Well, Wickeds, it is December! The last month of the year. So, here’s the question of the week–what does that mean to you? Any goal sprints you still want to tackle? Or are you all about getting through the holidays, and starting fresh in 2016?
Edith: That was a fast year! One of these days this month I’ll be getting copyedits on
Delivering the Truth, so I’ll be sprinting to finish those after they arrive. I have a few weeks of revision and polish to accomplish on When the Grits Hit the Fan, and plan to get that done before Christmas. Some cookies to bake and a tree to trim in there. Oh, and several gifts to come up with and obtain. Why do I always leave it so late? But our holidays are pretty low key these days, and I mostly just want to enjoy my son when he’s here. The rest can slide.
Barb: I’ve learned that all the excitement of the holiday season makes it challenging to finish out the 2015 goals, much less take on new ones. I’ll be treading water, and resurfacing with new goals in 2016.
Liz: Yikes. It’s a long story, but I’m still working on book one in my new cat cafe series with St. Martin’s Press. My goal is to have that wrapped up by the end of the year. Gulp. Wish me luck!
Jessie: I’ve got some goals on my list for the year that I won’t complete before the calendar turns but I can say that all of them are further along than they were at the beginning of the year. For me, that is the point. My goals help me to live with more intention and to spend my time and energy mindfully. Even if I don’t reach a goal on schedule, I am usually far ahead of where I started or where I would have been if I hadn’t tried in the first place. So, I’ll use these last four weeks to make the progress I can and then look forward to what 2016 will hold.
Sherry: Tagged for Death came out a year ago this Friday! I still can’t believe an entire year has gone by! I plan to enjoy the holidays more this year because last year I was on pins and needles. My proof pages showed up for book three All Murders Final! so that is an unexpected task to complete before Christmas. And I really hope to have the first draft of book four done by mid January so I have a lot of words to write before the end of the year.
Julie: Definitely sprinting a bit. I’ve plotted Book #3, and want to get more words written before the end of the year, for sure. Also have copy edits for Book #2, and a couple of other small projects to get done. That said, December is busy, so I need to enjoy the season as well.
Readers, do you have any goals or plans you’d like to reach before the end of the year? Do you give yourself a pass instead when it gets to be this late in the game?
I’m a little bit of both- trying to give some thought to what I want (and need!) to do next year but trying to race to the finish line for 2015! Top of my list next year is going to be earning my certification in fraud examination- a certification that actually looks like fine! And I am very seriously thinking about attending Malice Domestic- it’s not too far from home for me and it sounds like a ton of fun!! Have a good holiday Wickeds!!
We would love to see you at Malice, Jacki! You have good holidays, too.
I think all the Wickeds will be in the house at Malice. Wed love to see you there. PS, your certification sounds interesting!
It would be great to meet you in person!
Yes! Come!
My goal to hit by the end of December is a revision of my manuscript, getting it ready for submission. I hope all of you achieve your goals and still enjoy this great time of the year!
Cheering you on, Debra.
Best of luck on hitting send!
I’m just starting the first of four Christmas/December books I want to read and review this month. But other than that, just enjoy December. Finish decorating/buy gifts, that kind of thing.
Good luck on finishing your book, Liz. I’m sure you can do it!
Keep reading, Mark. the Wickeds so appreciate it. I know Liz can do it too. She is remarkable.
Finish decorating? I need to start! Looking forward to getting some reading done as well.
Thanks for your faith in me, guys! I hope it’s true….
I’m wrapping and baking and decorating same as everyone else, but that’s “good stress” I think. LIke you, Sherry, I’m aiming for mid-January to finish first draft of Book #4 in the Witch City series. That’ll give me just a month to whip it into shape for submission.
Good luck, Carol. We know you can do it!
Good luck with the goal!
I’ll be thinking of you, Carol! It’s nice to know someone is on the same path!
Since I don’t cook nor bake, I’m usually in charge of the N.H. booze run, so …
I’m cranking out some character sketches for a book I’ll be writing in 2016. Funny thing about characters: If you let them, they’ll even write a bit of the book for you. The one thing I’m doing differently is writing in longhand. I’m loving it!
I’ve been writing longhand more often myself. It’s just a different process.
I’ve been taking notes and plotting in longhand. Maybe a good way to do first draft? Hhmmm…
Longhand really works for me for brainstorming ideas. Totally different flow.
Just back from an amazing two weeks in Ireland–which of course is all research for the book that’s due February 1. Well, I do have ten chapters of it… But oddly enough, a variety of conversations I had over there with an assortment of people all feed directly into what I want to say in the story. Sometimes I don’t even have to ask. (And on a related note, every cab driver we had, to and from the airport, was extremely well informed about Irish history, the economic development of the City of Dublin over the past half-century, characteristics of natives of different counties, and so on. As I’ve said, all I have to do is listen. But now I have to work all this lovely information into the book!
Sounds like you and Elizabeth George have the same process. Let the setting tell you the story. So glad you had a great trip. Your posts made me jealous.
Also jealous, and also clear on letting bits of the story jump in and assert themselves!