12 for '12

At the start of every year, David Bishop (former Tharg, tie-in novel writer and now budding screenwriter) sets himself professional targets and then reports on his progress at the end of the year.

Inspired by his latest report card (as he calls it), this year I'm going to do something I usually don't do. I'm going to set myself twelve targets for my writing work in the form of New Year's resolutions . Some will be on going, some will be one-offs I want to achieve over the next few months, and in the best tradition of New Year's resolutions, some will be nigh-on unachievable! (But you never know.)

And what's even worse is I'm going to let the whole world know about the challenges I've set myself! So without further ado, in no particular order, here are my 12 New Year's resolutions for 2012.

1) Read more books

I know this might sound strange for a writer, but since going freelance full-time, I've read fewer and fewer books each year. This is in part due to an increased workload and in part down to how much time I spend promoting myself on social media. When I should be turning in for the night and reading a couple of chapters, you'll often find me on Facebook or updating my blog.

2) Buy fewer books

This probably sounds even stranger than No. 1, particularly as part of the point of this blog is - let's be honest - to get people to buy more of my books! But times are hard, money's too tight to mention, and besides, I don't have a 'To Read' shelf anymore, I have 'To Read' bookcases - plural!

3) Complete 12 projects

This was going to be 'Write 12 short stories' (in part inspired by a conversation I had with Lavie Tidhar at the BFS Open Night) but I thought it might be a better idea to make it 12 writing projects (whether that be novels, magazine articles or whatever), seeing as I have a fair number of commissions to fulfil this year already.

4) Write another gamebook App

Plans are already afoot for this one, but it's too early to say anymore about it...

5) Get another Hammer & Bolter commission

Of course it would help if I got round to writing up that Warhammer proposal I've had in mind for some time now, and then there's that really cool 40K Space Marine story I want to write... Best get on and do it then!

6) Get a comics commission

Again, like No. 5, if I want to achieve this I need to write up some proposals and send them off to the relevant publications. There's at least two I now have contacts for - I just need to follow them up. (Famous last words!)

7) Work up a new YA project

I've got the ideas, I know of publishers who've said they'll take a look at anything I send them... I just need to find the time (in other words make the time) to work one of them up into a saleable submission.

8) Reach 100 followers on this blog

As of writing this, the total stands at 75. 25 new followers in a year? Surely that one's achievable. (Psst! Tell all your friends!)

9) Try to get an agent

Again! I've tried this a couple of times but without success (obviously) but to make it happen, I first need to have something to sell... (See No. 7 above.)

10, 11 & 12) Use social media less (Facebook, Blogger and Twitter)

Yes, you heard me right. I don't need to be on Facebook all day, I don't need to update my blog several times a day, I don't need to spend half an hour reading every post on Twitter, and while I'm at it, I don't need to check my email every five minutes. This one will be tougher than it sounds, so don't be surprised if I go dark (or rather, go cold turkey) not far into the New Year.

And that's your lot! At the end of the year, I'll yet you know how I've got on. So fingers crossed and wish me luck!

Until next time...

Where I work now

Almost three years ago* I posted on my Unnatural History blog about my workspace, inspired by David Bishop's post on the same subject.

Well I now have a new space in which to work - well, some of the time. There's still some sorting out to be done, but most of my books have been unpacked now, including my collection of Fighting Fantasy books that's been in storage for the last six years.

The Archive

My Games Workshop bookcase- minus a shelf and a half of hardbacks and current project-related material

My writing corner bookcase - one copy of everything I've ever had in print

My Fighting Fantasy collection - Puffin editions (top shelf), Wizard Series 1 (middle shelf), and Wizard Series 2 (bottom shelf)

To celebrate my first afternoon's work in my new office I've recorded a new Vlog answering some of your questions about my books and writing in general. I've also written a guest post for Floor to Ceiling Books (that is scheduled to appear towards the end of September) and a proposal for a new short story. We'll just have to cross our fingers and see how that one goes.

But for now you can enjoy my new Vlog (in two parts) below:

* Three years?!?

Writing's easy...

All you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until your forehead bleeds. Or so says Tony Jordan, screenwriter.

I don't know what it is about the last couple of months, but a fair few authors have been struggling to produce the goods of late.

David Bishop has this to say on the subject. Nick Kyme's struggles are catalogued here. Chris Wraight's been feeling the pressure too, as has Si Spurrier. Even the mighty Dan Abnett has had his own creative demons to battle of late.

And I'll add my own name to that list. I thought my tenth novel was hard going but as it turns out, that one was a walk in the park compared to number eleven. Soul-destroying is how I'd describe the situation right now.

Writing's hard! :-(

Public Lending Right loans - 2007/2008

I had a pleasant surprise to brighten any day in post-Christmas cash-strapped January - I received my PLR statement.

Once a year I, like other registered authors, receive a statement from the kind people at PLR (Public Lending Right) informing me how many people have borrowed my books from libraries over the past year. For each loan I earn a few pence which, at the end of the day, add up to a fair few pounds (now that I've established a bit of a back catalogue of publications).

The idea behind the PLR is to reimburse authors for what are effectively lost earnings, as a result of people borrowing books rather than buying them. There is a limit to how much an author can receive from the PLR (it's £6600 if you're interested) so that the likes of Terry Pratchett and J K Rowling don't wipe out the £6.63m fund.

As I optimistically predicted this time last year, the period July 2007 - June 2008 saw an increase in the number of my books being borrowed, partly because I simply have more books out there than ever before. So, following David Bishop's lead, here are my top most borrowed tomes for July 2007 - June 2008 (with previous year's placing in brackets):

1. (-) Howl of the Werewolf (published Sep 07)
2. (-) The Horror of Howling Hill (Mar 08)
3. (3) Bloodbones (Sep 06)
4. (1) Conquest of Armageddon (Dec 05)
5. (11) Curse of the Mummy (Apr 07)
6. (15) Spellbreaker (Jun 07)
7. (4) Iron Hands (Aug 04)
8. (2) Necromancer (Jan 05)
9. (8) Unnatural History (Feb 07)
10. (-) Leviathan Rising (Mar 08)