Goals for 2009

Last year on January 1, I listed my goals for the year. Some of them I reached, some I didn't. But here I'm going to list my goals for 2009:

• Finish my trilogy once and for all, not counting any changes suggested by an editor. This should be an easy one. In fact, I'm only three chapters from accomplishing this one.
• Getting published the first book of my trilogy. This one's tougher to accomplish, but I'm working on it. There's some behind the scenes stuff going on that I won't talk of here because nothing is official yet, but I have my fingers crossed. If what's in-the-works falls through, then I'll move ahead.
• Start a new novel. I meant to do this one last year, but too many other projects and life got in the way. I'm hoping to do this one this year, and I hope to get at least the first draft of the new novel finished. This novel will most likely be a stand-alone mainstream novel; I've got a basic outline already worked out.
• More short stories. I'm actually getting low on short stories to submit since I've had so many published during 2008. I've got about 10 out there floating around now, and I've got 2 or 3 that have been written but not edited.
• I have a special project I've been meaning to get to for some time. Editing a novel for a writer friend of mine. His story originally was a screenplay, but he turned it into a novel and few years ago, and he's wanting me to do the editing/rewriting. This is another project I meant to accomplish in 2008, but it got put off because I was busy and my friend has gone back to do some more work on his novel. He's even asked me to put this one on hold for a while since I'm busy with my trilogy, but I'm hoping he and I can get this one taken care of this year. I think he's got an interesting story, one I wouldn't have thought of, and I'd like to see it get to print.

Okay, that's a lot in one year, at least for me. But rather to be ambitious than to not do anything at all.

Here's to 2009! May it be better than the last year.