My 2014 Plan

Happy New Year!

 

For two years, I’ve been posting My [insert year here] Plan – I got the idea from Jani Grey, a very good friend of mine :)

I like that because it’s not like a resolution, where you feel obligated to accomplish everything and if you fail, you feel really bad. A plan is just that, a plan of your WANTS. It can work or not, but you’re working toward it – and it can change and adapt as it goes.

 

Before I dive in My 2014 Plan, let’s revise My 2013 Plan:

1. Read at least 60 books. Done! I wish I had read as much as 2012 (77 books), but I’m not sad with 60 …

2. Go to at least one conference. I went to BEA and met a lot of great peeps. I also participated of a signing (Stamford Author Event) and it was great.

3. Write more. I wrote 3 novels and a novella, adding to a little under 300,000 words.

4. Find at least one more reliable CP. And maybe a beta-reader or two. I did find them, but I don’t use them too much anymore.

5. Write reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble for the books I read and enjoy. Not Barnes and Noble, but I do review books on Goodreads and Amazon – even if it’s only one sentence.

6. Spend less time on Social Media. Hmm, yeah, let’s skip this one …

7. Publish at least 2 books. Done. I’ve published 3 novels and a novella!

8. Continue researching about what is best for me and my writing: I did, and still do. With the market always changing, it’s hard to make finite choices. And at this point, I wouldn’t advise it.

9. Participate on all rounds of ROW80. Fail. I started, but with moving and a lot of other stuff, I started posting less and less, until I didn’t participate anymore.

10. Keep going to the gym, lose  5 or 6 pounds and keep them off! Yes and no. At first, I lost 5 pounds! Then we moved and I hurt my back and had to rest for 3 months – I gained 10 lbs :(

11. Eat healthier. Not sure if this is a yes or no. I think I ate better, but not completely healthier …

12. Be more present. To my family. I think this was okay. There were times when I spaced-out thinking about my stories, but I think I’m pretty good mom and wife ;)

 

Now, for MY 2014 Plan:

1. Read at least 60 books. I do hope to read more than that …

2. Write more. I wrote almost 300,000 words last year, but I want to write MORE! (I’ll blog about my upcoming books on a  separate post).

3. Keep meeting with my great writing group. :D

4. Spend less time on Social Media. So I can write more.

5. Publish at least 3 books. I have plans to publish 5, but I know life can interfere and things can slow down.

6. Continue researching about what is best for me and my writing:  to self-pub, to continue with a small press, or to query agents. Or maybe the three of them?

7. Keep exercising, lose at least 5 to 8 pounds and keep them off! Enough said.

 

Ugh, my 2014 plan looks so little compared to my 2013 plan, but I think some of it is because I’ve been constantly doing some of the things from my 2013 plan (like reviewing books on amazon and goodreads) and I don’t need to repeat them …

 

In 2013, I saw on a few friends’ blogs (Alex, Katy, Elodie and Ghenet) about The Word of the Year. My Word of the Year of 2013 was LOVE – and it was perfect.

For 2014, my word is:

STRENGTH

 

Strength to go after my dreams, to do what I want, to write what I want and not care about what might fit the market, to publish the way I want (and take as long as I need to do so), to be brave and bold!

 

How about you? What are your WANTS for 2014? And what’s your Word of the Year?

Cheers,