Goals Assessment: 1st Qtr 2011

Ok, the year is 1/4 through.  Time to assess my progress toward my writing goals.  So without further ado, let’s go!

Goal #1: Finish Masters by the end of April

On track.  I’ve got 46.100 words written so far, and only a few chapters left to write.  I think I may actually be early on this one.

Goal #2: Finish book #2 by the end of September

On track.  By Default.

Goal #3: Win NaNoWriMo

In doubt.  So far I’m managing 22,000 words per month.  Not good enough for NaNoWriMo.  Must improve.

Goal #4: Write 25 Short Stories

Behind.  I’ve written 4 so far, putting me on track for 16.  However, once Masters is done, I intend to spend a month or so doing nothing but shorts, so that should catch me up.

Goal #5: Set up my company and figure out epublishing

Done.  I’m still working out the kinks with Smashwords, but the foundations are all laid.

Goal #6: Go to a writing conference

No progress.  I’ve done some research on several conferences, but most I’ve found so far are distant from me, and expensive.  More to follow

Goal #7: Stop Rushing

I think I’m doing well with that.  I’ve not been flailing myself to get stuff out NOW.  So that was my whole point.

So overall, I’d say I’m doing alright.  I’m definitely still in reach on all my goals.  So that’s good.  🙂  Now some statistics.  This quarter I’ve written the following:

Masters of the Sun – 46,141 words
Passing in the Night – 12,169 words
Falling Softly – 3,045 words
How NOT to Rescue a Damsel in Distress – 2,649 words
A Zombie’s Life – 2,450 words

Grand Total – 66,454 words

Monthly Average – 22,151.33 words

Daily Average – 738.38 words

Year Total (Projection) – 265,816 words

That’s not too bad, I suppose.  I’ve read others commenting on Zoe Winters‘ 365,000 word goal as being big time.  So I guess if I can hit almost 300,000 I’m in the not-completely-tiny time.  Or something.  😛

It’ll still take me a while to reach the mythical 1,000,000 words of crap before I finally become good, though.  I wonder if all the text-based role playing on Multi-User Dungeons ten years ago counts toward that 1,000,000.  I sure spent a lot of time, and had a lot of fun, emoting swordfights and all sorts of other good stuff back then.  I still have the logs for most of those rp sessions.  🙂  Ah, the days before Everquest and Word of Warcraft.  It was such a different world then.

2 Comments on “Goals Assessment: 1st Qtr 2011

  1. HAH! How funny! I used to be a MUDder too >.> My poison of choice was Daedal Macabre. They even had evolvable (spellchecker hates this word, I must be a wordsmith today) classes like dragons and illithids (doesn’t like that one either, but it’s a word, I sweaaaaaaar). You had to play a LOT to get the hours/reqs for it though.

    I wasted so many hours on that game, and literally got grounded away from electronics because I would stay up late/sneak downstairs to play. Ah, youth 😛

  2. My MUD of choice was A Moment in Tyme, based on the Wheel of Time universe. I’m kind of a WOT fanboy. 🙂 So I guess you could call it fanfic. I wrote a LOT of swordplay with my warder character. Wicked fun!