Goals, Dreams and Resolutions Review for 2009/10

Image: Ed Fest Guide

Finally, it is here. The 2010 Edinburgh International Book Festival will begin in a little under two hours, and in a little under three my first of over thirty events shall begin. Between today and August 30th, I’ll be treading the famous boards in the Charlotte Square village for all but four days. I have to say, I’m a tad excited.

This morning I feel like a child at Christmas, enjoying the magical build up before you’ve walked in to see if Santa has been. Such is the nature of the book festival, it generates a special atmosphere in Charlotte Square, one of magic and possibilities, dreams and hopes. It also represents a huge social occasion for us writers and, of course, a somewhat excellent opportunity for marketing.

Yesterday I tied up my final GDR review for 2009/10 (which comes up next) and over the next couple of weeks I’ll be absorbing all the book festival has to offer. I’ll be writing, but not to any form of plan, because over the next two and a bit weeks I’ll also be formulating next year’s GDR, using the inspiration and creative energy I get from the book festival to charge me up and set me off and running.

I have two events today:

11:30 – Philip Pullman
16:30 – Fast Changing Britain Debate (cancelled)
20:30 – Allan Brown

In between these events I have much to do around Edinburgh, and of course, back at the house. I’ll also be tweeting extensively from the book festival so if if you want all the latest (bear in mind I’m going to be there a LOT), follow me here: @colingalbraith.

So without any further ado, here is my final wrap up for my last “year of work”. I say “year”, I extended it to 18 months to bring my Writing New Year into line with the Edinburgh Book Festival. From now on, I’m back to a twelve month span.

Overall, it’s been a mixed year. I’ve been left frustrated at the lack of finality on several projects and my inability to get more more fiction out there and with a chance of being published. On the other hand, I completed five out of eight goals, all of which were designed to shape me into the writer I want to become when I designed them. So all things considered, with the publication of a novella and a new chapbook, I can say it has been a fruitful period with no regrets. I just need to work more intelligently.

GOALS
(Jan 09 – Jul 10)

1. Have a major piece of fiction accepted for publication – GOAL MET
2. Complete and submit two fully drafted novels or novella – GOAL NOT MET
3. Write one new novel or novella – GOAL MET
4. Write one new poem per week. – GOAL MET
5. Write one new short/flash story per month. – GOAL NOT MET
6. Publish a new chapbook. – GOAL MET
7. Increase my freelance earnings by 50% – GOAL NOT MET (SCRAPPED)
8. Become 100% debt-free – GOAL MET

DREAMS
(Jan 09 – Jul 10)

1. To obtain the services of an agent – NOT MET
2. To have a novel bought by a publisher in a traditional book deal – NOT MET
3. To win a fiction competition – NOT MET

RESOLUTIONS
(Jan 09 – Jul 10)

1. Reach target weight – NOT MET
2. Personal Resolution – MET

LAST YEAR’S HIGHS

• STELLA published by Eternal Press in June 2009
• SILLY POEMS FOR WEE PEOPLE VOL.2 published in April 2010
• Three poems sold to two anthologies and one publication
• Video/audio promo ideas launched
• Meeting William McIlvanney
• Edinburgh Book Festival
• Reading ON WRITING by Stephen King
• Applied for Story Shop – but didn’t get it in the end
• Cutting out freelance and thinning down clients
• Offered gig reviewing ops for News of the World
• Launching http://www.compassfreelance.co.uk

LAST YEAR’S LOWS

• Far too long to write and edit novellas (BACARRA BURNING, GREENER IS THE GRASS, GATECRASH)
• HUNTING JACK rejected as serial proposition
• Not enough short fiction written
• Not enough short fiction subs->acceptances
• Chapbook ideas not followed through on (Amsterdam/Rome/Bus-stops/Pubs)
• Stella promotion from EP didn’t go as well as expected
• Not submitting to compos enough or turning around rejections quickly enough
• Not reading enough
• Not done anything with SLICK since final rejection

This is a summary of my full annual GDR. For a full look, you can download my 2009/10 GDR as a PDF file here.