2014 Goals – July Update

by | Jul 8, 2014 | Books, General, Goals, Writing

_MG_6667I’m trying to be good and keep up on my 2014 forecast. June was a terrible month for me all around. For some reason when school let out, the world blew up.  Still, I managed to accomplish a couple of goals and get a pretty good word count.

That being said, one of my goals last month was to revamp my goals since I’ve managed to finish quite a few in the first six months of the year.

So first, the overall goals. Not specific books, but all around goals..

  1. I’ve challenged myself to write 600,000 words in 2014. ( 323,517 WC as of 7/7/14 11:29PM)
  2. I will build my audience and work harder at promotion. I am not doing enough with this. Need to get out more.
  3. I will find focus (see below), and figure out how to USE it. I am working on this. Some days I do great, others not so much. Call me a work in progress.
  4. Plan 2015 Holidays in Lake Point series books. I have ideas jotted down, but nothing set in stone. I’ll also need to write the first 2015 book before I can submit anything.
  5. Plan 2015 book schedule. What I didn’t finish this year, plus others. Again, I have some ideas, but nothing solid. Some half-started ideas lingering in waiting for me to have time to write them.

And for my list of projects. This I’m not removing the completed items, because I like seeing how many are done, however I did remove a couple I had to backburner for pressing deadlines. Items in RED are complete. Items in ORANGE are in progress (or progress notes). Items in BLUE are new. Some of the new items are in blue with the progress I’ve made in orange.

  1. Runaway Train (Dominion Falls 5) – 113k
  2. Stalled Independence (Lake Point #3) – 35k
  3. Katherine’s Story (Dominion Falls Prequel) – 48k – Named finally. Independent Brake
  4. Into a Mirror Darkly (Morgana Chronicles 1) – 100k (~10k done)
  5. Witch Way (Lake Point #4) – 30k (10k done)
  6. A Thorough Thanksgiving (Lake Point #5) – 30k
  7. The Tribe (The Tribe #1) – 85k
  8. The Wolf (The Tribe #2) – 85k
  9. The Dead Past (Dominion Falls 6-temporary name) – 100k
  10. The Chief (The Tribe #3) – 85k
  11. The Raven (The Tribe #4) – 85k
  12. The Child (The Tribe #5) – 85k
  13. Escaping Humanity (Co-authoring w/ Mary Terrani) – 100k (22k done)

Right now my main focus is in my three series. Lake Point, Dominion Falls, and The Tribe. For Lake Point I have two more books to write and one to edit for release this year. Dominion Falls still has another to edit. Books 1 & 2 of The Tribe series are ready to be sent to my editor when they’re due, The Chief requires rewriting and The Raven needs to be written (although The Raven is not yet on our editing schedule).  I’d love to get another Dominion Falls book or two out next year, but It’s at the bottom of the “do it now” list.

I’ve still got Escaping Humanity near the top, which I’m coauthoring. I love the book, but contracted deadlines are looming. Hoping to get some more written soon as Witch Way is done so I can hand it back to Mary for her next scenes.

Beyond that I’ve been dabbling in a few things for Tuesday Tales and here and there. I have too many deadlines looming to think past the immediate future.

Still, 2014 has been good for meeting goals so far. I hope the second half of the year is as successful.

2014 Goal Update

by | Jun 10, 2014 | 500k, Books, Challenge, Changing Tracks, Dark Territory, Derailed, Escaping Humanity, Goals, Holiday, The Tribe, Writing

_MG_6667It’s been a while since I checked in on the 2014 forecast for me and my writing. I meant this as a monthly check-in type of deal and thought maybe I should get back on that.  So, months after my last update, let’s see where I am.

So first, the overall goals I’d set – with where I am now.

  1. I’ve challenged myself to write 600,000 words in 2014. (258,159 C as of 6/8/14 9:53PM)
  2. I will finish books 4 & 5 of the Dominion Falls series and submit by February 8th  – I did submit on 2/17/14 & both books were accepted/contracted. Releases in August’14 and January’15.
  3. I will fine-tune and perfect Leap (Hidden Senses #.5) for publication.  It goes to my editor on July 1st, then to the proofreader.
  4. I will build my audience and work harder at promotion. I am not doing enough with this. Need to get out more.
  5. I will find focus (see below), and figure out how to USE it. I am working on this. Some days I do great, others not so much. Call me a work in progress.

And for my list of projects. Items in RED are done. Items in ORANGE are in progress (or progress notes). Items in BLUE are new. Some of the new items are in blue with the progress I’ve made in orange.

  1. Runaway Train (Dominion Falls 5) – 113k
  2. Stalled Independence (Lake Point #3) – 35k
  3. Katherine’s Story (Dominion Falls Prequel) – 48k – Named finally. Independent Brake
  4. Into a Mirror Darkly (Morgana Chronicles 1) – 100k (~10k done)
  5. Witch Way (Lake Point #4) – 30k (1k done)
  6. A Thorough Thanksgiving (Lake Point #5) – 30k
  7. The Tribe (The Tribe #1) – 85k
  8. The Wolf (The Tribe #2) – 85k (24395 done)
  9. Natural Selection – 40k (6921 done)
  10. Hybrid – unknown…going to do as “Chapters” not full length novel.
  11. The Dead Past (Dominion Falls 6-temporary name) – 100k
  12. The Chief (The Tribe #3) – 85k
  13. The Raven (The Tribe #4) – 85k
  14. Escaping Humanity (Co-authoring w/ Mary Terrani) – 100k (22k done)

I’m quite certain at this point that I’m forgetting something. I do know that not on the list, but completed is setting an editing schedule with my editor. I’ve also come up with an idea for a new series, but it has to go on hold while I work my way through that crazy list up there. 

Overall, I’m happy with my progress. Despite some crazy real life stuff and my typical propensity for distraction, I’ve almost reached the halfway point on my insane 600k goal. I have plenty of stories that are in progress or just need editing. I have ideas ready for next years holidays series, and my brain has not imploded yet. So yay me. 🙂

Seriously, though. I expect items to be added to my list now that I’ve managed to check a few off. First, I need to finish Witch Way, The Wolf, & The Chief before I can seriously contemplate what to add to the list. Once I read the “There’s more red than black/orange” point, I know I have to start thinking toward the future.

So one last goal right now is to adjust and add to all my goals next month, and get The Wolf and Witch Way completed.

(P.S. Having that editing schedule set means a crap ton of books this year, people…seriously, it’s cah-razy).