2009 – Goals & Planning vs. Resolutions

Considering I have enough trouble with resolutions on computer screens, I thought I’d take a more practical approach to the New Year.  I have a number of projects in various stages of composition and decomposition.  I’m going to try forming some goals around them and see what I come up with.  This may be a bit disjointed, but bear with me.

HALLOWED GROUND – the novel collaboration with author Steven Savile – has passed the 70,000 word mark.  It’s officially in novel land now, and one of the oddest, most complex projects I’ve ever been involved in.  Goal number one is to wrap up the rough draft of this by the end of January and have it in the agent’s hands shortly thereafter.

STARGATE ATLANTIS: BRIMSTONE & SALT – Have just begun the actual writing of this.  It is very quick work, and it is due on the 31st of January, so this is the first serious deadline of the New Year.  Goal number two is to meet that deadline.

My ghost-writing project, the novelization of the story of a man who survived the Holocaust and war that created Israel, is also nearing 70,000 words and will probably not go much past 80 or 85k.  I want this one done and accepted by the client by February the 15th.

I have a long-running project with Neil Gaiman and Lisa Snelling that I hope to seem come to final light this year.  My goal and plan is to systematically nudge this into happening.  I have five unpublished short stories that I spent a lot of time on effort on waiting to see the light of day that have been waiting three years or more for this project to be complete.  This should be the year.

I plan to write the screenplay for RED NECK DRAGON this year.  I may participate in the SCRIPTORAMA in August – the screen writing version of Nanowrimo.  Not sure yet.

I plan to get a better handle on the schedule for my upcoming work.  I have a line of novels coming up from The Full Moon Press, a series of audio and print works (mostly reprints) coming up in the UK from Ghostwriter Publications – home of the works of Guy N. Smith – and a new novel due from Five Star Books late in the year “Vintage Soul,” which is book one in a series.  I plan to write book two this year.

Finally – there are a few goals beyond my writing goals and my professional goals.

I want to learn at least one song on guitar – all the way through – with my sons.  I’ll start with Billy, who lives with me, and draw Zach and Zane in eventually.  I want to record a song with my boys, all of whom are getting better every time I hear them.  Maybe Zach will play Viola along with us…

I want to draw and read and play with my daughter more.

I want to take Trish out a few times without any of the kids…just the two of us.  We may be going to New Orleans for a vacation…that will be interesting.

I want to clean the attic and finish fixing the front porch (or earn enough money to have someone fix the porch).

I want my family to stay happy through the year and be better off by next January than they are now.

I know…I want a lot, but without goals we’re just spinning our wheels, and if you do that on the Internet it scrolls by too fast.

What are YOUR goals? How do you plan to accomplish them?

-DNW