Winter is in full swing, and I’ll admit I have a love-hate relationship with the season. I’m already prone to hibernation, and with its cold temperatures and dark days, winter is practically begging me to curl beneath a fluffy blanket with a cup of tea and a book until spring appears, goals be damned. And while I will absolutely be doing the first part, my writing goals are bigger than they’ve ever been.
Before signing my agent, I used to only work on one project at a time. I didn’t think I could focus on more than one at a time anyways, particularly while working full-time, and it made sense for my goals back then. I could focus all my energies on getting one project ready to go, and take breaks in between.
But in the summer, I decided to try working on another book while my agent was reviewing Project Midnight. Work was quieter for July (apart from a trip to Belgium), and I was curious if I could do it — if I could work on two stories simultaneously without losing focus or quality. It was an experiment, and after I wrote the first draft of Project Drake in only 18 days, I felt highly accomplished. I’d done something I’d never done before, and I didn’t feel like I’d lost anything by doing so.
I wrote it that quickly partly because I expected to get Project Midnight’s edits back in early August, and I didn’t want to do them at the exact same time. With the first draft of Project Drake complete, I set it aside and returned to Midnight ready to go, absorbing myself back into that world. And once that round was complete and returned to my agent, I took a little break and back to another project, a secret third thing I hope to tell you all about soon. And in December while everything was turned in, I started lightly outlining a fourth project, known as Project Dice.
So after some experimentation, I feel confident about doing more than one project at a time, and it feels great to continue progressing even when one of my projects is with my agent or beta readers. I still build in breaks (especially after fast drafting) as I wholeheartedly believe they’re incredibly important for having better mental health, but they’re a bit shorter, and I don’t mind one bit. I think this is due to a various reasons, but one of them is that I’m a more confident writer, my writing takes less time to fix than it used to, and I understand my writing process more now and how best to utilize it for my strengths.
Which brings us to winter! I’m currently on sub for Project Midnight and Secret Third Thing and am crossing my everything for good news. In the meantime, I’m full steam ahead on my winter writing goals. Here’s what I’m looking at:
- Finish outline for Project Dice in January and fast-draft in February
- Re-read Project Drake in January/February and begin revisions in March
- Send my agent Project Flare (some of you will remember this from before my Mummy Book! She’s back!) in January, review our revision plan in February, and begin revisions in March
I’m also reading more (Kingdom of the Feared will be living rent-free in my brain for a long while), and I’m traveling less for a while. In 2023, I traveled for nearly 3 months of the year between work trips and personal travel, and it took a toll on my physical health, especially with a chronic illness I’m still learning to work with. I love traveling, but 2023 was a lot, and I’d like to reduce my travel by at least half in 2024. My first trip at the moment is set for May, so my winter is open for writing goals.
I’ve loosely planned out my full goals for the year, but it’ll depend on a lot of things (in the best case scenario, I would get a book deal that would change my plans). I usually try to plan out by quarter or season, because I’ve found it’s the best way to have an accurate idea of my schedule. I also build in breaks and additional time in case I get sick or need a mental health day. I’m not one for writing daily anyways, but my goals are ambitious, so I’m trying my best to make them happen.
My dream for 2024 is to get a book deal, but since I can’t control that, I’m focusing on the things I can control. And being able to work on a few projects at a time makes me feel that much closer to making my dreams a reality. But hey, it’s still winter after all — I’ll probably be in a cozy onesie with a cup of tea for most of it.
Wishing you a lovely winter and would love to hear your goals for the season!
Sending hot tea and fuzzy socks,
Valerie
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valerie c. norton 