about my characters and plotline and sadly it is turning out to be rather lame. But I am still going because I want to prove to myself that I can complete a second novel. It may still be salvagable once I am done and reread it.
I love both of your lists of resolutions! 2011 will be an awesome year for both of you, I just know it! :)
Pam -- I'm crossing my fingers for you on the book deal resolution! You're uber-talented, and I'm sure more than one editors will agree!
Quita -- Oh! #4 sounds so, so exciting! I loved Inception (which was by far my favorite movie of the year), and am sure your YA will rock. Good luck with all your resolutions!
I have some of the same goals. Quita, I'd also like to gain representation this year. My reading goals are the reverse of yours. Instead I hope to read some YA novels, since I usually read more adult fiction. Good luck with your goals sisters! I think this will be a great year for us all, especially when August rolls around! ;)
My goal for this year is to finish writing and editing my first novel (I'm about 1/4th of the way through) and start sending out queries, as well as to start working on another novel! Hopefully it all works out well. :)
Great goals, you two! Best of luck in 2011. :)
Quita--the Book Thief is one of my all-time favorite books!
Pam--I also write YA (and read a ton of it), but I'm in a book club where we read adult literary fiction. I read at least 12 books a year that I might not ordinarily read, and it's been very good for my writing too.
Good luck w/ both of your goals in the new year!
These are great goals, ladies! Happy New Year!
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