Monday, January 07, 2008

Back From Hiatus

I feel like I've been gone forever. My holiday hiatus extended to the end of last week. My brain just wasn't in the game. Too many other distractions. But I'm buckling down and getting back to it starting today. Granted, I didn't make a whole lot of headway, but I did figure out a scene and managed to cut about 4 pages I no longer needed. I'll call that good progress for my first day back. My goal is to have Brimstone revised, cleaned up and out the door by mid-February.

Once that is done, it will be agent queries for me. Two weeks straight of targeting my list of preferred agents and sending Brimstone off for their perusal. Then, while I wait for responses, I am going to start storyboarding The Outlaw Bride. I have discovered pacing is a bit of a weak point for me. I like to take a little too long to get from Point A to Point B, hence my always bloated word count. But, by storyboarding my scenes I think I can get a better view of what needs to be tightened and where I can do some page cutting. I hate the idea that I spent all that time writing TOB and then left it sitting on a shelf. It's a good story, I love the characters and I think they deserve their shot at the prize. So once I get TOB storyboarded and revised I'll start sending that out as well.

Then it's on to my favorite drunken earl, Quinn, and Book 2 in the Brimstone series. I'm really excited to start writing this one, but I like the idea of taking the break between Book 1 and 2 with The Outlaw Bride. It will allow me to clear my head and start fresh with Quinn and Grace. My goal is to have their book completed by October. That should bring me up to NaNo time and I have a romantic suspense I think I will try for Nano next November. Then I'll spend December either outlining Book 3 or possibly fixing up Salvation Falls and leaving Book 3 for January 2009.

And while I'm busy listing goals for 2008, I might as well list the other things I want to accomplish this year. So here are some of the personal goals I came up with:

Learn basic Italian so when I go to Italy in September 2009 I can at least make a stab at understanding/speaking the language.

Learn to play 3 chords on the guitar with some sense of aptitude. This is a left over from 2007 that I didn't get to.

Reach my goal weight and maintain it. I want to do this by February. I'm close, just not there yet.

Save up for the conference in San Francisco.

Save up for the trip to Italy and figure out rough itinerary of where I want to spend my two weeks.

Get a new pup in the second half of the year.

Looks like another busy year. Has anyone else figured out what their plans/goals for 2008 are, or am I the only anal retentive list maker out there??

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I have lots of lists Kelly. Try to keep myself focused and productive. I can waste a lot of time doing nothing.

Unknown said...

You can do it Kelly!! And yeah on San Fran! I have my ticket already and am now just saving up for the hotel and food. I plan on starving so I can have enough cash for little things.

Annette Gallant said...

Welcome back! I was also on hiatus over the holidays, but ready to jump back into things now.

Unless I suddenly come into money, I've decided not to go to the conference this year. But it sounds like it's going to be a great time. Maybe next year.

Good luck with your goals list. I have no doubt you'll accomplish everything on it!

Melissa Amateis said...

Glad to see you back, Kelly! Nothing wrong with taking a hiatus from life for awhile. ;-)

Unknown said...

Welcome back, Kelly. You've set yourself an aggressive list of goals for 2008. It's inspiring. I posted some goals on my blog, but I'm also working on a plan to keep myself motivated this year. Don't forget to add some playtime. All work and no play...

Dixie Belle said...

Hey Kelly! It's Yuma day! LOL