Creative writing goals range between a no-brainer (Write. Edit. Revise. Repeat.) and the steely-eyed demands of setting Measurable Productivity Goals.

My learning curve on queries and pitching “live” over the past couple of years has been informative. I’m still scratching the surface—probably more than I realize—but what I’ve learned will impact my goals for 2020. More on that later.

Creative Writing (aka Measurable Productivity) Goals

• Tracker, the first novel in the Trilogy, was released at the beginning of November. The second book, Dissident, is currently undergoing a merciless editing. A spring publication date gives me good incentive for a disciplined revision schedule.
• Not to be outdone, the third book in the Trilogy, Scorpion, is set for release around Halloween. It’s been sitting on my shelf for several months. I’m both looking forward to and dreading what I’ll find when I crack it open for revisions.
• Just last evening, I scribbled down the opening pages of a new supernatural thriller. Goal: first draft complete before Scorpion is published.
• After Scorpion is released, I’ll also revisit Darkwook and see what revisions it inspires. 🙂

I’ve alluded to my as-yet-unpublished novel Darkwood before. While I’m indie-publishing the Tracker Trilogy, I’m shopping Darkwood to agents via query letters and pitching at writing conferences. The human, face-to-face interaction of pitching feels better than the “cold-calling” of query letters, but both are part of any writer’s reality.

Query/Pitch Goals

• Research which conferences have the most number of genre-appropriate agents in attendance. For example, two of the conferences I attended last year had only one (1) person I could pitch to in my genre and age group—the same person. So I could only pitch at one conference (although the experience was valuable).
• Take a hard look at who the presenters are and whether their topics are genre-specific. I’m a speculative fiction writer—I need to be around sci-fi and supernatural thriller people. If I can’t pitch to them, I’d like to learn more from them about writing, editing, and publishing.
• Another benefit of conferences is networking and the relationships you form. But “hanging out with old friends” (as much as it genuinely nourishes the soul) can’t supplant ongoing education and pitching opportunities.
• Ideally—as time, travel, and especially budget allows—I’d like to attend at least two conferences where all three factors are in play: (a) multiple pitching opportunities, (b) solid teaching on improving the craft of writing, and (c) networking with colleagues old and new.

It’s like the beer flights pictured at the top of this post. No matter what, you’re going to enjoy a well-crafted brew. But once you know which “flavor” best suits the current stage of your writing career, that’s the glass you’ll empty first.

And any time I can link craft beer and writing goals, it’s a good day.