Goals and Challenges 2015

WRITING

The Originals

• ·         Rewrite Prelude, Chapter 1-4 by July
• ·         Brainstorm “Ending, Part 1(North), Draft 2” in June
• ·         Write “Ending, Part 1(North), Draft 2” during July Nanowrimo
• ·         Brainstorm “Ending, Part 2(South), Draft 2” during October
• ·         Write “Ending, Part 2(South), Draft 2” for November Nanowrimo
• ·         (If extra time, continue Gryphon “short” story)
• ·         If time, rewrite Chapter 5-7 by December

Three Floating Coffins

• ·         Finish Rewrites of Chapters 1-14 by end of July
• ·         By June, make minor corrections of 14-41 and identify places for re-writes
• ·         Extensive re-writes in summer (June-September)
• ·         Get critiques (OC Inklings, Brea, Michelle, Others)
• ·         Hopefully, should be mostly complete by 2015
• ·         Start thinking about Agents or Self-Publication and Promotional Material (Synopsis, etc.)

Counterfeit Diamond

• ·         Brainstorm in March
• ·         Create a draft for Camp Nano in April

Company

• ·         Go through all the critiques
• ·         Draw/ work out setting
• ·         Start writing second draft (pre- “Blind Man’s Bluff” chapters)

Short Stories, Blogs, and New Work

• ·         Decide what to do with blog
• ·         Keep doing travelogues, book reviews (those are good for me)
• ·         Publish “Bad Days”
• ·         Try to get at least 5 new short stories out there (for marketing purposes, too)
• ·         Fill up Idea Notebook
• ·         Turn Ideas into Stories (Maze, Box, etc.)

BUSINESS

Marketing

• ·         Plan by January (February at latest)
• ·         Create Email List
• ·         Revamp website and blog (?)
• ·         Active Search for Fans (at least 3 things)
• ·         Brea Library Presentation

Hard Copy of Changelings

• ·         Go to Createspace, get Proofs in January
• ·         Get Proofs to Line Editors (Alydaughter, anyone else?)
• ·         Cover Design, Pricing, Mailbox, etc
• ·         Amazon Promotion in June
• ·         Get Hard Copy Out by June 2
• ·         Send Copy to Library of Congress

Taxes

• ·         Income Taxes in February
• ·         Keep Track of Expenses
• ·         Think about/ Ask about getting an accountant
• ·         Sales License

Cards

• ·         Do I want to keep making/ selling them as a fundraising tool?
• ·         If so, do I want to do it online or in person
• ·         What sort of vendors would give me the best access?

EDUCATION

Go Back to School

• ·         Look into Teaching Overseas
• ·         Decide on Program (Masters, Credential, Certificate?) and School by January, Feb max
• ·         Put together application
• ·         Apply
• ·         Financial Aid
• ·         If accepted, Begin Program

TRAVEL

Winter

• ·         Los Angeles Public Library
• ·         Fowler Museum and Indonesian Restaurant
• ·         Getty Museum

Spring

• ·         Swallow Parade at San Juan Capistrano (March 21)
• ·         LA Festival of Books (April 18-19)
• ·         Lightning in a Bottle (Memorial Day) ?

Summer

• ·         Lotus (Asian) Festival or Nisei Week
• ·         Shakespeare (Griffith Park?)
• ·         Redlands Bowl (Summer Concerts) ?
• ·         Dad’s Retirement Party

Fall

• ·         Huntington Beach Library and Old World Plaza (German food)

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Learn about German Heritage

• ·         Learn German language
• ·         Read ½ of German Genius (history book, 944 pages), average of 2 chapters a week
• ·         Read one novel by German author (preferably Faust)

 Physical Health

• ·         Lose 50 pounds (15 in winter, 15 in spring, 10 in summer, 10 in fall)
• ·         Change Diet: Cut meat (at least 2 vegetarian dishes a week), cut soda (only 6 per week), cut dessert (only on weekends), add fruits/ veggies (3 servings a day), add vitamins (calcium chews)
• ·         Keep track of portion sizes via Fitness Pal
• ·         Exercise: at least 20 minutes, 4 times a week; 40 minutes, once a week (walk to park)
• ·         Floss daily
• ·         Forgive failings and persevere

Mental Health

• ·         Get rid of Candy Crush
• ·         Reduce TV time to 7 hours a week (or less!)
• ·         Set aside 1 hour a week for reading
• ·         Listen to podcasts while cooking dinner (2 times a week)

Evaluation of 2014 Goals

Last Year’s Goals and Dreams

 Get Published!

Entails:

•  Revise and Submit "Kinuyo and the Kitsune," "Second Chance," "Necklace," "Julia Kaiser," and 1 more to Ether
•  Self-Publish "Lucidity" on Amazon
•  Learn how to Format
•  Learn how to Design Covers
•  Create an Author Page
•  Write and/ or Revise Short Stories for Other Magazines/ Contests  

How’d I Do?

·         Published “Necklace,” “Second Chance,” and “Julia Kaiser” on Ether

·         Published “Immortal” on Daily Science Fiction

·         Finished all preparation to publish The Changelings

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

Finish the 2nd Draft of The Originals (At Least the Middle Section)
 (Est. Pages: 400-600)

Entails:

•  Read/ Critique Previous Draft 
•  Brainstorm Backstory/ Background 
•  Create Maps and Collect Images
•  Research (Climate, Armies, Revolution, Disease, Etc.)
•  Write 

How’d I Do?

·         Two Months of notes in January and February

·         200 pages in April Nano

·         200 pages in Nov Nano

·         Middle Section Complete; Ending yet to come

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

Finish Three Floating Coffins 
 (Est. Pages: 150)

Entails:

•  Start/ Finish "Isle of Darkness" Segment
•  Start/ Finish Ending
•  Revise Opening Chapters

How’d I Do?

·         Finished Isle of Darkness

·         Finished Ending (Longer than I thought)

·         Read/ Evaluate Draft

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

 Increase Income

Entails:

•  Explore New Job Options (Back to Drawing Board)
•  Career Assessment
•  Temp job in the summer?

How’d I Do?

·         Got hired by Placentia Yorba-Linda District

·         Fundraised through Pubslush

·         Sold cards

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

 Agents and Self-Publishing

Entails:

•  Research and Query 20-30 Agents
•  If Rejected, Make Plans for Publishers and/ or Self-Publishing
•  If Accepted... Figure out What to Do Next!
•  Keep Agent Info... Might Need it for Coffins!

How’d I Do?

·         Made a decision to Self-Publish in spring

·         Revised Changelings

·         Hired Editor

·         Hired Cover Artist

·         Read manuscript outloud/ final edit

·         Hired Mapmaker

·         Fundraised for ISBNs

·         Formatted

·         Ready to publish on Kindle January 2015

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

Write Manzanar Ghost Story
 (Est. Pages: 50-100)

Entails:

•  Gather Research/ Research Blog?
•  Brainstorm
•  Write the Story (Use a NaNoWriMo if Necessary)

How’d I Do?

·         Didn’t do a damn thing

Final Evaluation:

FAILURE

 Go to Literary Orange and Los Angeles Festival of Books

Entails:

•  Plan for the Day
•  Take Lots of Notes
•  Blog Afterward

How’d I Do?

·         Went to Literary Orange

·         Blogged extensively for Literary Orange

·         Didn’t go to Festival of Books, due to illness

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

 Get Company Critiqued

Entails:

•  Self-Critique
•  Find Online Critique Group
•  Find Other Readers
•  Decide What To Do With It

How’d I Do?

·         Joined OC Writers Inklings

·         Got all of Company critiqued

·         Self-Critique/ Evaluation

·         Went to Big Bear for setting info.

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

 Blog

Entails:

•  Weekly Update
•  Additional Content Twice a Month (Reviews, Dissecting Fantasy, Travel, Etc.)
•  Read/ Comment on Other Blogs 
•  Research Blog?

How’d I Do?

·         Weekly Updates

·         Content Updates

·         Started Blog for OC Writers

Final Evaluation:

SUCCESS

Dreams

• Practice Japanese (Very rarely)
•  Lose Weight (Lost some, but it didn’t stick)
• Get My Own Apartment and Dog (No)
• Compile Information on Bakumatsu into Blog (Ha—no)
• Write Spin-Off Story About Gryphons (Oddly, I got some of it done during Nov Nanowrimo)
•  Get Coffins to Agents (I didn’t even get it to Michelle)
• Make Money off My Writing (Yes—well, $76, but still)
• Learn How to Network, Market, Platform, and Sell (I don’t feel like I made much progress here)

Other Notable Events

·         My sister got married

·         My cousin got married

·         Aunt lost job

·         Three root canals

·         Began research on Counterfeit Diamond

·         Visited Oklahoma