Welp, it’s that time of the year again: all the holiday lights come down, and all the resolutions walk in the front door on their way straight out the back (or, perhaps, looking for windows to jump from).
Resolutions are tricky things. I was never really into them up until a couple of years ago, when I started looking at my five year writing plan as a set of yearly goals (resolutions) that built on each other. January just meant it was time to commit to the next year’s micro-plan. Then I started adding on personal goals, starting with health related and moving out from there. My experience has been a bit hit or miss, as I’m sure is the case with many folks.
My approach, nowadays, is to set my goals, keep them as realistic as possible, and not worry about “failures” or let myself feel guilty. Every year I accomplish different things, but on Day One I can’t possibly foresee what the rest of the year will be like. Sometimes what I accomplish is personally meaningful, deeply cathartic, and was no where on my radar back in January. You know what? That’s a success. I do work toward my initial resolutions, but in looking back, I allow myself both forgiveness and kindness.
My 2018 Writing Resolutions
This year’s resolutions are especially tricky for me, as I’ve taken the plunge into becoming a hybrid author. That means I have both an indie series to put out (The Sunbolt Chronicles) and a traditional publishing deal I need to deliver on (Thorn’s re-release, plus Rae’s story). Keeping a balance between both worlds is going to be extremely challenging–I’m both excited and utterly terrified. Should be fun!
Goal 1
Complete Thorn revisions, and work through all aspects of copyediting and proofs. (Almost there!)
Goal 2
Re-publish my short Shadow Thief, which finished its exclusivity period with the F-BOM this past December. I’m planning to write a new opening sequence, give it a final once-over, and let it out into the world. Here’s hoping/planning for a release by the end of March!
Goal 3
Draft/revise Rae’s story and submit it to my editor at HarperTeen by its summer deadline. Flail about spastically. Then do ALL THE ROUNDS on Rae’s story and submit by winter deadline. Possibly keel over, but try not to. Chocolate is allowed at this point as an emergency survival measure.
Goal 4
Revise Sunbolt 3. This book needs at least 2-3 additional rounds, and each rounds takes 3-4 months. So here’s to at least one more round (if not, please God, two).
And then the rest of my life…
I missed the boat on my health goals last year, but I’m recommitting to them using much smaller simpler measures this year: no snacks after dinner, fruit daily, exercise twice a week, walk 15 minutes daily. Hopefully I’ll continue to up these measures as I get better at meeting them.
In 2017, I finally got back to the more activist mindset I had as a college student. Part of me knows I should never have let that slip, but boy did 2017 make me start getting my act back together again. Now I’ve got all my representatives saved on my phone, and my kids are taping up signs around our house like “Clean DREAM Act” and “No Taxation Allowed!” (they may have gotten a little carried away on that last one). I’m kicking off this year by breaking in a new set of protest socks, thanks to a good friend, and I’m looking forward to wearing them at many rallies to come.
Here’s looking forward to a challenging and, I hope, fulfilling year!
Do you have any resolutions / goals this year? What’s your plan to achieve them?
Marzie says
Loving these goals. I need some of these, too.
Gordon Tait says
I wish goal 4 was goal 2.
intisar says
I kind of wish it was too! Goal 2 is where it is because I only have to revise one scene and make a few additional tweaks for the short story to be ready to go. It’s Goal 2 mostly because I can actually get it done quickly. Ha! But I promise to give as much time to Goal 4 as I can (because I really want to as well!). Hitomi is such an awesome character to write, i can’t wait to share this next story. 🙂
Malaika says
Just posting to say I’m still looking forward to a whole book about Rae.
intisar says
Thanks so much, Malaika! I am sadly behind on my writing resolutions this year, but Rae’s book is in the works! I am really, really enjoying her story. It’s still very rough, which is kind of a fun stage, because so much can happen with it. And with Rae at the helm, almost anything can happen. 😉 Thanks again for your note!
Elizabeth Wiseman says
I love both Rae and Hitomi. You write people I would love to have as friends, because I think knowing them would make me a better person. They are both so fundamentally true to what they know is right. Thank you for creating them.
intisar says
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! And I’m so sorry about the very late reply–I don’t know how I missed the notification for your comment! Rae and Hitomi are both very dear to me because of their integrity and strength. I wish I could have them as friends too! Thank you so much for writing, and reading. ?
Nada clyne says
Hi Intisar,
I’m hoping you are well and writing away. Since your blogpost is over a year old, I am wondering if everything is OK and you are just busy ?? Or if some major life shift is happening?
Any chance we will see the completion of your sunbolt series and the availability of Thorne on kindle happen this year? You are such a talented and innovative writer and I enjoy spending time i your wonderful world.
All the best!
Nada
intisar says
Hi Nada!
I am indeed here – I’m afraid I just gave up blogging in order to focus more on writing! (Hopefully that counts as good news.?) 2018 saw a LOT of writing but, sadly, no publishing. The good news is that Thorn is in its very final line edits as I type this, and will come out with HarperTeen in about a year (traditional publishing has a long pipeline to publication!). I’ve also drafted most of the companion story I had planned for it featuring Rae (from The Bone Knife, if you got a chance to read that while it was available). That story goes to HarperTeen as well, so I guess much of the last year has been spent in laying the groundwork for future releases. Frustrating, I know, but at least there are good things to look forward to!
Never fear, though, I am still working away at Hitomi’s story as well. I will be jumping into another round of revisions of Sunbolt 3 in March if all goes well. I don’t have a release date as yet, and I can’t promise anything other than to say that it is definitely in the works. However, the Sunbolt Chronicles have turned into a 4 book series, so there’ll be one more after this to wrap it all up. Which I guess might be both good and bad news? ?
Thank you so much for stopping by! Wishing you all the best in the new year!
Tarun Elankath says
I am so looking forward to Sunbolt 3. It feels like geological eras have passed since the last book!
Hitomi is an amazingly relatable mage. Hope we get to read about her before my hair turns grey and white and climate change destroys the planet.
intisar says
Bahaha! It does feel like geological eras have passed to me, too. I shall endeavor to get Book 3 out before the planet is utterly annihilated. (Here’s hoping we get our act together and manage to avoid that, though.) Thank you so much for this note! It made me laugh, and I am definitely planning to get another round of edits in on Book 3 before the end of the year. I can’t promise a release date, but please rest assured I’m working on it. Be well!