potentiality_26

In your own space, set yourself some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Well, I guess the good thing about having accomplished almost nothing fannishly last year is that the bar for this one is low.

Some goals I have:

1) Get all my fic links and masterlists up to date here on DW
2) Post here more often
3) Generally keep in touch better with friends
4) Post more stories on AO3 than I did in 2023. Since I only posted one, two would make this goal, but I'm hoping for more than that
5) Try to write at least 100 words at least 5 days a week, whether they end up posted anywhere or not
6) Read more books. I've been reading plenty of fanfiction, but I've been struggling to read actual books lately and I'd like to do better this year
7) Bonus inspired by

ysabetwordsmith: Put up a 2024 calendar. Also, remember to turn the page every month. I'm looking at July 2023 above my desk right now and it's symbolizing how time has slipped away from me lately in a way that probably doesn't help me much in moving forward

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

chase_acow

Good luck on the writing goals! And wow, the calendar/time slip issue hits right in the I'm-still-not-sure-where-2023-went. I should try that too.

From:

potentiality_26

Thank you!

Yeah, it's not fixing the I'm-in-a-time-sink problem, but it's at least not contributing to it.

From:

pebbleinalake

Lots of good goals this year! I really like #5. I focus too much on writing stuff that needs to be posted, I think focusing on a weekly writing goal and not worrying about whether or not it gets posted is a much healthier way of tackling a writing goal. Might try that as well. Also, the calendar goal! I felt that one. 2023 has just seemingly vanished.

Wishing you luck with all your goals this year. Hope you have a fantastic 2024!

From:

potentiality_26

Thank you!

From:

thisbluespirit

Good luck!

From:

potentiality_26

Thanks!

From:

svgurl

Good luck with all of those! :D

From:

potentiality_26

Thank you!

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> 1) Get all my fic links and masterlists up to date here on DW <<

Excellent plan.

I have series lists on my computer, but the online ones tend to get outdated. But I've got someone working on updates for some, so that's a good thing. I kind of envy the folks with the massive Mlist that is always current.

>> 2) Post here more often <<

I find that recurring posts help a lot with this, because they define your blog's main topic(s) which can be anything you want. The frequency can be daily, weekly, monthly, whatever works for you.

Also I saw someone make a tracking post for Fannish 50, starting with just numbers, so they can add links as those posts go up. That should work for any list-based framework too (like a blog or fannish questionnaire that you answer items one at a time). I thought that was very clever.

>> 3) Generally keep in touch better with friends<<

If you look on my Recurring Posts tag, you'll see the Wednesday rotation is Good News / Hard Things / Cuddle Party. I made those years ago based on a friend's observation that online friendships often don't fill the same roles as facetime friendships, so I wanted to create a framework for supporting more such interaction. Friendship is mainly about being part of each other's lives, so these posts address different aspects of that. Feel free to use that for inspiration; several other folks have riffed on it already.

>> 4) Post more stories on AO3 than I did in 2023. Since I only posted one, two would make this goal, but I'm hoping for more than that <<

Maybe look for a fest or community that echoes on AO3?

allbingo has a collection there, and we host a new fest each month. January is Public Domain Day Bingo. If you look on

fandomcalendar it seems that a majority of those events have a collection on AO3 too. If size is an issue, there are plenty of drabble or other small-size challenges.

And of course,

snowflake_challenge always runs a "post a new fanwork" challenge, so that's one you could copy on AO3 if you do it.

>> 5) Try to write at least 100 words at least 5 days a week, whether they end up posted anywhere or not <<

That is a great goal.

I spent, hmm, junior high - high school - part of college writing one poem every weekday. It helped. You can definitely level-grind your way to better skills with writing.

>> 6) Read more books. I've been reading plenty of fanfiction, but I've been struggling to read actual books lately and I'd like to do better this year <<

Try typing "books" or "reading" into the Interests page to find communities that you might like. Sometimes social support or a framework helps. Here's my list of Book communities, but

booknook is a brand-new general book/reading comm.

Or you could hit Listopia on Goodreads. I stumbled across a list there that gave me ideas for books to put on my wishlist. Just type in your favorite topics.

The "best of 2023" lists are up in lots of places, so put that and "(topic) books" in your favorite search engine to get ideas. I usually do that to pick cookbooks in December.

>> 7) Bonus inspired by

ysabetwordsmith: Put up a 2024 calendar. <<

I am so glad I inspired you!

>> Also, remember to turn the page every month. I'm looking at July 2023 above my desk right now and<<

Oh, I've totally done that. There's a reason "hang the wall calendars" (done) and "fill in my desktop calendar" (well, January is done) are on my goal list, so they don't get forgotten.

Hell, I think we may still have one from years ago in a less-accessible spot. You are not alone!

>> it's symbolizing how time has slipped away from me lately in a way that probably doesn't help me much in moving forward <<

There's something to be said for timelessness. After all, time is not linear; that is an illusion created by corporeal life. If timelessness is making a nuisance of itself, though, consider making a space for it. Many types of meditation, from zazen to knitting, aim for that sense. And if you give it somewhere to go, then it's less likely to get in your way at other times. Might be worth a try.

From:

potentiality_26

I kind of envy the folks with the massive Mlist that is always current.
Oh, me too.

Lots of great recommendations here, thank you! I'll definitely try a few of the more informal challenges this year, I think.

Essentially, I'm coming off a several year long writers' block that I'm hoping setting smaller goals will help with, since otherwise I just beat myself up about not being magically at the same level that I used to be, and don't get anything done at all.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Lots of great recommendations here, thank you! I'll definitely try a few of the more informal challenges this year, I think. <<

I'm happy I could help.

>> Essentially, I'm coming off a several year long writers' block <<

Bummer.

>>that I'm hoping setting smaller goals will help with,<<

That often works.

Times I've been on deadline and feeling awful, I alternate writing with reading fanfic. Sometimes, one paragraph at a time. Believe it or not, editors are still pleased with the results, so it works.

>> since otherwise I just beat myself up about not being magically at the same level that I used to be, and don't get anything done at all. <<

I know that feel. This world was never a good fit for me. In the last several years, though, it has veered sharply away from me, and now I can barely reach it at all. So naturally, that makes it much harder for me to sense things here, since it farther away from where most of me is; and also harder to influence things. Some stuff stil works, but less does than it used to. Frustrating.

From:

potentiality_26

Times I've been on deadline and feeling awful, I alternate writing with reading fanfic. Sometimes, one paragraph at a time.

Interesting idea, thank you!