As I did last year, I looked back over 2015 and wondered how many of my goals I'd achieved. Had I made any progress along my journey as a writer?
- Complete the first draft of the novel and work on it so that I feel ready to apply to the RNA New Writers' scheme at 12 noon. next January 2nd. ACHIEVED - I'm sure you will allow me to say again that I wrote THE END on November 29th! :-)
- Continue to write short stories and submit them to competitions and magazines. I set myself a goal of two new stories a month. PARTLY ACHIEVED I didn't write twenty four new stories but I did submit several stories to competitions.
- Aim to get one story accepted in a print magazine before the end of December 2015. NOT ACHIEVED This is still an area where I am having no success. As well as not getting my stories right for the market, I shouldn't be surprised when I only submit very infrequently, preferring to write for competitions. To put this right, I submitted one story last week and have another ready to put in the post in the morning. Will 2016 be my year? :-)
- Aim to make the short list of a short story competition sometime during the coming year. ACHIEVED I was very pleased when 'Whispers in the Olive Trees' was shortlisted in Credington's Short Story Competition in the summer. A number of my stories were long listed and others have appeared in anthologies and on Alfie Dog Fiction. 'The Curse of the Turquoise Pool' was Commended by Swansea Writers' Circle and will appear in its e-book in the next few weeks.
- Yesterday, I prepared my email to apply for a place on the RNA New Writers' Scheme and sat waiting with the mouse hovering over SEND and watching the minutes tick away until the time said 12.00. I'm delighted to say that I soon received an email saying that I have a place.
- My main goal now is to edit and polish the first draft of my novel ready to submit to the RNA NWS for a critique. It is going to take priority this year as I want to give it the very best chance I can.
- On the short story front, I shall continue to submit stories to competitions and magazines hoping for more short listings and that first elusive magazine acceptance.
- I hope to publish a themed collection of short stories before the end of 2016 but only after I've sent off my novel to RNA.
What are your goals and targets for 2016? I'd love it if you'd leave a comment. Thanks. :-)
Thank you for reading my blog and all good wishes for a very productive year in 2016! HAPPY WRITING!
First of all, congratulations on getting a place on the RNA NWS. It's a wonderful scheme that gives so much support to romance writers. Well done, too, for everything you have achieved this year. And who knows, maybe 2016 will be the year you start getting your work accepted by women's magazines... but only if you submit more often!! I do hope we will meet at the RNA Conference in the summer. In the meantime, I wish you every success for the new year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue. I agree with you about submitting more stories! I'm lucky to get a place on the NWS so I'm determined to take advantage of it by concentrating on my novel. I look forward to meeting you at the conference. :-)
DeleteCongratulations, Jan that's great news. You're right to give your novel priority, as it will stand out more and I'm sure you'll get some positive reviews. I hope this will be your year to get accepted in the womags as well.
ReplyDeleteMy aims are to get a womag accepted as well, and finish my serial that went to P.F. Work on the next Redington and do 2 chapters a month, and work on the follow up to Hats. Oh, and get Hats published as well. I'll need to spend less time on facebook and twitter, but I do want to keep on with the blog.
Thanks, Sue. You have a lot of plans and I wish you loads of luck, too. I'm looking forward to more stories from Redington. Thanks for popping by to comment.
DeleteCongrats on getting into the RNA scheme. I've heard good things about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patsy. It's first come, first served so I was poised with the mouse hovering ready to send at 12.00! I've heard good things about the scheme, too, so I feel lucky to have got in. Wishing you another successful writing year.
DeleteHappy New Year, Jan. Wishing you lots of fun on the RNA scheme and lots of fun and laughter throughout 2016.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nicola. I hope you have a happy and healthy 2016 and much writing success. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteI'd say you had a very successful 2015, and what a great start to 2016!
ReplyDeleteI never achieve all my New Year goals, but it's better to have too many than none at all. I didn't finish my novel last year and now it's 'resting' again because the first item on my 2016 to-do list is to work on a collection of short stories for Alfie Dog Fiction (part of my prize for winning their story competition). No guarantee of publication but I'm certainly going to try for it!
A very good reason for resting the novel, Linda. Sending you lots of luck with the collection - I shall look forward to seeing the publication on the Alfie Dog site. Happy New Year and thanks for your comments.
DeleteHi Jan Congratulations on all your achievements last year. Keep going with the short stories, you'll get there in the end. The RNA New Writer's scheme is a fantastic thing, I've had a couple of critiques with them and felt they were well worth the money. Sadly I didn't manage to go to any of the events but maybe next year! I too want to get more short stories published, only 2 last year but I didn't send out a great deal. Would also love to get an agent for a book which has been through the NWScheme and polished and polished, and may get polished again! Good luck. Linda
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda. Good luck with your short stories next vyear, too. It was good to hear how helpful you've found the NWS critiques and I do hope you get an agent. Perhaps, as the 2016 Conference is in Lancaster, it may be easier for you to attend next year. Thank you for stopping by to comment.
DeleteFab news you made it through the gate of the RNA programme - I only ever hear good things about it.
ReplyDeleteWell done on your competition successes too, it's only a matter of time before you have a 1st!
Thank you for your kind words, Maria. The main reason I enter the competitions - only the smaller ones - is that they give me a deadline to get stories written. I'm not very good at motivating myself without a deadline! The closing date for the NWS critique should spur me on not to leave my editing too late and get in before the rush! Well that's the plan. :-) Thank you for leaving a comment and good luck with your writing this year, too.
DeleteYou seem pretty good at motivating yourself to me. :-)
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