Month Five Goals

Last month I didn’t bother setting any goals as I was due to depart for Victoria for two weeks. What I really wanted was a break from everything and to catch up with some writing friends in the flesh. I did have a wonderful break and caught up with Ben, Jason and Amanda, as well as Claire Halliday. It was just what the creative doctor ordered and although suffering through a rather sever post-holiday funk, I’ve come out of it bigger, brighter and more creative.

I wrote one [Fiction] Friday while I was away (Greenman Ridge), wrote one before I left (Mrs Simpson), wrote another when I returned (Clutch) and gestated an idea which I started writing last week (Parasite – which was meant as the 3rd FF for the month). With all the train travel between Ballarat and Melbourne I caught up on reading – ploughing through three and a half books (Secret Life of Bees, Lord of the Flies, Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited which I’m still reading) and a score of short stories in the Thieves and Scoundrels anthology.

While the two weeks away were great it generally put me even further behind on all my writing and projects. So this coming month is going to be a big one.

Reading

My projected reading this month is:

• Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

• RealmShift – Alan Baxter

• MageSign – Alan Baxter

• Clock in with 29 short stories read

Writing

• Fourth Fiction novella – complete the final two sections and finally name it.

• Parasite (sci-fi/erotica short story) – complete first draft

• [Fiction] Friday prompts – Participate in 4/4

• Writing Races – Participate in 4/4

• Word count –  minimumof 3500 words per week.

• Hartog -2 new episodes

• Light Years – new draft

Blogging

• Writing in Black and White – 1 blog post per week & put up four old WA ones.

• Follow Anne Whitaker up on the offer of a guest spot on her blog.

• Write Anything – Organise four guest columns so I can have a break during August

– Complete Know Your Process series

Editing

Mrs Simpson – next draft and then out for beta read. Consider where to sub it.

Light Years – redraft and farm out to beta readers.

Hartog – edit 4 episodes

Beta reading – four stories

Submissions/Competitions

• Graceville (Meanjin?)

• Pearls of Wisdom (Island?)

• Don’t Tell, Alice (Wet Ink)

• List competitions for July and August

eMergent Publishing Projects

Gnarly Planning

• Finalise website by 18th June.

• Meet up with Jane to discuss future projects.

Captain Juan

• Prepare to launch new site

• Get two month’s (16 episodes) edited up and scheduled.

Chinese Whisperings

• Finalise first five stories by 30th June

• Finalise stories #6 and #7 by 11th July

• Finalise artwork licensing agreement and have final version of front cover of Red Book.

• Update website

• Timeline for promo

Choose Your Own CW Adventure

• Organise 3 podleaders
• Organise a team of writers
• Being tossing around ideas and scenarios

Other Projects

Reclaim Sex After Birth

• July Newsletter

• Start looking at the site revamp