Hello, lovelies! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and have started 2023 with new vigor and purpose. It’s January: the perfect time to set my goals for this year. I stan goals: they help me identify what I want. They also help me in developing a master plan to achieve whatever it is I want. I try to keep it realistic (because: ugh, life), measurable (because: SMART),
Query Rebel Prince
This year I will dive into the query trenches! My first novel, Rebel Prince, is finally d-o-n-e and ready to be sent to agents. By the end of the year, I hope to have queried 72 agents. This comes down to six queries per month. May the odds be ever in my favor.
Write the first draft of Black Captain
As I’ve mentioned in several of my previous posts, I’m working on a new project. For now, I’m calling it Black Captain. I want to finish a first, comprehensive draft before the summer. I’m currently participating in the Winter edition of Adrienne Young’s Drafting Club, and I’m hopeful that the community I’ve found there will help me finish my draft by the end of March.
Outline Project X
I’m hoping to write an outline of my super-secret YA romance by the end of this year. I really don’t want to spill too many details but think: The Summer I Turned Pretty meets Camp Rock by way of Every Summer After. There are so many things I’m excited about with this WIP: it’s a little messed-up, a lot of fun, and it has a lot of tropes and themes that are near and dear to my heart. Fingers crossed I can make it!
Create a Newsletter
Ah, the dreaded newsletter! I know it’s an important and worthwhile part of getting my books and my brand to the right readers, but I’ve carefully avoided this part of the author platform for a long time because it’s sooo daunting: what if nobody signs up? Like, ever? Gaaah!
Read 25 books in my genre
I’m officially done with putting pressure on myself to read a lot, in different genres, and out of my comfort zone. I just want to enjoy myself and read at my own pace. So, I’m keeping things chill for this year: I want to read at least 25 books for Young Adults, no matter the genre. I’m making it a priority in the new year get back into my YA roots, and I plan to savor every minute of it!