Now that the new year is here, I’ve been thinking – as I usually do at the end of each year – about what I’d like to achieve with my writing in the next twelve months. As always, I’d very much like to get an agent and (who knows!) even a traditional publishing deal, but I’ve decided that my list of resolutions will only include things that I can work towards in a practical way and have some control over. I’ve got no control at all over whether an elusive agent will pick up my submission and decide to give it a go (marvelous as that would be), so getting an agent won’t be going on my list. So, my (mostly) achievable writing goals for 2024 are –
- Finish submitting my most recently completed book to the list of agents that I’d like to be represented by (without any expectations of what will or won’t come of that).
- Chase up any agents I’ve submitted to, that don’t respond within their published timescales.
- Keep tabs on writing competitions entered, and make sure I enter some others.
- Outline the plot of a new book by the end of February 2024.
- Start writing the new book, and get the first draft finished by July 2024.
- Once the first draft is done, use WriteMentor to find a mentor to help me edit the new book and improve its structure, characters and plot.
- Write a completed (or as completed as it ever is!) draft of the new book by the end of 2024.
- Get ready to submit it to agents in early 2025.
It’s always possible that I’ll hit those targets earlier than the dates I’ve set, but so that my resolutions don’t become over-optimistic – which could easily lead to disappointment – I’m keeping it realistic. And if I move through the stages quicker than I’d thought I might then, hey, well done me! The dog likes my resolutions, but he has expressed his disappointment that I haven’t included any meal-based items on my list – such as trying 500 new foods before the end of February, or doubling the number of meals in a day by the end of June. But I’m being firm about this and I’ve reminded him that this list is about writing goals, not culinary ones. So if he wants to triple the size of his breakfast, or bring teatime forward to 2pm by a certain point in the year, well … he can always start his own list.
Catherine Rosevear 