# What are your writing goals for 2018?



## JJBuchholz (Jan 1, 2018)

Now that 2018 is upon us, I thought it would to be interesting to see what everyone's writing goals are for the next three hundred and sixty five days. Personally, I have two main goals for this year, and they are the following:

1) Get published. The last two months of 2017 saw me finally overcome the fear of sending off my work to publishers. I feel as if a great weight has lifted off me, and I fully intend to send my work to as many publishers as possible this year, possibly calling or visiting a couple as well. This will be the year I finally break out as a writer, and I will do everything in my power to make it happen.

2) Resurrect my novel and adapt it into a multi-chapter story. For those of you that don't know, I started a novel almost twenty years ago, only to lose t he idea around 2002. I have fifty pages hand written in a notebook that I haven't really done anything with since. Sure, I take it out every so often and review it, even trying to restart the idea. But....not everything in a writer's world works out, and this is one of those things. I really want to turn it into a long story, and/or break it into a short series. This will be the year I do that.

And now, let's hear about your goals as a writer for 2018! Can't wait to see the responses......and, Happy New Year!

-J.


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## escorial (Jan 1, 2018)

to write and enjoy the experience and read my stuff without thinking..lighten up man....


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## Ralph Rotten (Jan 1, 2018)

I have one novel completed and out to market (seeking an agent).
I am about 80% done writing the first-pass on a 2 volume book that I plan to Indie publish in March.
After that I have 3 books fleshed out and ready to be written, I just gotta figure out which goes first.

I have so many stories to write, but so little time.


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## Jack of all trades (Jan 1, 2018)

I haven't exactly set up goals, and maybe that's a problem. Thanks for reminding me to set some!


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## bdcharles (Jan 1, 2018)

I'm getting published. That's all there is to it. One way or the other, I am going to build my author brand, get my completed book edited professionally and out there, and work on some others - shorts, a new novel.


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## JJBuchholz (Jan 1, 2018)

bdcharles said:


> I'm getting published. That's all there is to it. One way or the other, I am going to build my author brand, get my completed book edited professionally and out there, and work on some others - shorts, a new novel.



That's the spirit! Go for broke! Make the year yours!

-J.


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## SueC (Jan 1, 2018)

I love the attitude, Bd! You are awesome and I know its going to happen. And we'll follow right along as you go, cheering the whole way.


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## SueC (Jan 1, 2018)

I'm thinking of making a paperback out of my last e-novel, and working hard on my newest book. I also need to write more short stories to feel like I am actually accomplishing something, and then finding a place that likes them! It's never about money for me - it's about making people cry! LOL. Hope everyone has a very joyous New Years!


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## Annoying kid (Jan 1, 2018)

Produce at least 200 high quality pages.


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## Phil Istine (Jan 1, 2018)

JJBuchholz said:


> Now that 2018 is upon us, I thought it would to be interesting to see what everyone's writing goals are for the next three hundred and sixty five days.



My goal, to be completed by 31/12/2018, is to write and publish my first story.  I don't care if it's fairly short, self-published, and only available for a Kindle.  The important thing is to do it - even if it turns out to be a practice run for better things later.  Even if I end up putting it out there free of charge, I want a taste of the processes.


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## H.Brown (Jan 1, 2018)

My goal is to have my novel published before the end of the year. Ready to start my next project. 

Also to (with our members help) make the non-fiction challenge great.


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## Skodt (Jan 1, 2018)

I hope to keep enjoying myself and telling the stories that come to my head. I figure with all the ideas, I have floating around, that I should never run out of material, just have to keep pushing the keys and watching them come to life.


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## Pluralized (Jan 1, 2018)

Write more, goof off less.


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## Birb (Jan 1, 2018)

I am going to write more frequently

As I don't as much as I should....


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## JJBuchholz (Jan 2, 2018)

Birb said:


> I am going to write more frequently
> 
> As I don't as much as I should....



Writing time is special, it needs to be protected. 

-JJB


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## moderan (Jan 2, 2018)

Issue my third, fourth, and fifth books. Sell more than one story per month. Crack the big 3 sf markets and actually get into the magazine(s) (I've sold to Asimov's, but the story never appeared). Preside as editor on _at least_ one more anthology. Do at least one interesting collaboration (I have several prospects). Find an agent for my SF work.


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## bookmasta (Jan 2, 2018)

Finishing the remainder of my BA the last 3 semesters took most of my time. Now that I'm done and I have to do that whole adjusting to the real world thing, I'll probably finished first the manuscript I've been working on since last November, and then go onto edit another for publishing. I probably won't be able to write too much until I'm done with my MBA.


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## LeeGlenwright (Jan 2, 2018)

Pretty simple, really. The past year saw me wrestling on and off with writers' block, this year I hope to get past that, taking a more proactive approach to both my writing and my submission process. I feel like I've sometimes been too guarded in the past, overthinking things and being a little too cautious with potential new ideas, as well as worrying a bit too much about the markets where I've chosen to send my work. My aim this year is to blitz both of those fears and build upon my initial publication successes. Now, excuse me while I just sit here and try to cross all of my fingers at once...

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## Irisd (Jan 6, 2018)

I want to constantly be assembling ideas and concepts for short stories, and hopefully write several. I want to submit my writing to short story contests.

I also want to make major progress on the middle grade fantasy book I have in mind.

Mostly, though, I just want to get in the habit of writing regularly--hopefully several hours a week--and have something quality and substantial to show for it.


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## Theglasshouse (Jan 6, 2018)

I want to write error-free pieces of short fiction until I can write longer ones. I plan to submit to magazines, as well as someone mentioned, and try my hand at a novel once I am competent enough to handle writing long and short works at my own. Grammarly has made me overconfident but maybe I will manage. I write lots of science fiction but need to switch to fantasy. It cost 200 hundred dollars to subscribe to nature if you don't live in europe and the usa, so I am constantly analyzing what I can do. Paranormal also seems easy to write but gets cliched pretty quick. Also will write some poetry, but I feel it's tough to write.


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## -xXx- (Jan 6, 2018)

JJBuchholz said:


> 2) Resurrect my novel and adapt it into a *multi-chapter *story. For those of you that don't know, I started a novel almost* twenty years ago*, only to lose t he idea around 2002. I have *fifty pages hand written* in a notebook that I haven't really done anything with since. Sure, I take it out every so often and review it, even trying to restart the idea. But....not everything in a writer's world works out, and this is one of those things. I really want to turn it into _a long story, and/or _break it into _a short series_. This will be the year I do that.
> 
> -J.



can your novel/series of shorts
be about discovering
a 50 page manuscript and what happens
when it is interpreted in a new "time"
context?
juswundrin'


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## -xXx- (Jan 6, 2018)

2018.
hoping schedule permits NaPo participation.
will continue with daily prompt driven
language/poetry prompts for neuroplasticity
mandatories.

will continue organization of existing bodies
of work & image matching as desired.

more non-fiction/technical research/writing
has top priority this year.
if i'm fortunate some of that will crosstalk
with lower priority creative pieces.

hmmm.
dunno if personal publishing experiences
will drive this year.
paying attention to experiences of others
and/or not avoiding specific calls...
well, that will surely occur.

best wishes all 'round,


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## TMarie (Jan 6, 2018)

My writing goals for 2018 are to write a little often, to share my scribbles for critique more often than not, and to focus on completing a piece rather than setting it aside because I think its “not good enough”.

Happy New Year!

TM


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## Phil Istine (Jan 6, 2018)

Pluralized said:


> Write more, goof off less.



I look forward to it.  You clearly have talent, and I seem to share your taste for the bizarre.


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## JJBuchholz (Jan 6, 2018)

-xXx- said:


> can your novel/series of shorts
> be about discovering
> a 50 page manuscript and what happens
> when it is interpreted in a new "time"
> ...



Never thought of that, to be honest with you. I have however, come up with the idea to use my unfinished novel. I am reinterpreting it as a long story in my Urban Sentinel series. My existing characters in this series help the overall plot greatly, and will make it work. It may have taken almost twenty years to resurrect this damn thing, but it's moving forward finally! I wrote a storyboard a few days ago, and am already close to finishing the first chapter!



-JJB


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## pink_carter (Jan 8, 2018)

I have just started a blog this year. I guess my goal is to maintain it for 365 days. I love writing and I want to engage and share with other like minded people. I want to write like a f*cking Picasso.


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## Monaque (Jan 8, 2018)

Um, writing, is my writing goal.
Just writing.


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## Kebe (Jan 8, 2018)

My main goal for 2018 is to complete a novella at around 40k words, from a manuscript that I wrote in a creative writing course I took at my university. Besides that, I hope to create a small collection of flash fiction, and increase my daily average word count to over 500 words per day (which translates to – trying to write every day of the week). I will also work on getting rid of my self-criticism. Overall, I hope that 2018 will be a great writing year!


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## Tettsuo (Jan 8, 2018)

2018 I plan to work on turning my "hobby" into a career I can live comfortably on.


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## PiP (Jan 8, 2018)

Great post. I am the world's worst procrastinator so setting goals is a good idea.  - i have files of unfinished poems so that would be a good place to start.

*Jan - *

Write a decent bio

Fine-tune six poems ready for publication

Identify and submit to four magazines

Enter Pip Challenge Done

Enter WF's LM Challenge. I rarely write fiction so this *will* be a challenge


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## Mello (Jan 10, 2018)

Start to write stories in English and be more confident with the language... yeah, my main goal for this year is to become a pro in English


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## Gamer_2k4 (Jan 12, 2018)

I found out last year that non-writers are notoriously slow reviewers, so my hope of submitting to an agent or publisher last year has turned into a hope to do the same this year.  I've also started another novel that I wouldn't mind having finished, at least in some form, by the end of the year.


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## JJBuchholz (Jan 12, 2018)

JJBuchholz said:


> 2) Resurrect my novel and adapt it into a multi-chapter story. For those of you that don't know, I started a novel almost twenty years ago, only to lose t he idea around 2002. I have fifty pages hand written in a notebook that I haven't really done anything with since. Sure, I take it out every so often and review it, even trying to restart the idea. But....not everything in a writer's world works out, and this is one of those things. I really want to turn it into a long story, and/or break it into a short series. This will be the year I do that.
> 
> .



Well.....I have done just that. The story has been started, and I'm almost finished chapter 2 of 6. It's kind of an odd feeling to be working on something that's lay dormant for almost two decades, but it's time has come. While it never became the novel I wanted it to be, it will be a story that I will finally be proud of once it's finished. 

-JJB


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## Adderbury (Jan 12, 2018)

I know the timeline of my story and have many bits and pieces of it from various points along that timeline.   Now I need to decide exactly how to tell the story and get it organized..... and backup..... backup several times over so I don't lose it all again as happened a few years ago!   Hopefully 2018 will see all of that happen!


Adderbury

~a VERY brand new member


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## JJBuchholz (Jan 13, 2018)

Adderbury said:


> I know the timeline of my story and have many bits and pieces of it from various points along that timeline.   Now I need to decide exactly how to tell the story and get it organized..... and backup..... backup several times over so I don't lose it all again as happened a few years ago!   Hopefully 2018 will see all of that happen!
> 
> 
> Adderbury
> ...



You got this! Best of luck to you!

-JJB


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## Dan C (Jan 14, 2018)

My new year goal is get stuck in with my novel, starting with a detailed profiles of characters and locations, plots and subplots.


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## Roac (Jan 15, 2018)

Make my writing gooder (oops…I mean better) so that my wife has less editing to do. It is taxing on the marriage!


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## Von_Mitchell (Jan 15, 2018)

This year I will finish at least three pieces and sent a least one off for publication.


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## Larry (Jan 30, 2018)

This year, I would like to finish my second novel that has been stalled for several months, and to finish my second book of flash fiction stories. I also have a couple of poetry submissions out. It would be nice if they were accepted.


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## Bayview (Jan 31, 2018)

I'm trying to live goal-free this year. I have a reasonably demanding day job and writing is supposed to be a hobby for me, not a second job, so I want to stop pushing myself quite so hard to "achieve" and try to spend some time just enjoying.

This is not natural for me (I'm _really_ goal-oriented) so I'm trying to comfort myself that not having goals is, in fact, my goal, and the only way I can achieve my goal is to work really hard at not having goals... circuitous, but I think it's working reasonably well. I've fooled my brain! Ha! Take that, brain!


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