This has been a great year for my writing and I'm so excited about 2010, so I thought I'd share some of my 2009 activities and 2010 goals.
Top 10 things I did for my writing in 2009 (in chronological order):
1. I finished the first novel I've really felt good about
2. I queried that novel and got some encouraging feedback, though it was ultimately rejected
3. I joined a critique group with the three coolest girls ever
4. I revised and rewrote until my eyes glazed over, my knuckles were sore, and I had a manuscript I was REALLY proud of
5. I resubmitted to Sara and sent out a few new queries
6. I got THE CALL and then I got ANOTHER CALL
7. I started this blog and met hundreds of people who love to write, just like me!
8. I chose Sara, because she's awesome
9. She submitted my manuscript to REAL publishers
10. I started my current project--one that I'm SO excited about (and I also started about 10 others--half of which I still want to finish)
Ten things I will do in 2010 to become a better writer:
1. Get on a schedule!!! (The first one I'm going to try is 1000 words a day BEFORE blogging--yes I've tried this before. It's going to work this time!)
2. Blog 3 times a week
3. Try to keep up with blogging/writing friends by going through my Google Reader at least once a week.
4. Post on Twitter at least once a day
5. Finish my rough draft by January 29th
6. Go to SCBWI with my critique group girls!!!
7. Get current project to betas by March
8. Read and critique friends' projects. Learn from their brilliance.
9. Finish current project by June and start a new one
10. Read 100 books!
So now you tell me, what did you accomplish with your writing in 2009? What are your goals for 2010?
And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
(Oh, and I probably gave you an award in the last few weeks, scroll down and check it out.)
32 comments:
Way to rock it, Natalie! So happy and proud for you!! 2010 looks just as awesome as this last year was for you. Rock on!
Great goals and congrats on all you accomplished in 09!!
Me...I signed an e-publishing contract for my novel- A Bitch Named Karma- this year, so I was super excited about that! Hoping the new year will bring me an agent!!
You worked hard this year Natalie! You should be so proud!
Keep chugging along and this year will exceed your expectations! Here's to a year of hard work and plenty of success!
Congrats on your successes in 2009, and I hope you achieve all you dream of in 2010. Happy New Year!
Scoring an agent in 09 is pretty sweet. How about landing a publisher in 10?
You've obviously had an awesome year and like I keep saying, 2010 is going to rock!
I hope you land a publishing deal soon. You really deserve it:)
Congratulations!!! What an awesome year you've had! I know this next year will hold great things for you. I'm listing my goals on Friday for the New Year! Too many to list here...sigh. :)
Great year for you! And I'm impressed with your list of goals. Good luck with them, and have a great New Year's celebration! :)
These are some ambitious goals and I commend you for them. AND I have no doubt that you will achieve them. Happy new year!
Sounds like 2209 was a productive, wonderful year for you! I wish you the best of luck in 2010
What did I accomplish in 2009: Many chapters in my WIP and I grew in understanding of the publishing industry. I met a bunch of amazing people through blogging and have been taught, amused, consoled and welcomed by them all.
What do I want to accomplish in 2010: Finish any of my WIP's. I have several that I feel are viable and none are near completion.
Great lists! Lots got done and great goals for this year. :O)
Wonderful accomplishments and wonderful goals. I need to work on that 1000 words a day goal.
Do you mind if I copy your goals for next year? I'll just have to add one thing: work harder to find an agent. If I don't start querying, I'll never get there.
Congratulations on an excellent 2009 and best wishes for 2010.
What an awesome year for you, Natalie! Be proud of yourself!
In 2009 I finished editing and began to query my first novel, completed two-thirds of the second book in the trilogy - the initial draft, anyway, and submitted my first short story for publication.
Two absolute must-dos for 2010: read more & write more.
Congrats on all that! Wow. :-)
My goals? Write faster and start querying a new manuscript. :-)
2009 looked pretty awesome, it will be hard to top.
I want to finish writing another book just to make sure the first one wasn't a fluke.
That is an awesome list of accomplishments and an equally awesome list of goals - great job, Natalie! I hope every goal for 2010 becomes a reality. :)
I didn't actually have any writing goals this year. I should probably make some for 2010 eh?
Glad you had such a great writing year! Hope this coming year is even better!!!
"Read 100 books"...wow!
I accomplished finishing my first manuscript in 2009 and finaling in a contest with it. My goals for the new year are to finish manuscript #2 and start submitting to agents.
Happy New Year, Natalie, and may it be as productive as 2009 sounds.
100 books! I'm going to try to match you, but, Natalie, that's two a week!
I'm such a slow reader:(
Yikes. I am afraid to reflect on the past year just yet. I still need a few more days of 2009..but I don't think I'm going to get them. sigh.
Congratulations. You've had quite a year.
Shelley
Those sound like great goals. I'm on the fence about attending SCBWI when I don't have a complete manuscript (not since I whacked out the middle and started rewriting it).
Sounds like you had a great 2009, and I love your goals for 2010! Thanks for sharing.
I was able to read 100 books this year and it wasn't too hard (although I read shorter ones toward the end of the year ;)
I gotta find a critique group.. interesting links you have here.
cheers :)
Damn, you've had a great year! Here's to an even better 2010!
You and I have a lot of goals in common for the coming year. :) Congrats on having such a successful 2009!
Wow! You had an awesome year in 2009. I hope 2010 is just as great!
I'm impressed with all you 100 book readers out there. I tend toward longer books and a fair bit of non-fiction so I think I could only manage half of that in a year. We'll see- I think I'm going to keep track this year. Maybe I'll surprise myself.
Happy New Year!
So happy and proud for you!! 2010 looks just as awesome as this last year was for you. Rock on!
kobe beef burger
What a great post! Huge accomplishments and exciting goals. I may borrow a few of them for my own list. Happy New Year!
This past year I hired my first writer and I am joining another group like you mentioned this year. I do not write well but I like to hire people that write for me. I think the group idea is one of the best ideas if you trust the people to give good input.
Thanks for sharing these goals.
Best regards,
Tom Bailey
I have some similar goals to you (like staying on task and writing a set amount of words each day) and I really, really thought about setting a goal of 100 books to read this year, but I'm afraid that will be too much. My problem is that when I read, if I like a book I want to absorb it and I will re-read it a dozen times in the following week or two (which doesn't leave enough time for reading other books). I think I'll shoot for 50 new books this year, as one per week seems more feasible.
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