Welcome 2016!

My first post of the new year! Welcome to 2016! And we all know what happens with a new year, right? Goals, lots and lots of goals. Though I've thought of a few non-writing related goals I do have an extensive list related to my favorite hobby. Honestly, I think I get carried away and come up with far more than I am capable of getting done, but isn't the whole point to challenge myself to try harder?

In 2015 my writing picked up exponentially. I managed to send 13 stories out into the world thanks to some awesome publishers. Yay! For so long I fretted that I wouldn't even get 1 story published and I am extremely pleased with where I am now. This is only the beginning!

So here is my crazy list of goals for 2016. I hope I get to check off as many of them as possible.

1. Write More
   I will be keeping a monthly tally of how many words I do each month. This is something I've always wanted to do just out of curiosity.
2. Publish More
   My control over this is non-existent! But I'm hoping that the more stories I get sent out the higher my chances of beating the 13 stories published in 2015.
3. Write 52 Stories
   Does that sound ridiculously crazy? I know, that's a story a week basically. However, I do write a great deal of short stories that range around 3,000 words. They're quick and easy. And on that note I've already got 2 done. Yay!
4. Two Months = One Novel
   Yes, I just get crazier. I am not going to accomplish the writing career I want just by writing short stories so I need to get some of my longer projects done. Because most of my novel ideas have been planned out over and over again I feel like I can get some of them written up quickly. The first will be a romance piece titled Leaving Hoof Prints.
5. Two Months = One Novella
   Yep, I also want to get one novella done every two months. So...multiple short stories, a novel and a novella over a (roughly) 60 day period. This could be interesting.
6. Publish 1 Story in Another Genre
   As much as I love writing romance it's really no secret to my friends and family that my real passion lies in urban fantasy and mysteries (starting to get into sci-fi, too). I would really like to tick this one off my list this year.
7. Publish My First Novel
   2016 is going to be all about the year I publish my first trade paperback. Yes, I'm old school. It would be easy enough for me to sell my romance novel (once it's finished) to a current publisher but I want to land a literary agent and have them sell it to a big publisher.

Hm. There may be more, however, this is all I can think of for now. Perhaps the list is plenty long enough. Either way, 2016 is going to be a very intensely focused year with my writing. Things are going to happen! Join me for the journey.