IWSG: 2019 Tri-Annual Writing Progress Report #3 & 2020 Writing Plan

Happy New Year & IWSG Day! Can you believe that it’s 2020? And that today is the first IWSG blog hop in a new decade? When I was younger the year 2020 was so far away. Then in a blink of an eye here I am, like you, continuing my writing journey. Thanks for bringing us together goes to ninja extraordinaire Alex Cavanaugh.

The awesome co-hosts posting today are: T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff!

Interested in joining us? Click on the badge above. Our Twitter hashtag and handle are #IWSG and @TheIWSG.

So what’s going on with me this month?

Well, I’ll be starting late in the 85K90 writing challenge. I’d planned to continue my NaNo novel from 2018 and 2019 in the next three months. But I’m still working on the story for an anthology submission. Then there’s another submission for a ghost romance. I’ve already pre-plotted various story lines and scenarios. But haven’t started writing yet. So, Hellsgate will have to wait a while longer.

Another thing that’s been going on with me this month was looking back at 2019 in review. Which went a little bit like this.:

 

Compared to my winter writing plan I shared four months ago, I only accomplished four things on my list. I’d outlined and delved deeper into researching mythological creatures. And pre-plottted my NaNo novel. I’d also brainstormed, researched, outlined and pre-plotted a ghost romance short story. And wrote a new m/f/m romance short. Though the infographic above doesn’t show you I’d accomplished a little more than half of my 2019 writing plan.

In regards to that I’m making my 2020 writing plan very lean. My on hold projects will continue to remain on hold. Except Nadia the Fire Witch quartet series. Which I might tackle between my other writing projects.

Anyway for 2020 I’m going to only focus on a few shorts and submitting them. More poetry submissions. And rewriting my NaNoWriMo novel Hellsgate.

So here’s my 2020 Writing Plan:

• Rewrite, revise and edit “Hellsgate”
  • Use 85k90 2020 writing challenge from January to March
  • Come up with a better/suitable title
  • Outline and preplot the sequel
  • Outline and preplot the trilogy
• Rewrite, revise and edit “If Only for One Night”
  • Find presses, magazines, anthologies etc to submit short 
• Rewrite, revise and edit “The Anniversary Present”
  • Submit to Women’s Orgasm Erotica Anthology by January 31, 2020 deadline
  • Submit to Evernight Publishing – Romance on the Go line
  • Find other presses, magazines, anthologies, etc to submit short 
• Write, rewrite, revise and edit “The Reunion”
  • Submit to Evernight Publishing – Romance on the Go line
  • Submit to Carina Press – Dirty Bits line (when and if accepting submissions again)
  • Find other presses, magazines, anthologies, etc to submit
• Outline, preplot, write, revise and edit romantic ghost short story
  • Submit to Once Upon A Hallowed Eve: An Anthology of Romantic Ghost Stories by February 1, 2020 deadline
• Outline, preplot, write, revise and edit another new romantic short story
  • Submit to Temptation Press’ The Match Game: An Erotic Collection by January 31, 2020 deadline
• Commit to writing, rewriting, revising and editing a new or old story
  • Work on one to two new or old short story every four months
  • Work on one new or old novella/novelette every six months

As you can see 2020 will be dedicated to finish writing and rewriting Hellsgate. And outlining and preplotting its sequel and the third book. The rest of my writing will center on short stories. Either new ones or the old ones that needs rewriting and editing. And then submitting them. As well as writing my new novelette/novella age gap romances “The Reunion.” I have three anthology deadlines to meet within two months. If those go nowhere or I can’t make the deadline, I’ll search for more romance ‘call for submissions’ to submit to.

How’s 2020 treating you so far? Any good news to share? Any writing goals you’re committing yourself to? How was 2019 as a writing year? Don’t forget to check out my top ten posts of 2019.

Happy 2020! 😀

PS Been having trouble with character names again. Only recently decided on Amaya and Gage.  Should I keep the names or choose another from the list of names I made? 

PSS Still thinking about writing under a pseudonym for my romance stories. But so far, I still can’t decide whether to write under my own name or choose from the list of pen names I made.

January 8 question – What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just “know” suddenly you wanted to write?

What started me on my writing journey? Two words. A name. Jo March. For whatever reason, her vitality and passion for stories resonated with me. Little Women was the first book I’ve ever remembered reading on my own. And I was a book lover since then. Just like Jo. It’d be a few years later that I wanted to write a story of my own.

So I started writing and illustrating my first fantasy series using copy papers. My first fan was a classmate. And ever since then I knew I wanted to be a writer. Of course I detoured from my dream in high school. But I found my path in college thanks to an elective class.

When I was close to graduation , for my senior presentation I had to show four years worth of writing. At the end of my interview one of my professors leaned across the table. She grasped my hand and said, “You deserve to be published.” I try to remember that and my feelings of Jo March whenever I begin to doubt my writing journey.