Goodreads Challenge
Goal 75 Books
Did Not Complete
2012 Debut Author Challenge
Goal 12 Books
Did Not Complete
Instead of recapping my failures (depressing) and making excuses (lame), I'm going to reflect on the things I did accomplish this year:
1) I wrote more blog posts in 2012 than I did in 2011 (despite taking a 3 month hiatus), and made lots of new friends along the way :)
2) I took 12 credits in graduate courses and now have 36 out of 48 credits towards my Masters degree. I have just one class and my thesis to go!
3) I wrote tens of thousands of words for my novel as well as researching topics that were completely unfamiliar to me like the history of metalworking and properties of metal. I will undoubtedly finish my first draft this winter and that makes me happy!
Goals for 2013
Goodreads Challenge: I'm going to set my goal lower than 2012 but higher than 2011. Hopefully, that middle ground will be the right number. My goal will be 60 books.
Debut Author Challenge: I really want to do a better job on this challenge. It turns out that I purchased a bunch of debut novels, but it was the reading them that got me in trouble. I'm going to have to schedule one book per month and set deadlines for myself. I work well that way, with a little more structure. So I'm going to set a goal of one book a month or 12 books total.
Reading Goals: I want to diversify my reading selections. I tend to read more fantasy and sci-fi, but would like to also read more historical fiction (which I enjoy), mysteries (which I loved as a kid), and contemporary (which is growing on me). I also want to pay more attention to publishers and diversify my reading in that way. I also will be reading as many steampunk books as possible, so if you see a good steampunk book, send it my way!
Writing Goals: I will be finishing my first draft of my steampunk novel this winter, which will be my thesis for my Masters. I will be revising over the Spring and Summer, and be done by August 2013. Hopefully, I can start the query process Fall of 2013. My next writing project (since this novel is a steampunk standalone) will likely be the dystopian trilogy that I put on hold. I had a major revelation while studying dystopians over the summer, and figured out how to break away from the typical dystopian format. I have a major twist that I'm really excited to explore, which should distract me from the nerves of querying.
Blogging Goals: I want to maintain an every-other-day posting schedule, with two-thirds of my posts being book posts and one-third being writing posts. I'd love to look into co-hosting an event or doing some giveaways, but that really depends on big changes in my real life and how they'll impact me (jobs, moving, money, etc.)
2013 could have a lot of changes in store for me, especially as I'm completing my Masters and pursuing job/career changes. I hope these big changes won't get in the way of my goals, but regardless, I'm optimistic that 2013 is going to be a fun year :)
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Congrats on all you accomplished in 2012! I hope 2013 is an even better year. I want to keep track of the number of books I read this year, too. I used to do it somewhat in the past. That's great about your writing- I hope you have a lot of success querying in the fall. It's nerve-wracking, but worth trying. I want to write more this year so I can start querying again. :)
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Thanks! Best wishes to you this year too!
DeleteGood luck on everything for 2013. I think staying positive is exactly the way to stay! And I can't wait to read the post where you tell us that you have completed your first draft!!
ReplyDeleteMe too!!! I've had so much fun writing this novel, but I can't wait to see it finished and revised and ready to share with people :)
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