Nicole J Simms/ February 11, 2018/ Blog/ 0 comments

Share Button
January 2018 Writing Goals Review and February 2018 Writing Goals

I can’t believe that January is already over. It looks like 2018 will go as quickly as 2017 did. However, I hope I will do better with my goals this year. So, how did January go? It went okay, but it could have been a lot better.

So, what were my January writing goals? Well, my January writing goals were:

  • Writing Goal 1: Novel 4th draft – edit 50,000 words
    Result: I only managed to edit the first chapter, so nowhere near 50,000 words, but I’m happy I was able to complete something. Editing a novel requires a lot of brain power (well, that’s how it feels), and when I work on my novel, I’m often already brain drained from the work I’ve done before, such as the day job. Therefore, when I do edit my novel, I struggle to concentrate which slows down the process even more. I do need to do better, though; otherwise, I’ll still be working on this novel in 2028.
  • Writing Goal 2: Write my psychological horror novella
    Result: I managed to write roughly 3355 words, which is one-tenth of the possible final word count, but it’s the most I’ve written for this novella in one month, so yay me. I write during the day because I’m at my most alert, but if I have work to do, I have to put the novella aside, sadly.
  • Writing Goal 3: Plan 2nd standalone novel
    Result: I made some notes and found my novel planning sheet that I used for my previous novel (forgot I had that), but that’s about it. I am, however, happy with my decision to work on the second standalone novel instead of my supernatural mystery series.
  • Writing Goal 4: Submit 3 short stories
    Result: I submitted one short story, which was the main submission call that I wanted to submit to. I decided not to finish the other two short stories because I didn’t have much time to edit them properly before the deadline.
  • Writing Goal 5: Flash Fiction Collection – finalise 4 stories
    Result: I didn’t finalise the four stories, but I did complete the second draft of one of the stories. I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, but I am glad that I did do something because I have neglected this project.
  • Writing Goal 6: OWG anthology – finalise one story/poem
    Result: I didn’t complete this goal, but I only have one draft left before the story is complete.
  • Writing Goal 7: Read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
    Result: Finally, a goal I have achieved. I did finish reading this book, and I will be uploading my review of the book on my website soon.
  • Writing Goal 8: Read a short story – ‘The Happy Prince’ by Oscar Wilde
    Result: Yep, I completed this goal too. It looks like I’m a lot better at doing my reading goals than my writing goals. I do read every night, though, so I suppose that helps.
  • So, now it’s February, it’s time to create some new writing goals.

    My February Writing Goals

    • Novel 4th draft – edit 50,000 words
    • Write my psychological horror novella
    • Plan 2nd standalone novel
    • Submit 2 short stories
    • Flash Fiction Collection – finalise 2 stories
    • OWG anthology – finalise 2 story/poem
    • Read The Demon Lover by Dion Fortune
    • Read a short story – ‘The Magic Shop’ by H. G. Wells

    While January didn’t go to plan, I’m pleased that I did manage to take some steps forward, even if they were only tiny steps – every step forward brings me closer to completing my goal. One of the reasons why I think I’m struggling to complete my goals is because I’m trying to do too much. So for February, I have decided to work on fewer stories, and if I’m still struggling to get things done, then I will do even less. I do have a wandering mind, which is why I can’t just focus on one project at a time, even though I really should. But I’m hoping I can do better with a reduced workload, fingers crossed.

    How did you do in January? Feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear how everyone else is doing.

    Keep writing, folks!

    Oh, and before I go, if you want email alerts of my latest posts, then please subscribe. And don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page.

    Share Button
    Share this Post

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.