New Year’s Day has come and gone, along with the creation of resolutions for 2016. This year, ALL of my resolutions were book or writing related. Here are a few!
1. Expand my reading horizons
I’ve previously shied away from reading thrillers, but ended up thoroughly enjoying two of the thrillers I read last year. Who knows what else I might be missing out on, especially in the realm of Thrillers, Romance, and YA?
2. Read at least 100 books!
I set this as my challenge on Goodreads. If you’re on Goodreads, let’s add each other and accomplish our reading goals in 2016!
3. Pick up writing in other genres
As a teenager I used to hop around from one genre to the next (with varying degrees of success). Lately I’ve been focusing more on my niche (roughly dark fantasy/horror-type fiction), but I kind of miss the days when I did more exploring. Last year I wrote a short sci-fi story for a Science Fiction course I took and really enjoyed it.
4. Be more selective about books on writing
I realized after reading a post on perfectionism that reading books on writing can sometimes be a way for me to procrastinate from actually writing. In 2016 I’m hoping to be more selective and focus on books that will help me with an actual writing problem I’m facing instead of picking up every book on writing that I come across.
5. Start (and finish!) a complete book series
It’s been awhile since I actually completed a series, and I hope to be able to do so this year. Recommendations welcome!
6. Start using NetGalley
I signed up for NetGalley fairly recently, but haven’t actually requested an ARC.
7. Read a Neal Stephenson book!
I kept saying I would read something of his last year but never actually did.
8. Visit my library more often
Since my local library allows you to borrow books on your Kindle, I haven’t physically visited the library in some time. I should make a trip up there to see what’s new on the shelves.
9. Find new homes for my books
Since I moved I no longer have space for my massive book collection I’ve amassed since high school. Although I’ve tried trimming down my collection via yard sales and giving books away, I’m hoping to do even more of that this year. Maybe I could even donate some to the library!
10. Visit a used bookstore
Haven’t gone shopping at one in a long time. There’s a good number of them not far from where I live. Could be a good way to spend a Saturday.
I also need to expand my reading horizons! I would like to start reading more Classics and Adult Fiction this year.
Good Luck!
My TTT! 😀
I too have signed up for Netgalley but have yet to request anything. I just feel like my blog is too small to get approved, but maybe I’ll finally start requesting this year if my blog grows. I’m really good about finishing/keeping up with series though because I prefer them over standalones.
As for writing, I just need to write, period. I think my new plan is that maybe if I tell enough people I’m trying to write a book, I’ll shame myself into doing it lol. I can see how it could be fun writing outside your niche, but it’s also totally understandable to stick with what you know and love, so I say go with whatever you’re feeling 🙂
Good luck with all your goals!
When it comes to me and series I tend to start juggling multiple series at a time, which results in me finishing very few of them. I sometimes do that with standalones too, juggling too many books at a time and I end up not finishing all of them. Or sometimes I’ll start a series in a genre that I stop reading – this happened to me a lot when I came out of a huge YA phase as a teen. But this year my fear of commitment is going to stop and I’ll FINALLY finish a series! It’ll probably end up being a fantasy series since that’s the genre I tend to read the most.
The social pressure method of writing a book can be very effective! Especially since once you start telling people you’re writing a book, they’ll keep asking you how your book is coming along, even if you’ve told them nothing about the story itself.
Good luck reading, writing, and blogging!
I really do recommend the Ink Series (I remember you saying you downloaded the first book). You should probably wait until the final book comes out later this year if you do decide to read it, but maybe the cliffhangers and the way each book builds in intensity will give you the motivation you need to finish, haha. I’m literally in the middle of 17 different series right now though and 4 more that I’m considering. It’s so bad that I have to keep a word document. I made a vow at one point not to start any more incomplete series, but that went out the window rather quickly.
I actually do have one person who asks me almost every week how my writing is going, and every week I’m just like, please stop asking me that, because I never actually do any, so it’s not a foolproof method 😛
Yeah, I hope to read the Ink Series! The first book is sitting on my kindle now. The strategy that would probably work best is for me to read each book in the series one right after the other. If I take a break between books, I probably wouldn’t finish the series, haha, since I get easily sidetracked by all of the other books on my TBR. Do you have an idea as to what you want to write this year?
Yeah, I devoured Books 0-4 all in a row, but now I’ve been waiting a year for the final one -_- And this is the one book I’ve been dying for more than any other because I just KNOW somebody’s gonna die, but the books are unpredictable, and I’m so invested! I plan to reread the series before the last one comes out (rereads make me nervous though because I worry I won’t love the book as much as I did the first time).
I actually have a book planned out in quite a bit of detail (I am NOT a pantser) that *sigh* is the first in a series because this whole idea of mine has grown a mind of its own and gotten way out of hand lol, but I keep getting indecisive about various different things, like where exactly to start the story, so I keep not starting the actual writing. I guess you could call it adult dystopian. How about you? Do you know what you want to write this year?
Now I’m really excited to start reading Ink! The funny thing is that I also started reading another series last year called Ink, which was more science-fiction. I really liked the first book but somehow never got around to reading the other two in the series. I should probably finish that series this year too haha. Do you know when the final Ink book is scheduled to come out?
I admire your book planning abilities. I used to be a pure pantser but now fall somewhere in between. I generally don’t sit down to outline a story in one sitting but I do record my ideas and structure them into some semblance of an outline as I write. With one of my series I recorded notes in my cellphone over the course of a few months. When I uploaded them to Word to organize them, the outline I created ended up being 18 pages long single-spaced! Also one time I tried to write a YA dystopia novel when I was a teenager for NaNoWriMo, and it ended up turning into this hilarious mess. I still glance at sections of it from time to time for a good laugh.
The main writing project for me this year is the third book in my dark urban fantasy series. Part of what’s taking so long with this one compared with the others is that the first draft had a lot of structural problems, but after months of working on it I’m shaping the story into one that I’m happy with. I also might start working on a few other urban fantasy stories, but I’m still in the process of fleshing those ideas out.
It wouldn’t let me reply to your comment, I guess the comments have threaded too deep since we’ve been having a whole conversation lol.
I think I also read that Ink book you’re talking about. The one with the guy who was tattooed red, right? I thought the premise was good but the writing not so much :-/ Ooh, but I just saw you’re reading The Nightlife San Antonio! I thought that book was great.
Ugh I have no clue! When I asked the author, I think she just said 2016. And I’m so afraid my favorite character is going to die, so the wait is killing me.
Wow, 18 pages is legit. I just checked mine and it’s about 7. But despite how meticulous I am with planning and my blog and everything, my notes are a freaking mess, so those are like a million pages long. Good luck with the editing though! I’ve never done it, but I hear it sucks lol. Urban fantasy seems like it’d be fun to write. But no, my brain had to go and make up crap involving genetics and blood (which I don’t understand) and lots of needles (which freak me out) and politics and geography (which were pretty much my worst subjects in school) and whatever else I need to know to figure out what the country will be like at that point. It’s rather hopeless but I’m still doing it for some reason, haha.
Hey Kristen! I messaged you on Goodreads. Figured it would be better than infinitely nestled thread comments, haha!
Expanding your reading horizons is always a good one. I hope you meet your goals. 🙂
These are all great goals. I have been rehoming my books. It is so freeing! Best of luck with all of your goal. A word to the wise…Approach Netgalley with caution. It is easy to get carried away and just when you request more because you think you aren’t getting approved for others, they all get approved! It’s a great resource though, so enjoy!
Thanks! I’m looking forward to rehousing my books so that I can make room for new ones. And hopefully I won’t go too crazy with NetGalley, but we’ll see haha.
Great goals, I hope you reach as many (if not all) of them that you can. All the best with your writing for 2016.
Thank you! Wishing you much writing success!
ohhhh be careful – Netgalley is addictive 😉 My TTT
Haha, thanks for the warning!
I hope you manage to stick to your resolutions! I hope you get try a Neal Stephenson book – he’s quickly becoming one of my favorites! 🙂
Good luck with all your 2016 goals!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/top-ten-tuesday-38/