Ok, it’s the last day of the year. My first year of actively writing and working on my novel. I set some goals Jan 1 of this year, and I’ve been updating my progress throughout the year, but it’s time to do one final recap on the year:
Goal 1: Write for one hour a day, minimum
Ahhh…yeah, I soo sucked at this goal. I had my moments and long stretches of time where I did this, but not consistently enough for me to say I accomplished this goal with any amount of honesty at all.
Goal 2: Have at least 2 completed manuscripts by Dec 31, 2009
I gotta say no to this one as well. At one point in time, somewhere around Qtr 2, I just knew I would accomplish this task. But alas, I fell short. As of right now, today, I am currently reworking a plot point to my current wip, which means I have to redo and tweak all of what I currently have. Since this change makes the story much better for me, I am very excited about this understanding and know I will be able to wrap up my contemporary romance very soon (you have to come back for my 2010 Writing Goals to see when though.)
Goal 3: Query/Submit at least one manuscript this year
Yes, I successfully completed this goal! I had the opportunity to pitch my book several times this year and received four requests! I’m still waiting for the results, but in the meantime, I am plugging along.
Goal 4: Enter at least one contest
I knocked this goal out of the part by entering not one, but four contests. I didn’t do so well on the first three, but I received some great feedback. I make some adjustments, and more importantly decided to trust my gut. It all worked out because I ended up placing in the fourth contest. Woohoo!
Goal 5: Cycle through my craft books
Hmm, this one is tough to yay or nay. The purpose of this goal was for me to continue to improve my knowledge and application of the craft of writing. I got through one craft book, and about one forth through another. However, I did improve my craft knowledge by attending two great conferences this year (RWA Nationals in DC and Moonlight & Magnolias in Atlanta), attending some workshops, and participating in several author, agent, and publisher chats. So, I didn’t get through the core craft books I wanted to read through, but I still learned a lot of new things over the year.
So this is my 2009 Writing Year in review, goal wise. Definitely didn’t make two of my goals, definitely made one, and I’m about 50/50 on the last one. 
Overall, I learned a lot about myself this year. The most important thing being that I CANNOT write at home. I believe it was Einstein that said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Well, just let me say I was more than a bit insane this year in thinking I could successfully ignore all the distractions that reside in my house (chores, the kids, the dog, the hubby, the internet-lol) and write at home. :-) But I can do some writing related things at home and be productive.
Some other keys things I discovered this year is my writing “Golden Time”, a very good brainstorming kit, the fun part of writing, as well as the low part, and I’ve learned to have more trust in myself, my instincts, and my writing.
So all in all, I had a good 2009 writing wise, I didn’t accomplish all I set out to, but I’ve come further in my journey than I was on Jan 1, 2009.
You may or may not know, but I have been actively working on my first contemporary romance novel. I spent some time getting my characters and plot together, then I hit the ground running. I ran into a few snags here and there, but I pushed through it because that’s what writers do. Then I got to the halfway mark and felt I was pushed into a corner. Things were not moving along fast enough for me, I wasn’t feeling a particular element of the plot and I was far more interested in working on a new project I’ve been brainstorming. Not a good sign.
