one month in

For those who are interested, following is the status of all my resolutions and whatnot, one month in. I’m hoping that by doing a check-in of sorts I’ll keep on track.

1. Read 52 novels.

So far I have read 1 and a half novels. Not a great start, but I have enjoyed/am enjoying both books immensely. (Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan and Trilby by George Du Maurier. Yes, I’m eclectic.) Goal progression: OKAY, NOT GREAT.

2. Write at least six book reviews for Gracetopia.

0 for 6 so far, but I’m not really behind until the end of February. Goal progression: NEITHER POSITIVE NOR NEGATIVE.

3. EITHER finish BY and sub it to agents OR trunk BY.

Sigh. See Addendum Writing Goal below.

4. Finish the first draft of a TOTALLY DIFFERENT book.

Well, I know what books it’s going to be. Goal progression: STEP ONE COMPLETE.

5. Go to the gym twice a week

Sigh. *counts* Okay wait, I only marked 3 times on my calendar this month but I’m sure it’s been at least 5. Goal progression: GET WITH THE PROGRAM, GRACE.

6. Live like the bombshell I really am.

Obviously I am rocking this. Goal progression: ROCKING IT.

7. Bonus secret goal having to do with finances

I’m really proud of myself I am doing SO WELL with this one! Goal progression: ON TRACK.

Addendum January writing goal:

write 600 words/day in BY.

Hm. Well. *checks sidebar* Two days of success, one day of partial success? Fuck that. Fuck THAT, I say.

The writing is on the wall. It’s time for me to accept that this shit is NOT working. So. I’m putting BY aside. I’m going to work on a new project. I’m going to spend maybe an hour a week on BY, trying to finish so that I can say I finished, but it’s going to be my back burner project.

So. Shiny new project ahoy!

I think over all I am doing slightly below average as far as my goals goal. Not a great way to start, but FEBRUARY WILL BE BETTER yeahyuh.

So how are you all doing on your New Year’s Resolutions? (if you made any) Roll call!

writing goal: January

Because ’tis the season for goals n things.

I think—we’ll see if it lasts more than one month—I might try a new writing goal for every month. To keep me focused. And having a short, discrete goal sounds much less hard than “Finish Novel by June.”

So I think for January my goal is: write 600 words/day in BY.

600 is a small enough number that I could actually accomplish it. But it’s enough words that I could perhaps finish the draft by the end of the month, which then leaves me mountains of time to complete the rest of my BY-related goal.

So here we go. New goal. New plan. I can do this. Rawr.

For the newly-initiated, BY is my codename for the manuscript that is eating my soul.

 

time for some new goals fuck yeah

Okay! Having failed spectacularly at my 2010 goals, what should I plan to fail at spectacularly in 2011?

No wait, that’s the wrong attitude.

Moving on.

1. Read 52 novels. I’ve been keeping track of the books I’ve been reading this year, and I feel incredibly unaccomplished. (So far I’m up to 32, and half of them are graphic novels/comics compilations which… only sorta count, barely.) So. 52 novels. I will keep a separate list of any comic-format books I read, and if the numbers are looking tight come December maybe I’ll start counting things like Watchmen.

2. Write at least six book reviews for Gracetopia. While putting together another post I realized I’ve only written one book review this year. ONE. wtf. I was thinking I’d make myself write one monthly, but that sounds hard so I’m aiming for six.

3. EITHER finish BY and sub it to agents OR trunk BY. I’m only giving myself til June 30 for this one.

4. Finish the first draft of a TOTALLY DIFFERENT book. I have a few percolating, so this will mean taking one of those beginnings and running with it.

5. Go to the gym twice a week (aiming small here, hopefully will go more). Exceptions are allowed when I am on vacation/traveling for work/sick. Goal is canceled if I decide not to renew my gym membership in August. (I’m going to keep track of the months that I meet this goal, so that if I screw up in say February I can still have an 11/12 record and haven’t totally failed the year.)

6. Live like the bombshell I really am.

7. Bonus secret goal having to do with finances that is really none of your business, internet. Mwah mwah.

So there we have it!

Bring it, 2011. I am so ready.

update on 2010 goals and resolutions

Last year I wrote the obligatory “goals for the new year” post, so. Let’s see how I did! I haven’t actually looked at these since last January so I’m expecting a big pile of failsauce.

Finish my WIP. Not any WIP. This one. BY. The one that I’ll have been working on 2 years in March. I am going to fucking finish this thing or die trying.

Lolzers. Still working on it. BUT I AM SO CLOSE GUYS REALLY SO CLOSE.

Write a query letter for BY. Even if it’s not query-worthy by the end of the year, I’m going to write a letter. If BY is query-worthy, then I will add onto this goal “mailing the query letter,” but we will cross that bridge when it gets to us.

Hmmm yeah. Forgot about this one.

Write and submit a short story. Not even get it published. I aim small. Just submit. Also, I am horrible at short stories. Ugh.

Nope! Didn’t even start writing a short story.

Lose 20 lbs. I am tired of people suggesting I go on or assuming I already am on a diet. Fuck you all. I’ll lose 20 lbs.

Well, I joined a gym. That’s a start, right? I think my problem is I just don’t care enough about losing weight to actually put the effort into doing it. And I’d rather eat a mound of pasta and be happy than eat a bowl of lettuce and be cranky. I’m all about being happy. We’ll see if I include this in 2011′s goals…

Eat better. (This is not necessarily related to the previous goal.) I’ve starting eating out/prepared food SO MUCH because I am SO LAZY—but NO LONGER. You can tell I’ll stick to this goal because of all the caps.

I alternate here. Some weeks I’m like NOM NOM NOM FROZEN PIZZA AND TWIZZLERS and some weeks I actually make almost every meal I eat. I’ve started eating better when I go out, too, less meat-and-potatoes and more palak paneer. So I’m going to call this a draw.

Write at least 500 words per day. I was going to make this 1000, but I know I’ll fail if I do that. So. 500. That’s easy, right?

Lolzers.

Hmmm, once again I’ve failed at all my New Year’s Resolutions. Insert shocked face. Do we think 2011 will be any better? New goals coming soon. (to a theater near you.)

NaNo, one month later

So. It’s December 1st, and National Novel Writing Month is officially over. You may recall my “beginning of NaNo” post, the highlight of which is probably this bit:

So. I’m giving myself one more month. My goal for November has nothing to do with wordcount and everything to do with finishing. I am going to attach myself to the momentum of NaNo and finish. this. novel.

Or I’m putting it away.

A goal bundled up with a threat. So, how’d I do?

Well. I didn’t finish.

But. And hear me out here. I got over the tipping point. I’m currently at 58,600+ words, but more importantly I feel like I’ve gotten past the point of no return. I’ve gone from hoping I will finish this novel to actually thinking it will happen. I can see the end. I can hear it, smell it, almost touch it. I am so close.

So I’m extending my deadline. (…in which Grace shocks the internet….) I’m now giving myself til Saturday, which doesn’t seem like a large amount of time but I actually think I can get a lot done if I apply myself.

What is more likely is that come Saturday I will give extend my deadline further to next Thursday, which is when I return from a conference. Lonely hotel rooms are good for writing—you can only watch so much Law and Order.

So basically what I’m saying is that I want to have a finished draft one week from today. AND. More importantly. I think maybe I will.

Fingers crossed, guys! Here I go!

ADDENDUM: Please note how I thought yesterday was Thursday. Long week LOL.

goals and failure

This post isn’t going to be nearly as depressing as its title suggests.

I had plans. Goals. Ideas. I was going to put in a final push and finish this draft of The Novel of Doom by the end of May. Which the astute among you will note was last Monday. I did not finish. So then I was like, “okay, I’ll finish before I go to New York on Sunday.” Which the astute among you will notice is on Sunday. I will not finish. (That’s not said in an Eeyore-tone, it’s just a fact. I can’t write that much that fast.)

So I need a new goal. A feasible one.

I’m really bad at meeting goals. (If you’ve been reading for more than like two months you’ve probably realized this.) Maybe it’s because I’m bad at setting them? I dunno. But I’m going to try again. Because I need to finish the NoD.

I’m thinking I should give myself two more weekends’ worth of time, not counting this weekend because it doesn’t count. I mean, I’m traveling, it won’t really work. Writing on the bus never works for me. And yes I will write during the week but having full days to devote to it will be better.

SO

New goal?

Midnight June 20. Finished novel. Wha-bam.

Oh hey! June 21 is the first day of summer.

THIS IS A SIGN, PEOPLE. A SIGN.

2010 goals, so far

Since I know everyone is fascinated with the trials and tribulations of my life, I thought I’d give y’all a brief update on how my New Year’s goals are going. (Poorly, is the cliff’s notes version.)

I mean, most everything is a long-term 2010 goal. The finishing, the eating better, etc. However, there was one you may recall:

Write at least 500 words per day.

Okay guys, game time! Guess how many days this year I have managed to do this. Guess! Guess!

Those of you who guessed “zero” all get a prize. Here, have a chocolate bunny.

So yeah. So far failing at that.

One thing I am being successful at, so far, is eating slightly better. At the very least, I’m eating more cheaply and making all my food at home. AND, I’m 2/2 for making bread on Sundays. Today’s loaves were slightly more burned than one might hope for in ones bread, but still good, and yay sandwiches for the week!

So, I guess I could write now. Currently I’m watching M (aka, one of my favorite movies of all time) while my cat bounces off the walls and chases pennies. I guess I could write.

Ugh.

Goals and Resolutions, 2010 edition

Okay, as promised. Goals for 2010. New Year’s Resolutions, if you will, though if we call them that I will certainly fail in a fiery ball of fail.

After much thought and deliberation (scribbled these on the back of a post-it yesterday), I have decided upon the following for my 2010 Goals:

• Finish my WIP. Not any WIP. This one. BY. The one that I’ll have been working on 2 years in March. I am going to fucking finish this thing or die trying.
• Write a query letter for BY. Even if it’s not query-worthy by the end of the year, I’m going to write a letter. If BY is query-worthy, then I will add onto this goal “mailing the query letter,” but we will cross that bridge when it gets to us.
• Write and submit a short story. Not even get it published. I aim small. Just submit. Also, I am horrible at short stories. Ugh.
• Lose 20 lbs. I am tired of people suggesting I go on or assuming I already am on a diet. Fuck you all. I’ll lose 20 lbs.
• Eat better. (This is not necessarily related to the previous goal.) I’ve starting eating out/prepared food SO MUCH because I am SO LAZY—but NO LONGER. You can tell I’ll stick to this goal because of all the caps.
• Write at least 500 words per day. I was going to make this 1000, but I know I’ll fail if I do that. So. 500. That’s easy, right?

You guys are all going to have to hold me to these because, as we have already proven, I have no willpower whatsoever.

These goals seem pretty paltry compared to what everyone else I know is doing, but, hey. If I finish it all by June then I can feel like an overachiever, right?