This is it, our last monthly accountability thread for 2017! Can you believe it?
For the past eight days, I’ve been a few thousand miles from home. I’ve been sightseeing, extroverting (in my own introverted way), and occasionally (very very occasionally) squeezing in some writing. In a few hours, possibly around the time you read this, I’ll be frantically checking to ensure I’ve packed everything, running off to see a few last sights, and dashing (sitting) through rush-hour traffic in LA to make it to the airport in time to catch my flight home. But all of this is to your benefit, as for this month’s accountability recap and next month’s goal-setting, I’ll be brief!
You know how this works. First, we’ll recap November’s progress.
November Goals
1) Keep up the writing habit of at least one writing session of 3 hours or 2500 words, whichever comes first, a minimum of 4 days a week. I have to be honest here. I don’t travel well. I overpack, over stress, under sleep, and cannot write while moving (planes, trains, cars, etc.). And I took two week+ -long trips in November. Luckily, the first trip was to a writers’ retreat, where I went over and above my goal of session numbers and word count, which balanced out this past weeks bust. In the end, it was a wash, so I’m putting this one in the completed goal column.
2) Complete the first draft of my WIP. It’s done, kind of sort of, but I wrote myself into a corner with a plot thread that does not work. I spent the flight to LA ripping out that thread, which means I have holes to fill and pieces to stitch back together. So it’s close to a ‘completed’ first draft. So, so very close.
Now, time for some new goals. If you were paying attention last month, you might recognize these. I had them listed as November-December goals, then promptly accomplished no part of them during November. But December’s not over yet, so there’s still hope! Just a reminder of these goals:
December Goals
1) Finish the damn website. It’s really down to integrating the website with sign-up links and the newsletter product I’m using. So, yeah, still in process. Maybe if I’ve been very good this year, Santa’s elves will do it for me. Yeah, that ship has sailed…never mind. This one stays on my list.
2) Revise book 1 of the Victorian Romance series. Hope springs eternal, so this is still my goal.
3) Turn over the VR novella to a professional editor. It’s unlikely I can engage a good editor at this late date for the end of the month, but my goal will be to have the umpteenth draft as strong and clean as I can by New Year’s Eve so I can move the story into the next phase (editing! yay!) first thing in the new year.
How’s by you? How did you do with your November goals? What are your writing plans for December? And remember, it’s the season of giving and compassion, so give yourself the gift of compassion if you didn’t reach your goals, and be grateful to yourself for every step you did take toward accomplishing your goals!
Eight Ladies Writing 
My goal for November was to finish NaNo, which I did, although I did not “win.” Yet I did, because I got my WIP up from about 6K to 33K words, so I’d say that’s pretty good. I also learned that sprinting works for me, at least for a first draft. Another win.
As for December goals, I’d like to complete the first draft of this book AND get the first 3 chapters spit-shined so I can submit to the agent I met on the writer’s cruise. If I can accomplish that (particularly before the holidays — read: before the kids get out of school), I’ll be doing well.
Congrats on meeting your goals, Nancy, and I hope December proves fruitful for you.
Congratulations, you guys! I’m not that good with goals—sit down every day and write something is sadly unspecific, but, hey. I did sit down every day and write something, so—goals met. Let’s all keep up the outstanding work!
I have nothing special to report about my writing goals, but I do have a cute little ukulele story. I pulled out the Christmas music that I’d compiled last year to practice, remembering how hard it had been. And . . . it was surprisingly easy! A whole year of practicing meant that I’d learned a lot of seventh chords and minors that had become part of my repertoire. A few of the songs are still challenging, but I can play “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas” very respectably, and it’s only the first week of Christmas music practice for me.
I guess the big take-away from that for me is that it doesn’t really matter what one practices, as long a one does. Next year, I’d like to take that to heart, and write whatever catches my fancy — short stories, character assassinations, haiku, or what have you, at least four times a week.
My goals for December? Clear the slate for the new year. Get my writing supplies organized. Research a new computer. Save everything on the old computer. Diddle around with some fun stuff like the writing sprints, and the story for Christmas week, whatever that will be.
Everything is going to be fine.
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