2024 GOALS – Fourth Quarter (the expurgated version)

2024 marks the fourth year I’ve been setting my goals and I have to admit, this was not my best year.  In fact, I slacked on a lot of things.  My reading goals, my writing goals, I even gained weight instead of losing weight.  A new year is a good time to reflect on where I faltered.  I won’t make excuses, but 2024 was a tough year in many respects. Fortunately, 2025 is promising to be better.  So, my first goal for this year is to do better than last year.  Keep closer track of my goals and not get distracted.  Let’s see how I actually did last year…

#1  PUBLISH FIRST STEAMPUNK NOVEL:  Finish rewrites, get novel up to about 80,000 words.  DIDN’T ACCOMPLISH.  I got my novel up to 77,546 words.  After having an editor look at it and make recommendations, I can probably get it up to 80,000 words, or not if they don’t think I need to.  What I haven’t done was update first steampunk screenplay based on the changes to the first novel, save up for an editor, get an editor, make changes based on editor’s notes and acquire a literary agent.

#2  WRITE SECOND STEAMPUNK NOVEL:  Go over second steampunk screenplay, see if I can streamline it any further.  I’ve also already gone through the screenplay and decided where the chapter breaks are going to be.  DIDN’T ACCOMPLISH.

#3  START WRITING MY THIRD STEAMPUNK SCREENPLAY:  Actually, I already have the first 36 pages done.  DONE.

#4  READ BOOKS  WANTED TO READ A BOOK A MONTH, READ EIGHT IN THE YEAR.
Read a book in January:  01/24/24 finished reading, “Filmed in Supermarionation”.
Read a book in February:  03/11/24 finished reading the Star Wars novel, “Master and Apprentice”.
Read a book in March:  03/29/24 finished reading, “C. H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership”.
Read a book in April:  05/28/24 finished reading , “Adventures of Huckelberry Finn” by Mark Twain. 
Read a book in May:  06/01/24  Graphic novel, “Primer” by Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski.
Read a book in June:  08/08/24, “Children of the Stars” by Neil V. Young.
Read a book in July:  11/11/24, “Evolution Exposed – Earth Science.
Read a book in August:  12/31/24, “The President Will See You Now” by Peggy Grande.

#5  READ MY BIBLE:  Every year my church encourages us to read the Bible in a year.  DIDN’T ACCOMPLISH.  KEPT UP UNTIL MARCH, THEN FELL BEHIND AND NEVER CAUGHT UP.

#6  TRY SIX NEW COOKIE RECIPES:  DIDN’T ACCOMPLISH.  TRIED 21 NEW RECIPES, BUT NOT ONE COOKIE RECIPE.

#7  GET DOWN TO 185 POUNDS:  DIDN’T ACCOMPLISH.  WENT UP IN WEIGHT ALL YEAR.  ENDED UP HEAVER THAN I STARTED, 199.6 POUNDS.

#8  MAKE SIX BLOOD DONATIONS:  Did it last year, let’s do it again this year.  DONE.  SIXTH DONATION ON 12/20/24.

#9  CREATE AND PRINT BUNSINSS CARDS:  I want to have these by the time the West Coast Writers Conferences have their next in-person conference – or when my first book is published.  Not yet.  Probably won’t until I get an agent.  DIDN’T ACCOMPLISH.

#10  JUST A BUNCH OF LITTLE THINGS TO DO:  Finally, there is always a bunch of little things that I mean to get to, but I never do, so, I’m putting them out here.  If I do half of them, I’ll call it a win.  ACCOMPLISH TWO OUT OF SEVEN, WHICH WERE reorganize bookshelf to my left and make a video for my blog.

After reviewing my list of goals, I see that I accomplished four and a half out of ten.  New year, new start.  It looks like self-discipline will be my overall goal for the year. 

Oh, no, here we go….

Dennis

250th blog completed.

First Steampunk novel:  77,546 words.  ß Moving up again.  Past 77,000.  Goal:  80,000.

Second Steampunk novel: 783 words. 

Second Steampunk screenplay:  157 pages.

First Steampunk screenplay:  Need to update with notes from the novelization.

Third Steampunk screenplay:  38 pages.

250 consecutive blogs!  That’s almost five years of blogging every Sunday.  Granted, some of them were, “Back from a con.  Too tired.  Details next week.”  But still, not a single Sunday missed.  This calls for a party!!!