My 2020 Writer Goals

Holy Cow you guys! I can’t believe a year has come and gone already and I am once again thinking about my goals. It seems like I just wrote a post for 2019! For anyone who is interested, you can check that post out here, but I will provide updates on my progress below.

In closing out 2019, I am reflecting on this past decade, in which I have personally experienced a ton of change and growth. For anyone who doesn’t know, in 1999 I purchased a flower shop, which I ran until December 2009 which saw me in a recession I just couldn’t pull out of. The decade that followed included: Breast Cancer, Earning my first College Degree, Writing 7 books, Publishing 5 and Winning Awards for my efforts, among other things. I have traveled more, stressed about the small stuff less, made wonderful new friends who share the same passions as I do, and found my way back to my love of floral design through my writing. The strange turn of events this past decade put me through makes me realize I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. “Embrace The Journey,” is something I try to live by each and every day.

Some of my experiences were good, some were not so good, but in the end we are the sum of our experiences and I am a firm believer in rolling with what life sends me. It occurred to me the other day that 10 years ago I was closing the door on a decade that was also monumental in my life. A lot can change in 10 years, so I believe it is a really good exercise to review what has happened, and release what no longer serves you. What scares and excites me is what the next decade will bring, and I have to say that I am much more prepared for it now, than I have ever been. I think reflecting on what has happened and where I want to go has been an invaluable exercise.

I have learned that no matter what comes my way, I will face it with resolve. I know if I dig deep enough, I can do it. And I know that I am nothing, if not tenacious, and will find a way to make it work. These are the same qualities that that I see in my children, which simultaneously exasperated me and fills me with an overwhelming sense of pride.

My theme word in 2019 was Patience, and I didn’t do too bad with it until the end of the year. A whole lot happened between friends and family, and it really took a toll on my emotional state. I definitely cut myself some slack, which is why book 4 will be out a little later than I had originally hoped. But looking back on the past decade, there was a whole lot of change going on, and the fact that I was able to accomplish all that I did still seems surreal to me. I believe that I need to go back to a past theme word this year, which I don’t mind since, at its core, it is what my series is all about.

So here is what I had planned for 2019, and I have added my honest account of where I am at with each goal. I didn’t do as bad as I had thought!

Finish edits on Twist of Fate (Prequel for Power of Four series) – Yes!

Publish Twist of Fate (Anticipate Mar 2019) – Double Yes, albeit a bit later!

Complete Edits on Sea of Dreams (Book 1) and Publish Third Edition (Don’t ask) – OMG! – AKA see 2020 goals

Finish edits on “Secret Squirrel” Paranormal Mystery & start the query process – Yes, although sadly they all ended in rejections so far…

Polish my pitch and find an Agent for said “Secret Squirrel” project – Yes, but still needs tweaking, or squeaking if you are a squirrel…more to follow

Complete and Publish Fourth Book in the Power of Four series (Anticipate Dec 2019) – First Drafts count? I practiced self-care and slowed my rolls after NaNoWriMo2019 which was when I worked on the draft. I finished it mid-December and it has been marinating ever since.

Complete fleshed out idea maps/outlines for back-burner projects – Yes, partially. Still have a few notes to make and some office set-up to do, but almost there!

Continue good 2018 habits:

Writing Daily – 1,000 words or more – Nope, but I did a whole lot better! More on this in 2020 Goals

Continue weekly blog posts and daily social media posts – Yes!

Write-Ins with other authors – 2x a week – Wrote way more with friends this year which was extremely helpful! Hoping to do more in 2020!

Attend monthly GDRWA meetings – we have some fantastic speakers! – Yes, only missed a couple, and am now part of the Board!

Attend RWA Convention in July! Can’t wait! – OMG! So much fun! You can link to my post-event article here.

And here is what I have planned for 2020…so far!

Complete Edits on Sea of Dreams (Book 1) and Publish Third Edition (Don’t ask)

Complete Edits and Publish Heaven on Earth (Book 4) by June 2020

Complete research on magick systems for Heaven on Earth

Clean up all versions of the books and launch a box set for The Power Of Four series

Edit and Redraft Secret Squirrel Project and Query the heck out of it through 2020

Draft and Complete 2 more in the Secret Squirrel series by end of 2020

Pitch secret squirrel at the RWA Convention in 2020 and find an Agent!

Research for my 2021 Single Title project and non-fiction reference book – so excited!

Learn and implement Ads/Marketing once series is complete

Take the Self-Publishing Course by Mark Dawson – Won it at my GDRWA Xmas Party!

This next year will be mainly tying up loose ends on past projects and making sure they are set so I can move on to the next shiny thing. However, I can see that this won’t really give me a whole lot of time to work on anything new, so I may need to write a few short stories in between just to keep my creative self happy. For anyone who has read the Power of Four series, let me know below if you want to know more about a character or situation. You might just see your idea come to life!

What are some of your goals in 2020? And if you had to pick a theme word for this next year, what would it be? I would love to know! In the meantime…

Happy Writing! XO

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