Writing Resolutions

I find it hard to believe that another year has flown by, and it has been a year of learning when it comes to writing for me. I've found what works and what doesn't. I attended a writer's conference. I joined a writing group (Valley Writers) and the Virginia Writers Club. I've found some great writer friends along the way. I even pitched to an agent and got a partial request!

Now, I do have writing goals or resolutions for next year, but first, I'd like to look back on 2010.

Here are some stats:

Submissions: 28

Rejections: 20

Acceptances: 7

Short Stories Written: 22

Novels Written: 1

2010 Word Count: 146,013

I still have two stories out on submission, so these stats could very well change from now until the end of Friday, but we'll go with what I have.

I don't think it was a bad year at all, and I didn't include how many flash fiction pieces I wrote for the blog.

Now, for this year, I need to make some changes. In 2010, I focused mainly on writing short stories and flash fiction. This was great, but I have three completed first drafts of novels sitting around and waiting for something to happen. I feel like 2011 might be the year of the rewrite.

For starters, I plan to rewrite, edit, revise, edit some more, read over my critique partners' notes, edit, revise, polish, and submit query letters for Virtuoso, a YA Paranormal novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2009. I'd like to be submitting Virtuoso to agents by the end of May, but we'll play it by ear. 


Once I finish with Virtuoso and get to the submission stages, I will be editing, rewriting, revising, etc. the first novel I ever wrote, which is my YA Epic Fantasy The Phoenix Prophetess. I'd like to have it ready to submit to agents by October and the James River Writers Conference. I plan to attend the conference again, and I want to pitch The Phoenix Prophetess to an agent. 

If I can get those two novels ready to go, I would be very happy. I'd settle for at least one of them done and ready to go, though.

On top of that, I plan to still write a short story a month for Raven and the Writing Desk blog. 

So far, I've found six anthologies I'd like to submit a story to. I plan to begin those shortly.

Then, I have my old short stories. They are much loved. Some need a little work. Others need a bunch of work, but I'd like to take every single one of those old short stories, fix them up and send them out on submission again next year.

I will still write a flash fiction piece for every Friday in 2011. 

I will continue to read because I believe you can't grow as an author without reading other authors' works.

And, in November, I will write my MG Urban Fantasy Grim for my NaNoWriMo 2011 novel.

If I have time, I'd like to complete at least one novella and do major research for Moonlight Murders because in 2012, I want to jump back into that story while I'm editing Missing and Grim.

I will continue working as a proofreader for PWP, I hope, as well. 

So, um, well, it looks like I'll be busy. If I do half those things, I'll consider it a successful year. We'll see how it goes.

Does anyone else have writing resolutions?