5 Year Writing Plan

It’s that time of the year. Goal Setting Time!

Anyone who knows me knows I *love* goals. Send me on a road trip without a map, but never take my goals from me.

The most interesting thing about this year’s planning is the big changes. On April 19th, 2007 I started writing. I gave myself 3 years to make some type of forward movement career-wise or it was going to be time to reevaluate the writing plan. The plan for those three years was to get as much written as possible, learn as much as possible, improve as much as possible — take it all and go back and polish. All time/money (ha, welcome to unemployment soon after that) was to go directly to writing. Vacations = workshops. Free time = writing. Extra cash = classes. Focus it all until I got an agent.

I did that. It took 2.5 years of my 3. So, now it’s time to call the last couple months gravy and hit the reset button. So, 5 year plan:

In Five Years I Will:

15 – # of Completed manuscripts total
6 – # of Published Novels
Set up a speaking speciality based on my RL work and applying it to the writing world
Be able to move to working PT and Writing as my sources of income
Will have finished those darn Edit Cards (I figure, 5 years…)
I’ll be saving for retirement and a house at this point
By year five I’ll have budgeted for one major trip every year
Every year I must find one big thing about writing I need to improve on and focus on it till I’m golden, baby, golden

Yeah, a lot of that may be out of my hands, but if *I* don’t do #1, there’s no way #2 can happen. If I don’t do #1 so #2 & #3 can happen, then there’s no way #4 can happen.

So, I’m taking as much as I can into my own hands and aiming for the stars.

I would absolutely love to hear other people’s 5 year plan. Tell me everything. Tell me the why and how. Tell me what makes you passionate about it!

Tags: 5 year plan, goals, motivation, organization

Comments 29 Comments
Categories Writing
Author Bria Quinlan

29 Responses to “5 Year Writing Plan”

Jeannie Lin November 30, 2009 at 3:12 pm #

A very sound and well rounded plan! I like how you have writing and writing career goals all bundled in there.

Hmm…I’ll have to think about my plan in more detail. No better place than here!

In 5 years I will:
1. Complete 10 manuscripts – by year 2 I’m going to try to finish more than one book a year.
2. Publish in another genre besides historical romance
3. Take at least 1 research trip to China
4. Do at least 1 writing workshop a year
5. Create or be involved in some sort of program to mentor new writers

I’d say have some sort of steady income from writing, but I don’t know if I want to include that as part of the plan just yet.
tehawesomesace November 30, 2009 at 3:15 pm #

I am hoping in the next five years to:

1. Sell something (publishing wise).
2. Make enough money selling something I can pay off some bills.
3. Sell something again.
4. Make some more money.
5. Not drive myself crazy by not selling anything and falling down the sprial of self hate and self doubt.
6. Make enough money selling books to prepare for the upcoming zombie apocalypse.

Really, if I don’t prepare for the zombie apocalypse numbers 1-5 won’t matter. My five year plan will change to:

1. Get brains.
2. Eat brains.
3. Repeat.
briaq November 30, 2009 at 3:15 pm #

OH, I had meant to put some type of “give back to ‘younger’ writers thing” but forgot since that’s probably still a little out there.

Nice goals Miss Jeannie 🙂

Thanks for sharing!
briaq November 30, 2009 at 3:16 pm #

I love the “Sell Something Again” — That’s great!

Yeah, mine might look optimistic, but I’m one of those if I don’t aim really high I get no where 🙂

Very nice tehawesomesace!
Fae Sutherland November 30, 2009 at 3:28 pm #

I’m about to start year 3 of my 5 year plan. It’s not very detailed, with basically one major goal each year. Here’s how it goes:

2008 – Publish a book (did that, x 2, I should note at the moment I am solely epub and small press published)
2009 – Build readership and backlist, earn some money at this thing. (did that, 11 books released this year and every book has more sales than the last, which to me means I’m gaining readers and keeping most of the ones I had)
2010 – Get an agent. (This is where I am with the upcoming year. And where I begin to panic.)
2011 – Sell to NY.
2012 – Snag one of those “very nice deal” spots in Publisher’s Marketplace.

So yeah. That’s my 5 year plan. Each year is dedicated to what I consider the next big step to get me where I want to be.
danieford November 30, 2009 at 4:20 pm #

In five years I will –

1. Completed 10 Full length novels
2. Completed 1 YA series
3. Completed 1 adult (non-erotic) series
3. Build a backlist
4. Establish an online presence and reader base
5. Get an agent
6. Have 5 published novels
katiebabs November 30, 2009 at 9:42 pm #

In 5 years have at least published one book and hopefully have a series out where I am considered to be a best selling artist and only working part time while I write.
melsmag November 30, 2009 at 9:45 pm #

In five years I want/will…

1. Completed 5 Full length novels
2. Completed 3 or 4 novellas
3. Built a backlist and readership and online presence
4. Have an agent
5. Will have gone on an Archaeology dig
6. Have a house
7. Paid off most of my debt
briaq November 30, 2009 at 9:48 pm #

Fae – That totally rocks to already be published! I bet that experience is going to be really helpful with your jump to NY.

Go Danie – We’ll do our YA signings together 😉

Kaite, PT work “for others” is such a big draw for me. Enough for steady extra and some outside focus and structure, but not enough to take over life!
briaq November 30, 2009 at 9:49 pm #

Mel, I love the extra focus of getting rid of debt and getting a house. Can I live there with you as your subletter?

🙂
melsmag November 30, 2009 at 9:58 pm #

You have to ask? o.O There is always a room for you if you ever decide you want to try and live up here. lol
Kinsey Holley November 30, 2009 at 11:04 pm #

Ok, in five years I’ll be 51, so I’m gonna make this a 4 year plan. By the time I’m 50, I will have:’

1. Published at least 4 more books
2. paid off debt AND saved enough to perform the house repairs we really, really need
3. Bought a dog for the Diva
4. Traveled somewhere out of the country
mamadivine November 30, 2009 at 11:23 pm #

In five years I will:

1. Complete 10 full length stories
2. Launch a my website
3. Get published
4. Get an agent
5. Build online presence and readership
6. Attend at least 2 writing conferences
briaq November 30, 2009 at 11:45 pm #

Those are great Kinsey – I”m glad to see people putting important non-writing stuff in there too!

Wow, go MamaD – I can say I knew you when 🙂
Ansha Kotyk December 1, 2009 at 9:04 am #

Bria, you could always get me motivated. 🙂 Here’s my 5 year.

*Work diligently on revisions so I can have MG book #1 published.
*Work on subsequent additional books in series for publication (let’s say 2 or 3, I have young kids, so I’m being realistic)
*Finish current YA and revise using Maass workbook
*Start and complete the agent hunt
*Attend SCBWI each year. By year 5 be a speaker (the give back thing).
*Work on craft until I know what I need to know to make this job more enjoyable and less of a challenge.
*Work on balance (life-work-play)
briaq December 1, 2009 at 10:42 am #

I love how specific these are (“revise using Maass workbook…) – go you! I can’t wait to start hearing good news
🙂
katiebabs December 1, 2009 at 11:12 am #

I also want to own a dog. Forgot that one. LOL
Ansha Kotyk December 1, 2009 at 1:35 pm #

You taught me well, Bria. Specifics = necessary. 🙂
Bethanne December 2, 2009 at 12:48 pm #

5 years.
~Complete English Degree–Continue taking courses as long as there is money available and something interesting to learn about.
~Write 5 full length novels and several novellas.
~get an agent.
~get published–E and/or NY.
~buy a laptop.
briaq December 2, 2009 at 2:47 pm #

I LOVE my laptop – I don’t think I could do with out. It’s always with me. I go thru laptop bags like you wouldn’t believe!

That’s awesome on the degree 🙂
Sandra Barkevich December 17, 2009 at 11:09 am #

Excellent topic, Bria. I see I need to work on something like this for myself…

*Giving thought to my own 5-year plan…*

Sandy 🙂
briaq December 17, 2009 at 11:18 am #

I can’t wait to see it Sandy! Bring it on…you always make me smile anyway 🙂
Sandra Barkevich December 17, 2009 at 12:16 pm #

Gasp! I’m supposed to SHARE?! *Stops writing 5-year plan in crayon…*

Sandy 😉
briaq December 17, 2009 at 1:02 pm #

You can totally write it in crayon!
Ansha Kotyk December 17, 2009 at 1:11 pm #

Too bad we can’t Type in crayon. That would be pretty cool! 🙂
Sandra Barkevich December 17, 2009 at 1:32 pm #

Oooo, Ansha! That WOULD be cool. 😀

And, Bria…if I write it in crayon and scan it in, would you post it here? LOL

Let me see…

Sandra’s 5-year Plan:

2009 ~ Finish final revisions of Historical and sub to Agents. (really need to get cracking on this one…It’s totally doable though. Not too much more to go and I have the last two weeks of the year off from the day gig.)
2010 ~ Finish current WIP & start subbing it to agents. Finish book 1 of new YA Dark Paranormal series that’s been stalking me…
2011 ~ Have Historical that I revised in 2009 hit the shelves! <–Really like this goal. hehehehe
2012 ~ Have Dark Para I finish in 2010, hit the shelves! MAKE HUGE Multi-Book deal for YA series. <–I see a trend here. 😉
2013 ~ Finish book 2 in YA series and start next Dark Paranormal project that's been stewing in my mind for about 4 years. Walk red carpet for movie premier of Book 1 in YA Dark Paranormal Series. <–I really like this goal too. 😀

Okay, that's my 5-year plan. And it's not even in crayon!
briaq December 17, 2009 at 2:08 pm #

I bet it’s in crayon somewhere knowing you!

Nice and very diverse!
Sandra Barkevich December 17, 2009 at 2:59 pm #

Big dreamer…Even BIGGER imagination! ———>

I especially like the vision I have of the movie premier…
briaq December 17, 2009 at 3:12 pm #

I would love for MB to be a movie…but the Secrets probably wouldn’t make the jump 🙂

dream away tho!