Today I'm not just looking at a month wrap-up, but a whole year! And what a year it's been. From deciding to start writing again, to finishing the rough draft of Novel 1, to finishing the second draft of Novel 1, to getting ideas for Novels 4 and 5 (actually "Novel" 5 should be more properly called Series 1...), to even starting a hesitant step on the path to querydom (a truly terrifying place). I wrote more than I really considered possible. I don't have a total count, but it was probably about 100k between various drafts and projects. That may not sound like a lot, but it
was.
It's good to end the year on a high note. It gives me hope for the new year stretching gloriously in front of me. I have a rather long absence coming up (6-7 weeks), and while I am still dreading it, I am also excited to use it as an intense productivity time. I'm full of ideas and words and characters that are just dying to get onto a page--the best part of writing!
So my goals for 2011 are to finish the third draft of Novel 1, which will get me to a queryable draft (still waiting on my beta to finish draft 2), finish at least one draft of Novel 4, and either draft 2 of Novel 4 or draft 1 of Novel 5. So yes, I have set for myself a goal of finishing THREE drafts. Sounds daunting when I phrase it like that, but I know that with little steps and chapters here and there, it won't be that bad. It's so doable!
As far as word count, I've set the bar at 180,000. I haven't really done the math if that will encompass all the drafts I want to do, but it seems a reasonable goal of about 500 words a day.
And so far I am ahead of schedule! So here's hoping that I can keep going full steam ahead through whatever trials, tribulations, and joys the new year will bring!
