Here we are, the first weekend of 2013. The Cafe has survived it’s first year, and most of us are still here. This past week we wrapped up the end of the year talking about our favorite topics. For this first Ephemera of the year, we asked the Confabulators what their resolutions as far as writing were for 2013. We all have big dreams, and lots of us reached them last year. This year, we’ll all continue to work towards even bigger ones.
Finish NaNo 2012. REVISE NaNo 2012. Write every day. Pick a manuscript to Pitch at Backspace 2013 in NYC.
I hate resolutions in general, but I have several that are very specific to writing for the year. The most significant is that I will read and/or write something every day this year. I spent too much time in 2012 sitting in front of the television when I could’ve done something better. I also plan on editing/rewriting my 2012 NaNoWriMo novel and I want to start submitting my short stories for publication. I’d like to say that a resolution is to get published, but seeing as how that is out of my control and is slightly terrifying, I’ll focus on baby steps. To get published, I have to start submitting!
2013 will be another tough year. I will still be working on my master’s degree. That severely cuts into writing time. However, this year has been very productive as far as short story submissions. I should have several pieces published this year. I would like to continue that run of success, as well as finish writing the first draft of Heaven’s Edge. I am also eager to edit my first novel, Kill Creek Road, but school comes first till August of 2014.
I’m hopeful that 2013 is the year I learn to edit a full length manuscript. I have two novels that I wrote in 2011 that deserve attention. I haven’t decided if I want to continue to submit short stories for publication or not, or if I want to focus on novel-length works. I’d also like to take a crack at writing another novel or two this year, since I ended pretty much novel-less in 2012. It seems that 2012 was Year of the Short Story, since I wrote at least one a month over the course of the year, had one published, once accepted, and three short-listed.
Practice, practice, practice! My biggest goal for 2013 is to be more consistent in my writing. I’m setting aside two nights a week (and one day on weekends) to work on my novel or short stories. I actually made a short story sale to an anthology last year, and it felt great. I’m going to try to do more in 2013.
I’m determined to see the novel in the hands of a publisher. I really believe that’s going to happen this year. Additionally, I’ll be sending out more and more short stories (inspired by Jack’s and Sara’s success) so that they’ll be published somewhere. I need to finish the sequel to the novel (still have 50K words to go as of this writing) and then I’m inspired to go back to another unfinished novel and work that until it’s ready. And more short stories.
Write more frequently and get something accepted for publication. The two go hand in hand, but that last one is especially important. My fellow Confabulators are kicking ass in the publications department, and I’m starting to feel the pressure.