2011 Writing Goals

My writing has been off-track for quite a while.  199 days ago, I began writing on 750words.com each and every day.  The idea was to write 750 words a day -- the equivalent of three hand-written pages.  The idea was to do Morning Pages, a technique designed to clear the mind in preparation for more serious writing.  I don't typically write in the morning, but I have done it each and every day since I began.  Tomorrow will be my 200th day, and I'm pleased that day with coincide with the end of 2010.  I will also earn a new "badge" (little motivations built into the site to keep people coming back) -- I will become a pterodactyl (assuming nothing keeps me from writing tomorrow), which I find amusing.  I look forward to continuing the streak into and throughout the new year.

I need and want to complete new work, but I also need to prepare first drafts for submission in hopes of gaining representation and, eventually, a publishing contract.  Barring that, I want polished work suitable for others' eyes.

For 2011, I want to finish my NaNo novel, Fooling Mother Nature, and finish revising Polar Bear on the Loose.   The goal is to write 250-500 words per day on the FMN as well as outline the rest of the book.  I want to finish revising PBOTL, using Holly Lisle's "How to Revise Your Novel" course,  by the end of the year.  I plan to spend 30 minutes per day on revision.  I like the idea of five days per week and up to two weeks off per year.

These are somewhat modest goals, but as Wendy said, seeking to get to the gym 5 days per week isn't cutting it.  Incremental steps are frequently the best way to integrate changes into our lives, and I'm experimenting with that.