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. Great to see you so busy. What a lot of good work. I too have a number of WIP and somewhat abandoned (but never forgotten) stories that I shall return to. I think it’s the writer’s lot. Wishing you much success.

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    1. Thanks, Joan.:-) It was actually over the course of 6 months, not 3, because I knew three novellas would be a big challenge for me. But THIS quarter I’m aiming for three-month goals. I’m glad you stopped by!

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  5. Wow! You might have had some goals you didn’t meet, but I’d say you did extraordinary. Congratulations!
    Also wishing you well with your 3rd quarter goals for the year. I love how you have everything planned out!

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  12. I’m seriously impressed. Amazingly productive! Wasps? I have wasps in my WIP fantasy book. They can be nasty things. They are in my story.

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  14. I agree with everyone else – it’s a success! You’ve inspired me to write down my goals so I can see the progress I’ve made instead of always feeling like I’m treading water. Congrats, Priscilla!

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  17. Wow! That’s a helluva year, well done you! I’m intrigued by the wasp story; I’m terrified of wasps and hornets so that’s something that would really keep me up at night- and not in the way writing usually does!

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