My Goals for 2011

The New Year is a good time to reflect on accomplishments and set new goals for the year.

Feature Scripts

My goal in 2010 was to do three new feature scripts. I finished the first draft of my script Bright Freedom last week. That means I met my goal. They are all just first drafts so far and they are all a little short for features. I think I learnt a lot from writing them. In 2011, I want to rewrite each of them.

I know that I learn more from each script I write and, while I will learn from the rewrites, I want to write some new scripts. I have several in mind: The Crying Woman, The Caregiver, Tick Tick Tick and several I don’t have names for yet. I’d like to do six more, but I think it would be better to have a more modest goal of two. I don’t want to take too much time away from rewrites, after all good writing is really good rewriting.

My First Feature

Last year I decided I wouldn’t try to do a feature until I had a script I felt very good about. So far, the only script I feel I could make into a feature is Then the Phone Rang. I don’t think I’ll set a goal of starting my feature this year.

Short Films

I did plan to do a short film last year, but didn’t even choose a project. I want to do a short about nine minutes long. My idea was to do one in the same style as the feature I want to do. That would get me back into the swing of things. I haven’t started a project of that scale since I started My Most Difficult Case back in 2002! I’ll set the same goal this year.

I want use some of the video I shot in China in 2009 to make a short video. I have a pretty good idea what I want to do. I just need to get down to work on it.

I want to finish My Most Difficult Case and submit it for distribution. That was one of my 2010 goals and I made some progress. There isn’t too much left to do: music, audio and getting releases signed.

Short Stories

In 2010, I finished and published three short stories. I have three short stories in the works now that I want to finish. One of these I wrote using the Lester Dent story formula. It is my longest story so far at over 6,000 words. While I did it mostly as a practice exercise, I could see myself writing a series of stories in that same vein. Depends on the feedback I get on the first one. If I complete 9 or 10 I can publish another book.

Articles

I published 13 articles this year on Triond, Bukisa and Wikinut. I have several article ideas and a couple of drafts, but I want to concentrate on my fiction work. So, for 2011 I have no goal to publish any new articles. I may still do some anyway.

Blog

My 2010 goal was to post at least one blog a week. Other than a week or two, I met that goal. I plan to continue that goal. I had thought I might set a goal to do more, but I don’t want to over do it. Too many posts could drive away people who follow my blog. Most of my posts get over 100 views and some run over 400. I’d like to grow that more.

Writing Skills

Several people have suggested that I need to work on my characterisation and dialogue, so that will be a goal this year. A particular problem is that my protagonists are not easy to like.

Website and Promotion

While I didn’t make a goal of it, I did make a lot of changes to my website and other on-line presences. Until I have some more substantial project to promote, I will just develop skills and tools that I can use later. I have looked at some other places to post my stories and videos and I want to pursue that.