Because I like numbers! And I like lists!
My plans for 2013 have a heavy focus on personal creativity, then personal culture, and then being more social/getting involved in the writing community. It’s a fairly involved plan so we’ll see how it goes, though I achieved much more last year than I ever expected to.
New Years Resolutions
- Waste less time aimlessly browsing the internet.
- Read more.
- Write more.
- Have fun and spend more time outdoors
To-Do List
- Finish two first drafts. At the moment, these look likely to be the REBEL AGAINST HEAVEN sequel and the ‘flooded Britain’ WIP, but we’ll see.
- Edit and revise the ‘Girls Who Fix Giant Robots’ first draft. Planning to do this in February or in March. After that, the beta readers will get a taste!
- Bonus points if I manage to write some short stories.
- Get 12 illustrations done throughout the year.
- Post more sketchbook and work in progress images.
- Update the site’s design. I’m thinking of using a theme that focusses more on my books, a writing portfolio of sorts.
- Read 35 books (focussing on the for review pile, the personal to-read pile, comics and some non-fiction).
- Read 10 short stories (collections count as ‘1’ because I’m cruel).
- Finish 5 games. (Currently planning: Persona 4, Shadow of Colossus, Ocarina of Time, El Shaddai and Tales of Vesperia)
- Watch a few seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and catch up with Season 8 of Supernatural.
- Go to Stornoway with the other half (he’s never been) in February.
- Go to Cyprus (for a family wedding).
- Attend Strange Chemisty’s YA Con (13/14th July in Birmingham if all goes to plan)
- Attend World Fantasy Con in Brighton (31st October – 3rd November in Brighton), most likely in the company of the lovely Laura Lam.
- Frown at the sight of my bank account.
Some other bits and pieces I have planned:
- Focus less on blog book reviews and more on personal, writing, and art posts.
The last few years of book reviews were originally started as an exercise in critical thinking, to force me to dissect what I like and don’t like about books. These days, with drama levels rising over whether authors can also review and the role of book bloggers, it’s stopped being a fun learning experience and turned into an added workload. I don’t like finishing a book and going ‘ugh now I need to put together a review’, so I’ll be slowing down on the reviews. - Do more THINGS. Get LIFE EXPERIENCES. This one is an utter pain to do because… how do you add more excitement to your life? I dunno! But I guess I’ll try to find things. The conventions should help, especially because I’ll get to do some travelling and meet lots of writer friends offline.
- ‘Pay it back’ to the art community a bit by getting commissions from artists I love. I love doing this, but I need to be careful because good art costs.
Colin D Smith says
I’d like to write more short stories in 2013, too.
A while back I said I would write more book reviews on my blog, but I’ve backed away from that a bit, largely because I post some kind of review of every book I read on Goodreads. As for the whole “should writers also review” argument, I don’t review to be a book reviewer. I’m not a book reviewer, and I don’t consider myself a book reviewer. My Goodreads reviews are primarily to help me remember what the book was about, and what I liked/didn’t like about it. And if the review helps others, then great.
Anyway, I hope you achieve your goals for 2013, Emma. All the best to you. :)
EMaree says
@Colin D Smith Thanks Colin, same to you. I was happy enough with the book reviewer/book blogger label because hey, if I write and call myself a writer I can review and call myself a reviewer. No point putting false barriers in my way — I don’t need any qualifications other than to be able to write a balanced review. It felt right to claim the title when I started getting a lot of review copies and reviewing became both expected and a serious drain on my time.But I never anticipated what a minefield the writer-reviewer combo was, and I just can’t be bothered with the drama. But I want to keep my critical skills sharp — Janet Reid’s advice for writers to be able to critically review work was what started me seriously reviewing in the first place — so I’ll be doing it more casually from here on.
squidfather says
Wow, Emma! That’s quite a set of resolutions. I’ll sign on for all four of your initial short list.
You’re going to be very busy this year, and I predict continued success for you. Please blog about it here, making me feel prophetic and cool, rather than pathetic and uncool.
Also, I LOVE the title “Girls Who Fix Giant Robots”.
Oh — and since I’m feeling prophetic, I’m predicting you’ll sell your book to SC. Soon. In a two-book deal. There. Said it. Time stamp this so I can brag later.
EMaree says
@squidfather Thanks John! I’ve been looking back at your comments to keep me motivated, this revision is kicking my arse. But I’m going to get it done, because it is now my destiny to fulfil the prophecy! Haha. :)
squidfather says
Um, just to secure bragging rights, this is John Dixon.