3rd Quarter 2021 Writing Goals

Writing
Image of a book titled Music As a Weapon

Yes, my 3rd quarter goals. But first, how did I do on the goals I set for the first half of 2021? I had a goal of writing three novellas. (One of them was already in a Nano draft phase.)

1st half of 2021: Write and edit 3 novellas.

FIRST NOVELLA: Done, in an editor’s slush pile at the moment.

SECOND NOVELLA: Done. However, I was experimenting with a novella in verse. It didn’t turn out to my liking, and with each editing pass, the more contrived it felt. So I deleted it, but I’m glad I gave it a shot.

THIRD NOVELLA: Ironically, this is the novella that was already in draft form, and I think it still needs another big edit. So this one was a big, honking FAIL. I do like the wasp-filled premise, though, so I’m not giving up on this one.

During the first half of 2021, I also:

  • got a story accepted in my fave dark literary zine (to be published in spring of 2022).
  • received three story rejections.:-)
  • received notice of a forthcoming acceptance for a vampire novelette.
  • got a poem published in a happily successful charity anthology for Virginia musicians hit hard by the pandemic. (The anthology is today’s feature image.)
  • wrote and submitted a short story about not-your-normal butterflies (heh, heh, hehhhh).
  • wrote and submitted a short story about a child’s ghost.
  • edited and submitted a wicked witch story for a podcast.
  • wrote a weird-horror short story that needs 400 words chopped in order to meet a target publisher’s submission guidelines.

For the 3rd quarter 2021, my goals are to:

  • cut 400 words from my weird-horror short story and get it submitted.
  • edit and submit that third novella, the wasp-filled one.
  • edit (again) and query my manor house novel that’s been sitting idle too long.
  • aim for some new words, too, so I’ll search for a paying horror market and then challenge myself to write a short story for that market.

I hope the pursuit of your writing (or reading, or both) goals are going well!

Published

85 thoughts on “3rd Quarter 2021 Writing Goals”

  3. Hi Priscilla – I like how you have a lot going on and are trying out different styles and techniques. That’s a great accomplishment. Congratulations on your first novella and the story to be published this spring. That’s so cool!

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  6. Go, Priscilla, GO!!!! You’re jamming! Also, thanks for sharing these because the way you work your goals inspired me to take a stab at breaking them up into manageable chunks like this too and it’s been very helpful. So thanks for the inspiration!

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  9. I admire authors like you, Priscilla, who create goals and track them. It sounds like you had an excellent quarter over all and have a good plan for the third. I make goals in the morning and cross my fingers that I’ll get to them by dinner. 🙂

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  10. You’ve been doing so well with your writing this year! You smashed out your first two goals, have been published in more places and have been working on and submitting to others as well. I hope working on that third novella goes well and that you’ll be able to ace these new goals as well. 🧡

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  16. You’ve been very busy, Priscilla, and done great. I had a possible academic thing coming up that might prove challenging (I haven’t written anything for that world for a long time), but, what’s life without a bit of challenge! Good luck for the second half of 2021. (Oh, and I’m intrigued about the wasps). Congratulations1

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  19. It is so interesting to read how you define your writing goals, Priscilla. How wonderful it is when you achieve this! I have found that even if i failed to achieve a goal, it was a valuable experience. Because I definitely learned something in the process.
    Priscilla, have a nice weekend and best of luck with quarter four!!
    Greetings from the beautiful Rhine-Highlands / Germany…
    Rosie 😊

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