Updated January Update: Revisions

That first post of the year is always a lot to process. It makes me feel a little overwhelmed, and I worked myself into something of a standstill, not sure where to start. So, only about a week after my accomplishments and goals post, I'm already coming up with a somewhat new plan for the year.

I mean, not all that new. Revised, a bit. And a bit more organized. Rather than just saying I want to get x, y, z done this year, I've actually sketched out a rough timeline, breaking down the year into quarters. This year, I've decided to set quarterly goals, alternating writing and editing quarters. I don't know why I had this sudden urge to make this distinction, but I've decided that it is important to my process.

So. First quarter is editing. I want to get a solid pass on book three done so that it's ready for beta readers. I also want to do the final push on Druid Wars so that's ready for querying before I start on SP for Camp NaNo in April.

Second quarter is writing. Start with Camp NaNo, then hit Chain Letter Choice hard. I may poke at it a bit during the first quarter editing months if I feel like writing, so I don't necessarily have to write 30k-40k in two months, but if I need to, I can.

Third quarter is a mix of both writing and editing. I'll start with another SP adventure for Camp NaNo in July. Then I'll probably spend a month or two with Love and Demons in Los Angeles. I may take a break to poke at Once We Were Witches when the autumn nostalgia hits, but that feeling is fickle, so I hold no delusions that I'll be able to write that for any solid amount of time. Besides. The Pandemonium series has been pushed back several times now. I need to finally dedicate some time to it, and taking a quarter to focus on editing between writing quarters is probably a good way to recharge my creative batteries.

Because then, fourth quarter is back to writing, with NaNo proper hitting in November. In October, my plan right now is to try to write a third SP adventure. Unless work is going well on Pandemonium, then I might keep working on that. Or, depending on weather and mood, I might write (or write more) on Witches. But then I dive into crazy writing month, and then December is...well, we've seen what December is the past few years. I call it my wrapping up projects month, but let's be real. December is hibernation month.

The other big change is that I've decided--for now, at least--to put off self-publishing MystWatch indefinitely. I got to thinking that it might not be a bad idea to wait until I find agent representation or get in with an editor at a publishing house before I decide what to do with MystWatch. Agents kept telling me book one was too long for a debut author. So, what if another one of my books gets published and does well? Would they reconsider book one then? I decided it might be worth holding off for. That way, too, Rachel has some more time to focus on her own books and business and not have to worry about me bugging her with my self-publishing journey. Quite honestly, as much as I fantasize about covers and royalties, the time doesn't feel quite right. Of course, the longer I wait, the more chance it'll never happen, I realize. It's a risk, but one I'm willing to take right now. I wrote the books. Even if nothing happens with them, I'm happy to have written and edited them. Nobody can ever take that experience away from me.

I'm slowly shaking off my January funk (where I was debating whether I even wanted to be a writer anymore--it's sure been awhile since I had that fight with myself!). These revisions, this more concrete schedule, has helped perk me up a bit. It doesn't seem as overwhelming, looking at it this way. I still haven't started anything, but I'm still not even two weeks into January. It's not a foregone conclusion yet. I just need to get to work. On something. At this point, I'm not picky which project I pick up. But I'm ready to get creative again. Process planning uses the other part of my brain, which I need to exercise now and then, as well, but writing about writing isn't writing.

It's time to get started.