2019 Quarterly Writing Goals #1

It's a new year! Can you believe that? I can't.

With the new year comes big changes. I warned you all a while ago that I was changing my pseudonym slightly, and now it's official. All of my social media--unless I've accidentally overlooked one--has been changed to reflect my new pseudonym, and I've bought up the domains connected with my new pseudonym for my website (and so no one else can use them...how terribly rude of me). Actually, while we're on the subject, buying domains is a lot of fun! I'd say I'd found a new hobby, but at some point I'll run out of "mandigrace.whatever" to purchase and my hobby will be dead.

The coming of the new year also means that it is time for me to make my quarterly writing goals! Let's start this off by explaining what exactly are quarterly writing goals: they are simply goals related to writing that I try to accomplish within a three month period. Write a book. Edit a book. Research a new publishing platform. Etcetera. I make goals because they motivate me and force me to be productive. And I post them online for a bit of accountability (and public shaming when necessary).

So, how did I do with the last quarter of 2018?

Goal #1 was to write A Promise to Keep, which is the sequel to Return to Sherwood--which incidentally will be published later this year! Keep your eyes peeled, folks! Anyway, the question is, did I write A Promise to Keep? And the answer is, I wrote most of it. I'm over 60,000 words into this novel, but I haven't reached the end yet. This is going to be my longest book to date.

Goal #2 was to become familiar with IngramSpark, seeing as I intend to publish Return to Sherwood and all future novels through them. I did not, however, do this.

Goal #3 was to update all things to Mandi Grace...which I didn't actually do in 2018. I started this project, but never finished it.

Goal #4 was outlining The Cure, a fantasy novel I hope to eventually write one day. I did not outline this novel.

Goal #5 was to world build for that fantasy novel I expect to write someday...I did not do this either.

Goal #6 was, of course, to keep up with social media and vlogs. This was hit and miss as always.

Well, the last quarter of the year looks on paper like I did nothing. But the fact remains that I wrote over 60,000 words in A Promise to Keep, and I'm not at all disappointed with my work ethic. Goals 4 and 5 were postponed until I finished the novel I'm writing, and I haven't finished yet because it is a much longer story than I anticipated.

Now, what are my goals for the first three months of this brand new year? And have I, in fact, already completed some of them? Why, yes. Yes, I have. That's a first.

Finish A Promise to Keep  I am so close to being done with the first draft of this novel! I just need to actually finish it.

Explore IngramSpark  If I plan on publishing anything this year, as I most certainly do, I definitely need to do my research and get comfortable with the publishing process on this new platform.

Outline The Cure  This all depends on if I actually finish what I have now dubbed 'the never-ending novel', but assuming I do reach a conclusion with A Promise to Keep, I will move on to my fantasy novel.

Change everything to Mandi Grace  Already done! Just finished that project today, in fact.

Worldbuild The Cure  A very important step to any fantasy novel...which will only take place if I finish A Promise to Keep. Sometimes I feel like I'm basically putting my whole life on hold until I finish that novel. We'll get there....we'll get there.

Edit Return to Sherwood  A crucial step to publishing a book. I am going to get Return to Sherwood out to my editors and see what happens. Hopefully it isn't the worst book ever written. We shall see.

Read/Edit books More than one amateur author has asked me to inspect their work recently, and I haven't been great about finishing those projects. So I will do that this quarter, for sure.

Of course I will be trying to keep up with social media and vlogs as well.

I didn't put "Publish Return to Sherwood" on this list because a publication date depends almost entirely on my editors right now. Therefore, Return to Sherwood will have to wait until the second or third quarter of the year. We'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

So that's that. I didn't do many goals in the last quarter of 2018, but I did write a whole bunch of words. I anticipate the first quarter of 2019 will be much more productive.


In the meantime, Happy Writing, everybody!