Writing goals/life goals

My words for 2008 are consistency and adventure, two concepts that may seem contradictory, but that I hope to make work together. I need pattern and structure in my writing life--in my life in general--if I'm going to Get Stuff Done [tm]. At the same time, I need to get out and have fun, try new things, kick up my heels, both on the page and in the rest of my life, or I'll stagnate.

My writing goals for this year--the broad ones, not the "finish Project X by such and such a date" list, which doesn't make for terribly interesting reading (and in any event isn't fully writtne out yet) fall into the consistency and adventure categories:

Write at least 500 words a day--shoot for 10000 a week, but at least do that 500 a day (consistency) I can write a hell of a lot more than that in a day, but I tend to go in spurts. My record is over 8,000 words in a day, and I'm sure I could do it more regularly--but at the moment I just need to stop skipping days because I'm busy with Day Job 1, Day Job 2, or just life. (Realistically, I know I'll miss days here and there. For instance, there will be two weeks this summer when I'm unlikely to write a word, since I'll be somewhere where I won't have power or an easy way to keep my laptop recharged. However, getting as close to every day as I can will be good.)

Write more poetry, and start submitting it again (adventure)

Revise Knowing the Ropes, because a novel that's sorta-but-not-really done isn't doing my career any good (consistency)

Write fantasy, if only a short story or two. Write something that isn't erotic. (adventure)

Update this blog more often, and not just with promo stuff (consistency, although I do hope it'll be fun as well)

And most of all, the big goal that I hope will turn my life around in some small fashion: Find the joy in writing again.

I used to be in love with story, with voice, with words. I still am, deep down, but I've gotten so bogged down in the writing-as-job aspect, the need to produce and publish, that I've misplaced the joy. It's not really gone, it's just hidden, perhaps under that stack of contracts I need to file, or those receipts, or that article on guerilla marketing... I'm not sure how I'm going to get it back it, but dammit, this is too challenging and low-paying a job to do if you're not feeling the joy.

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And because Dayle asked, the projects on the list for the upcoming quarter are:

Caressing the Tiger (a Sophie Mouette novel)

Finishing Lion's Pride and getting the first three chapters in shape for the Passionate Plume contest (2/8 deadline)

Pirate's Booty: rewrite as a novella (late February/March--under contract)

Threshing the Grain (fall-themed novella, prequel to Lady Sun)--not under contract, but I want to get it done so, if Lady Sun sells well, people won't have to wait long for the related work.

Boston: Intimate Music (yes, another novella; this one is about 3/4 drafted, although it'll need heavy revision since I started writing it for Harlequin Blaze--that is, category-length novel--and there are far too many secondary characters floating around). Theoretically I'm supposed to turn this in in late January (meep!) but thank goodness that's not set in stone.

And you'll notice I'm updating my blog instead of working on any of the above...