IWSG: Writing Plans for 2026

 Happy 2026! I hope it's a good one for you. If you're not already familiar with the Insecure Writer's Support Group, you can learn more about them on their website or Facebook page.

 

Our hosts this month are Shannon Lawrence, Olga Godim, Jean Davis, and Jacqui Murray.

 

Here's our question for January: Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn't get done in 2025?

 

A lot of my goals for 2026 are reading goals, not writing goals. They include reading at least one hour of a paper book each week (I read a lot of eBooks, but by reading more paper, I hope to get some books off my To Be Read pile), reading at least ten books in Terry Prachett's Discworld series, and reading at least one diversity read each month. However, I also have several works I'd like to finish, including my next cozy mystery, a short story anthology in my Season Avatar series, and the first novel in a Season Avatar spinoff series. These works have all been languishing for a couple of years, honestly. I wrote a lot of short fiction last year, but I still have a story involving a harpist and a composer that I'd like to finish.

 

What are your plans for this year? Feel free to share them in the comments. 

 

 

Writing Goals 2024

As I try to finish my current work in progress, I thought I should consider what projects I want to work on in the coming year. I've mentioned before how obsessed I've become with the Good Omens show on Amazon. I'm currently writing an alternative universe story with the Good Omens characters for the Archive of Our Own website. There are at least two more stories that I want to write in that setting. This is the kind of story that won't leave me alone, so the only way to "cure" myself of it is to write it down. Unfortunately, once I write a story in one setting, I get more story ideas. Currently there are two more Good Omens stories I want to write (three, if I include writing an alternate version of an event I already wrote about.)

If I can ever get back to my own original projects, I still have my third cozy mystery to finish and two projects in the fantasy Season Avatars universe (a short story collection and a novel starting a sequel series). I haven't decided yet if I want to enter the annual solarpunk short story contest run by Grist.org. I have a couple of possible ideas, but nothing's fleshed out yet.

No matter what projects I choose to work on, there's plenty to keep me busy this year. Do you have any writing goals for the year? If so, what are they?

2023 Writing Projects

There are three main projects I'd like to complete and publish in 2023: The Season Between, a short story collection set in my Season Avatars universe after Summon the Seasons (it's meant to transition into a sequel or spinoff series, though right now it focuses more on what other issues the Season Avatars face); and the next two books in my Abigail Ritter cozy mystery series: Restaurants and Revenge and Bubble Tea and a Body. Here's a summary of where I'm at with each project.

The Season Between: I want to have at least one short story featuring each of my four Avatars. I have rough drafts for Gwen, Ysabel, and Kay, but Jenna's story has been giving me issues. I originally wanted to show her on a trip to a different country, but the story spiraled out of control, with no good way to resolve the conflict. So I've shifted the conflict back to Challen and made the problem about more than magic. Hopefully this will allow me to finish the rough draft of this story this month. I can then revise the other stories and decide if I want to add any others.

Restaurants and Revenge: This is the second book in my cozy mystery series. The first draft is complete, and it's been revised. However, I've been trying to work in a subplot that will allow me to add more touches of Filipino culture to the book, and it's hard to add something when the story is complete as it is. I think I've figured out where to add a couple of scenes; the problem is finding the time to work on this project. Revising can be harder (and take longer) than drafting.

Bubble Tea and a Body: This is the third book in the cozy mystery series. I'm about 30,000 words into the first draft. I have a sense of where I'm going with it (at least in the short term), and want to return to it when I'm done drafting Jenna's story.

Part of the reason it's taken me so long to finish these projects is because I've been distracted by writing short stories. I currently have three out for consideration, though at least two of those stories face long odds. I might work on another solarpunk story for another contest (or solarpunk magazine), but hopefully I'll finish what I'm working on before I take on too many other projects.

What are you planning to work on this year, writing or otherwise? Feel free to share in the comments.

IWSG: Word of the Year

 

 

 Happy 2023! May we all have a better and kinder year in the next twelve months. Since this is also the first post of the month, that means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group post. Learn more about the IWSG on their website and Facebook. 

Our hosts this month are Jemima Pett, Debs Carey, Kim Lajevardi, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and T. Powell Coltrin. 

Here's our question for January (I'm just quoting the first two lines): Do you have a word of the year? Is there a word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? 

One of the suggestions that was listed with the question was FINISH. That works for me, as I still have several writing and craft projects that I'd like to finish. One of the reasons I have trouble completing         everything is that I keep picking up new projects. Perhaps I should make a list of everything I want to         finish this year to keep me focused.

    What's your word for 2023? Feel free to share in the comments.

2021 in Review: Reading

There are still a couple more days left in 2021, but it's time for my semiannual reading review. This is based on the tracking I do through Goodreads. I'm not always good about tracking the date I start a book (since I then have to delete it from my Goodreads if I decide I don't want to finish it), but the end dates are more accurate. 

My goal for this year was 150 books. Unlike previous years, I had no trouble reaching my goal. As of 12/26 (the day I'm writing this post), I've read 157. This doesn't include the multiple re-reads of Murder at Magic Lake that I do as part of revising and editing books before publication. There will probably be another couple of books added to this total before Friday. The average book was about 257 pages, with the shortest being 64 pages and the longest 776 pages. (It was an anthology of cozy mystery novels.) Here's the breakdown by genre:

Fantasy: 24

Science Fiction: 19

Mystery (includes regular and traditional): 86

Other Fiction: 6

Non-Fiction: 22

Mysteries have taken over from fantasy as my comfort reading, but since I'm also writing it now, I need to continue learning about the genre. The other genres haven't changed much, though I suppose I should read more non-fiction, especially books on writing and publishing. Other than reading at least one diversity read a month, I don't have many set goals for the type of books I read. (It's typically whatever I'm in the mood for at the moment.)

About thirty-eight books were paper books checked out from the library; however, I also borrowed a lot of Ebooks. I did read one paper book from my To-Be-Read stack, but that didn't make much of a dent. 

I will probably set my 2022 reading goal for another 150 books. Do you set reading goals for yourself? If so, feel free to share them in the comments.

2019 Books and 2020 Goals

Happy New Year and new decade! (Yes, it's OK to start counting a decade from a year ending in "0.") I'm sure you're not reading this exactly at midnight, so I hope you had a chance to recover if you were out celebrating. Due to the holiday, the Insecure Writer's Support Group is posting next week, so in the meantime, let's talk books.

Every six months, I like to review my reading progress, so it's time to look back at my reading in 2019. My original goal was to read 150 books. This year, I came across a few series with fast-paced books that I devoured, so I had no problem meeting this goal. In fact, I increased my goal to 160 books and passed that. I ended up with 167 books, with a couple more in progress to kickstart my 2020 reading. Here's the genre breakdown:

Fantasy: 78
Science Fiction: 37
Other Fiction: 25
Nonfiction: 27

Here are my recommendations:

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Storm of Locusts
Here and Now and Then
The Murderbot series
The Modern Magick series
This is How You Lose the Time War

And, of course, the collections and anthologies with my own stories: Hidden Histories, Ordinary Wonders, and Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters.

As for 2020 goals, I plan to set the same reading goal of 150 books. My writing plans include finishing up my urban fantasy trilogy and hopefully returning to the Season Avatars and Catalyst Chronicles worlds. Best of luck to you with your goals too!

2018 Goals: The Successes

It's hard to believe this is going to be the last post of 2018. At least this is a good time to review the goals I did achieve this year.

Write and submit [short stories] to 3-4 anthologies/magazines--Achieved. I had two short stories published this year, one in an e-zine and one in an anthology. Three of my short stories were rejected. I'll publish two independently and possibly use material from the third in Catalyst in the Crucible. I intend to submit two short stories to anthologies in January; we'll see if any other markets catch my eye the rest of the year.

Prepare and publish 1 or 2 box sets for the Season Avatars series--I did a complete ebook box set of the Season Avatars series early this year.

Participate in local literary festivals when possible--I moderated a panel for the Elgin Literary Festival (ELF) and had a table at my library's Comic Con. I'll be back at ELF to sell books (and raffle off a dinosaur), though I'll have to see if my schedule allow me to participate in any other local writer fests.

Make Santa Jawa costume--I'm now calling it the "Holly Jolly Jawa" since I did it in green instead of red.

Crochet at least ten SW characters--I managed to accomplish this back in January. I made so many I'm considering selling some on Etsy after Star Wars Celebration in April.

Troop 20-25 times--I trooped 21 separate events. At this rate, I should reach my 100th troop before I turn 50 (another of my unofficial goals).

Read 150 books--My Goodreads count is currently 148. Book 149 is nearly done, and since I have a couple more days off this week, I'm quite confident I can finish at least one more book before the end of the year. More details about my reading will be revealed next week.

Although the month isn't quite over, it's still been a long December. Let's hope next year will be better than this one--and that I reach more of my goals!  See you on January 2nd.