Projects and Goals for 2013

Alas, dear readers, I missed out on my monthly Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour post because I was too busy finishing up the first draft of my current project. Speaking of projects, I will give you fifteen guesses (or like three) on what the topic for the MGR was...

Drum roll, please. Yes, thank you. Didn't need the ba-dum-chick rim shot.

Now that the world has ceased to end yet again, we must now look to the FUTURE. And here it is, my future projects and goals for ye olde 2013:

1. I have to decide whether to start on the millionth re-write and edit of Necromancer Syndrome, my previous novel project for these past four years. Or to shelve it. Honestly, I am almost ready to shove it in a drawer, as I'm sick of looking at it. Maybe I'll punch it in the face a bit first. Or fix it. Gah, but I'm torn. My instincts say this can still be fixed (flat 2-D characters, awkward 1st person POV narration), but the other half of me wants to move on. Four/five years is probably enough.

2. The beginning edits for Of Automatons, Monsters, and Men. My Steampunk-esque NaNo novel for 2012 is incredibly bloated and weighs in at a huge 160,000 words. The story in a nutshell: Psychiatrist Horatio Frost grew up with an unusual brother—a completely lifelike automaton created by his genius father. When their father is brutally murdered, Horatio must delve into their past in order to uncover whether or not his extraordinary brother is truly capable of murder.

3. I plan on actually shopping around a few short stories (then again I say this every year). I am honestly a novel writer, and I prefer novels, which I think is why I find short stories so...restrictive. One story was the inspiration for Of Automatons, Monsters, and Men, and I plan on cleaning it up one more time, and sending it out to various horror mags and publications .

4. Write more horror. Just for fun. Just to allow myself to delve into the dark, bloody, cobweb-y parts of my brain. For too long have I edited out and stifled the Lovecraftian weirdness of my mind. Let the horror commence. Even if I suck at it. I will repeat: EVEN IF I SUCK AT IT like a vampire in a blood bank. (And learn how to make less lame jokes...or something.)

5. Decide if some of my other false-starts for novels are worth finishing. Included in that is the 2011 NaNo post-apocalyptic fantasy, and a modern-day my own take on dreams-taking on-reality fantasy, which never really got off the ground. Usually if I haven't utterly become obsessed and fanatical about an idea, then it isn't worth diving back into.

6. Write another first draft for a novel. If I can recreate the NaNo furor, I might be able to crank out another one in 2-3 months. Honestly, I need more first drafts, as I tend to obsess over one idea for an extended period of time (see previous 4-year novel mention). Basically I need to be less monogamous to a project.

7. Be more prolific in my writing. Seriously. Four novel projects does not a writer make.

8. Try to keep up to date and inventive with this blog shtick. Once a month blogging is lame.

So there you have it, my projects and goals for 2013. What are your goals this year?