Each year, like so many other people, I see the changing of the calendar as the perfect time to look back over the past twelve months and set goals for the next ones. It’s super helpful to me and I look back at my goals over and over during the year, whenever I feel myself going off course… They help keep me focused on the things I want to do, motivated when depression decides to rear its ugly head, and give me things to celebrate when I achieve them. Also? Posting them publicly helps make me feel accountable to someone (that would be you lol) and serves as motivation for the thing that is my motivation. Whee!

Because these goals are so integral to my life, I set them in a lot of categories, not just writing. It seems like a lot, but it works for me.

Health

• No drinking pop. Period.
• Lose 20 lbs
• Lower blood pressure (bonus points if I get to reduce my medication)
• Run 5k

School

• This degree is taking a ridonkulously long time. I need to finish another course toward completing it this year. Bonus points if I manage two, but it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that this is honestly more of a hobby than anything and it must not negatively effect my work.

Editing / Publishing

• Complete Fae and promote the hell out of it.
• Pursue other anthology ideas
  • I am really, really, really enjoying editing anthologies right now and I’d like to have at least one more under contract with a publisher by the end of 2014.
• Increase promotion efforts for Metastasis
  • I need to come up with a way to set actual concrete goals for promotion. Not only for Fae and Metastasis, but everything I edit and/or publish. Oh hey!
• Figure out a way to set concrete goals for promotion. Set concrete goals for promotion.
• Hold a successful fundraiser for Niteblade
• Produce a NaNoLJers anthology if interest exists
• Publish and promote A is for Apocalypse
• Solicit writers for B is for (haha not telling yet!) and begin that process
• Continue to edit and publish Niteblade, keeping it something I can be very proud of.
• Complete the edits on Grammy’s book

Writing

2014 is the year of the novel. It is because I say it is, damn it!

• Complete the novel currently known as ‘Hollow’
  • By ‘complete’ I mean have that sucker ready to start querying agents about
• Complete the first draft of at least two other novels
  • One of these may be one of my pen name projects
• Self-publish the zombie poetry book and complete my other plans for it
• Write 350 words a day, five days a week. So 1,750 words a week.
  • Yes. A week. It’s not huge, but I’ve got a lot of other stuff on this list, damn it! :-p
• Bundle up and self-publish more of my reprints
• Complete sekkrit collaborative project
• Participate in NovPAD and/or April PAD
• Anything with the word ‘NaNo’ in the title is optional
  • …except NaNoLJers. Set up prompts for odd-numbered Mondays

Reading

• Read at least 50 books.
  • Have 25% be non-fiction

Misc

• Create a publishing website (company name, etc. but only to publish my own projects.)
• Participate in A Month of Letters
• Do the Blogging from A to Z Challenge
• Blog at least once a week
• Shoot at least one roll of analog film per month
• Finish the ship cross stitch I started *mumble* years ago
• Complete the top of the quilt I’m doing in memory of my mother and post it on JoFigure
• Attend at least two writing conventions
  • Right now I’m hoping to make it to When Words Collide and World Fantasy but nothing is booked yet.

Looking forward, with these goals to help me define the trail, I am really looking forward to 2014. I hope it builds on the momentum that developed in 2013 and just keeps getting better.

ETA: Some goals under Misc.