End of Year Sprint

Last week I posted a series of questions that I was going to ask myself during the week as I prepared for setting my goals for next year. I think it is extremely important to compare what I meant to accomplish with what I actually did. If I didn’t make my goals—why not? Valid reasons, or excuses? Did I find better goals instead? Did I lose track of time?

I had one major goal that stayed in the forefront of my mind. If I got nothing else done, I was determined to at least work on that one goal. The minor goals were still there, but I had one special goal posted at the top of the list, in bold, with a star beside it.

The goal? The outcome? My goal was to submit, submit, submit. To force myself to send out those queries. It’s now mid-December and I have not yet made it all the way through my list of agents. But, from what I’ve learned, now is not the best time to send in queries, so, I’ll let my list rest until January. In actuality, I’m hoping I won’t have to pick up that list next year since I’m waiting to hear back on a full and two partials. Wouldn’t signing with an agent be a nice way to end the year? *Let’s dream for a minute.*

Seeing that we still have two weeks left in the year, I’m going to look at my other goals and see how many of them I can knock out.

For example, this is what I am doing today:

One of my professional goals this year was to start a Writer’s Notebook to systematically work on improving my craft through personal study. My first task was to get into the habit of collecting first pages (photocopied and placed into a section of my binder.)

Secondary from that was to analyze these first pages. How do authors start off their books? What are the best ways to begin books? What are my favorites and why? How are characters introduced that make me, the reader, want to learn more about them?

I did fairly well on my first pages collection. I didn’t always remember to make a photocopy of a novel I was reading, and sometimes, if I didn’t like the book, I didn’t bother with keeping the first page.

(SIDEBAR: A few months ago I learned about a great website dedicated to first pages!  http://www.firstpagepanda.com/ posts first pages and back-cover copy from children’s and YA books.)

I did well on collecting, but never got around to analyzing. Reading them, enjoying them, yes. Picking them apart, no.

I’ve decided that a quick(ish) task like that, that never quite got done, is something that I can do before Dec 31^st.  I’ve done all the legwork, I only need a cup of coffee, some colored pens and a few moments to myself.

Step 3 of this self-education is to apply what I’ve learned to MY first pages. Do I include the elements I thought stood out in the first pages I liked? How can I change my first page to make it more of what I like to see in a novel?

I don’t have to find the universal formula for a stellar first page. I only need to discover what I like in a first page and make sure my first page has it. Why? Because I’m looking to develop my own voice. My voice should reflect what interests me, what catches my eye as a reader. Am I drawn to an opening with an evocative setting? Dialogue? Quiet action? Thrilling action? Humor? Mystery?

At least, that’s my theory. Haven’t gotten past Step 1 though, have I? But I will by Dec 31^st.

What unfinished goal can you complete in the next two weeks?