Where We’ve Been and Where We’re going…

Holen

2009’s accomplishment: 1 great concept, and 1 great execution, just not in the same MS….

2010 goal: Get an MS where the execution and the concept are both fabulous.

Jennifer

In February of 2009, I had a dream and put that dream on paper the next day. My adult writing life was born. I finished Meadow in August and started querying in September while I worked on a sequel. After eight queries I realized my beginning sucked and put it on hold. I started a new edgy contemporary, Judgement near the end of September. As November got nearer, I decided to do NaNoWriMo and put Judgement on hold for Larch, a dystopian. I put over 100,000 words on paper and filled a notebook with character profiles, timelines and ideas. At the end of 2009, I am listening to my characters for all three works and plan on finishing them so they’ll be quiet and the next characters can start talking – they’re there, just not saying anything. One of the best things I did for my writing was join Absolute Write because I have absorbed a wealth of information about writing, found awesome reading material and made friends. Plus it led me to this blog.

Jamie

2009 was very productive for me. I completed and queried three manuscripts, received some helpful feedback from agents on how to revise them, and am as close as I’ve ever been to having an agent to call my own with my first contemporary YA, Lost To Me. Going in to the new year, I’ve hit my goal of being 20k into my work in progress, Fake My Life, and I’m absolutely in love with it.

2010 will be the year I celebrate with my writer friends when a few of them sell their books, and others find agents for their awesome manuscripts! And who knows, I may have a couple accomplishments of my own to toast to! Happy New Year!

Kathleen

Oh, 2009. You were stressful but I hate to see you go. In 2009 I proved to myself that I could talk to agents without being reduced to a blithering idiot. Through agent responses and dear AW friends, I gained some fabulous insight into what I needed to improve and discovered that I could, despite all fears and trepidations, successfully undertake a massive rewrite.

In 2010, I hope to have an agent and to stop using words like “blithering” to avoid beta comments from Debra that say, “Who uses blithering? When is the last time you say blithering in a book?”

Rebecca

In 2009, I finished my first and second novels, and queried to agents. I’ve learned more about writing than I could’ve hoped for–my character voices are stronger, I know the difference between passive and active, narration is tight, and my thoughts are easier to convey into words.

In 2010, I’d like to finish at least two more novels, land an agent, and throw a nice book deal in the mix.

Debra

2009:
1) I finished my first novel ever–WOOT–an 80k YA paranormal romance. Sadly, said novel needs a heckuva lot of revising before hitting a query letter near you, but hey–it’s a start!
2) Learned oodles and oodles about agents and the publishing industry. Stuff like:
no, agents really don’t want you to call them ten times a day to see if they’ve received your neon pink query letter

and

yes, it’s a good idea to have someone other than your mom and dog read your novel before sending it off.
3) Joined Absolute Write, where I met tons of amazing writers and friends.
4) Attended my first writer’s workshop and joined an awesome critique group–Woot!

2010:
1) Continue to learn and grow as a writer, and don’t let fear stop me from pursuing ideas.
2) Revise and polish my current WIP, The Demon Guard, until it’s the best it can be–and hopefully send it off by February 1st.
3) Support all my awesome writing friends by being a cheerleader, sympathetic ear, or whatever they need during the lows (not that writers ever have those, ahem) and–even better–helping them celebrate during the many highs!
4) Read, read, read!

Sarah

In 2009–I created six cut out characters with names, gave them features, relationships, hates, changed those relationships and hates, found their favorite clothing brand and theme song and wrote their epic one liners, imagined their sequeled destinies–first pains, cries, kisses, love scenes, dire moments– fell in love with them, bawled my eyes out when I trunked them (along with my manuscript), decided I would rather gouge my eyes out than deny a rewrite, and then fell in love again.

In 2010–Make it my personal business to have others fall in love with them too.