What are your 2015 writing goals?

2015Happy New Year!

2015 is already upon us, we’ve slept off all the food and champagne, and it seems a good time for those of us to love to write to set our writing goals/resolutions for the new year.

Last year I posted my writing goals for 2014. I’ve – ahem! – somewhat achieved them. But a busy year kept me from accomplishing all I’d set out to do. Here’s another useful reason for setting writing goals – holding yourself responsible for what you didn’t manage to do.

I did manage major revisions to In the Shadow of the Apennines, my contemporary and historical novel set in the mountains of Italy’s Abruzzo region in the present day and at the time of the 1915 Pescina earthquake.

I’m almost done with the painful revision process (famous last words?) of Dark Blue Waves, my time travel novel that has a modern girl travelling back to 19th century England and getting herself in far more trouble than she’d bargained on.

Although I did get most of it completed, I’m still wrapping up the final chapters of my multi-narrator story of three contemporary women living in Italy and struggling with their complicated lives, who meet up at a 1950s movie night at an Italian sea resort off-season. They quickly discover that the technicolor film they’re so quick to laugh at, isn’t really so far from the hopes and dreams they have for themselves of finding happiness in the Eternal City.

I plan to wrap up this manuscript early in the year, though revisions will take MUCH longer (*sigh*). Then I want to start on a contemporary/historical project I’ve had on my mind for a long time. It’s set in the Balkans, in present day and at the start of the 20th century, and I’ve already started in on my initial research, although I’m chomping at the bit to get writing.

As always, I’ll be squeezing in plenty of short stories, and working to get those published in journals and e-zines throughout the year.

And you, writers? What are your writing goals for 2015?

Happy writing to us all in the new year!

9 Comments

  1. Catherine on January 2, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    Good luck with your multiple writing goals Kimberly! I love the sound of the women in 1950s Italy. I guess I will be continuing to write short stories and hawk them! I have a few coming out in anthologies this year, which is very satisfying, and I completed a new collection last year. Now I just have to finalise, improve and hook an agent. I’ll be entering lots of short story competitions too, and going to the London Short Story Festival in June. Interested?

    • kimberlysullivan on January 5, 2015 at 11:20 pm

      Buon anno, Catherine! Congrats on the short stories coming out in anthologies this year. Excellent news! When’s the new collection out? Later this year, I hope. And the London Short Story festival sounds fabulous… and tempting! : ) Hope Matera’s on the plans for September, too.

  2. Adrenaline Romance on January 5, 2015 at 2:40 am

    Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! Here’s to an adventure-filled 2015! And yes, you have an awesome blog!

    • kimberlysullivan on January 5, 2015 at 11:21 pm

      Thanks for that, and wishing you a wonderful 2015, too!

  3. 4blogssake on January 10, 2015 at 2:21 am

    My mantra for the year (go see my latest blog post – it’s silly but with a good point, i think) is Take Care of Myself. And taking care of what’s important to me is part of that.

    So, having a schedule that supports my writing – with particular focus on the blog – is the goal at least for the next few months! 🙂

    • kimberlysullivan on January 10, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      Ooh, I must have missed this post during the holidays. Will head over there now to see. Carving out writing time is the best resolution/goal/mantra you can follow, so glad to hear it’s yours in 2015. Hoping to see more of your work!

      • 4blogssake on January 18, 2015 at 1:59 pm

        thanks, kimberly. you’ve always been a great support.

  4. wordfoolery on January 13, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    I hope this blog is on your goals for 2015? My plans are simple to say, harder to do – finish & submit novels – Red Sails (childrens), Free Wedding (chicklit) and Ready for the Storm (dual contemporary and hist fic). Also going to try Camp Nano in April (my first time) to work on my short fiction collection.

    • kimberlysullivan on January 18, 2015 at 11:21 am

      Ooh, so sorry I missed this earlier, Grace. Happy 2015! Sounds like you have an ambitious writing year ahead of you! And I’m especially happy to see you have a short fiction collection, too AND what I always love – contemporary and historical fiction. I’ll want to hear more. Set in Ireland? I’m definitely your target audience. : ) Wishing you all the best…
      PS- Yes, the blog is the default on my writing goals. Keeps me on my toes. Hope yours, too. I need my fill of new words for 2015!

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