I have been writing for about eighteen years. For much of that time, I have been trying to change myself as a writer and a creator. Some of that was important. When we learn, we are changing ourselves for the better. And when you are just getting started writing fiction, you need to learn the rules. You need to learn how to format dialogue, show instead of tell, and write in an active voice. There is so much to learn–so many ways to change for the better.

But that’s not the type of change I’m talking about. I’m talking about those other “rules” that we writers read about that make us feel we need to up our game. Learning the best way to finish a first draft. Building routines that will help us be productive. Training ourselves to write faster. Finding ways to make the best use of our time.

Don’t misunderstand me, it is good to learn new things. And those things aren’t bad things at all. It’s good to seek out bad habits and try new ways of doing things. That’s kind of what being a lifelong learner is all about. However, as I reflected on this new year and last year and all the years prior that I have been writing, it occurred to me that more than anything, I am still trying to make myself someone I am not.

This was a whole new kind of learning for me. This was a revelation.

In December, I talked about SIBCI, which stands for Shiny Idea is Better than Current Idea. I talked about how I have this “disease” that keeps me from my best work. One month later, I have decided that is not true. Yes, I do have that “trait.” And to make things simpler, moving forward I will rename this “trait” Shiny Squirrel Syndrome or SSS for short. But I will also no longer call it a disease. It is a personality trait. And a perfectly normal one, too. So, I will no longer look down upon SSS but embrace it. Because it is who I am. I am a random person. I have trouble keeping my attention focused on one project for prolonged periods of time. I’ve decided that is okay. I’m done trying to change things about myself that I really shouldn’t change.

In Hollywood, production houses produce movies. And most production houses are working on more than one project at a time. If you hear about a book that’s going to become a movie and look it up on IMDb, you might often see that the project is “in development.” This could mean a wide variety of things. It usually means they have bought the option to the project and have a green light to move forward. It could mean they are just getting started. It could mean they are raising funds. It could mean they are in casting. It could mean they are writing the screenplay. It could mean that the project has stalled for some reason and has been set on the back burner. Most of us regular folks have no idea what is really going on with the project. Hollywood production houses tend not to be too open-lipped about where all of their projects are at the moment. My point? This type of creating appeals to me and my personality. And I have decided to embrace it.

Before I go into that too much, I want to say that even with my newfound decision to embrace SSS, it is still important to me to try and set some goals each year. Trust me, with my SSS, I need boundaries, for sure. Usually, my goal sheet is more than ten titles long, and I know I’m not going to do 1/3 of it. So, I am trying a new approach in 2022. I have decided to set three loose goals. One goal for the new books I am planning to write, one goal to promote my backlist, and one marketing goal. This doesn’t mean I will stick to this. But it does give me permission to make some big decisions early on, which are usually financial decisions. And usually when I make a financial investment, I will stick to it. That said, here are my “three” goals for 2022:

1. Books I am planning to write

This is not projects that are in development. This is projects I am planning to finish. That said, in 2022 I will publish the first Magic Hunters novel in hardcover, paperback, and e-book. This book is currently complete in Kindle Vella, though it is a first draft that I am currently revising. I will officially do all the book release things in 2022 for this story. (I honestly hope I will be able to Indy publish the second book in October or November of this year, but I am not putting that down as a concrete goal at this time. Because I have no idea what the year holds for me.)

The other book I plan to finish his Onyx Eyes. I am writing this one on Kindle Vella as well, and it is almost complete. So finishing this one is a no-brainer. It is a first draft, however. So it will require beta readers and revisions and all of that.

At this point, those are the only two books I know without a shadow of a doubt I will complete this year. There is a third book that I will very likely write, but until I sign that contract I will not start that story. However, because of the possibility of that opportunity, I am hesitant to make new plans to write other books knowing that I will likely be signing that contract in the next month or two. So for that reason, I am going to leave the rest of the year blank. I will continue to work on Magic Hunters release things and Onyx Eyes revisions, plus all of my other “in development” projects during those months. There will be plenty to do.

2. Promoting my Backlist

I am still waiting to have the rights reverted to my Safe Lands trilogy, but since I don’t know how long that will take, I cannot make concrete goals to re-release that series in 2022. What I can do, however, is work on getting the books ready. Most publishers do not give final PDF files when rights are reverted. They simply return the copyright. That means I don’t have a final electronic copy of these three novels. My digital copies are ones that had yet to be final edited and proofread. So I can do one of two things: I can have the books scanned. Or I could read them with my Dragon dictation software. Scanning will cost money, though not all that much money. And reading them will take time. However, since I want to re-read them anyway and catch any typos or errors that made it into the final books, re-reading with Dragon seems like a decent plan.

Either way, it is smart for me to start to get the manuscripts for these three novels ready, so that when I do finally hear back from my publisher I will be ready to publish these independently. It also might be a good idea to get new covers made for these three books, but since I wanted to ask about purchasing the covers, I have to wait on that one. Though when re-releasing a series, it usually makes good sense to have new book covers made. It refreshes the series and gives it a new look that might appeal to new readers in a different way. I would also like to make the covers somewhat match my Thirst Duology. So, working on covers is another thing I could do for this series in 2022 so that it will be ready to indie publish the moment I receive that rights reversion letter.

3. One Marketing Goal

There is so much that I could do under the marketing category that it makes my head spin. For 2022, I have decided my ONE THING will be to master Facebook ads. I have dug my heels in for years in regards to advertising in general. I loathe putting money out into a void. However, I have recently had some experiences with Facebook ads that have worked for me, so I am a little more willing to experiment. I plan to learn more about them this year and try some ads with some of my backlist. I am hopeful that this will help my backlist sell better as well and help my older books find new readers.

In Development

Now that I’ve set some boundary goals, I’m going to explain what In Development looks like for me. I love so many story ideas. I have stories I developed ten years ago that still nag at my brain. You can likely relate. When I’ve been under contract, I was always very vigilant about not letting SSS distract me from my deadlines. And that’s fair. When you sign a contract, you’re making a commitment, and I take those very seriously. But I don’t have any contract commitments at present, so that means I am free to find new ways of working with my SSS.

I’ve decided to treat the Jill Williamson author business like a production studio. There are a lot of projects in development here at Jill Williamson Productions. Sure, Magic Hunters and Onyx Eyes are getting more attention at present. They’re further along in the process. It looks very likely that they will go all the way through production to publication. Pretty cool. But there are other projects I’ve been working on for years. Magic Hunters and Onyx Eyes cut in front of them for various reasons. I love those projects and have no intention of giving up on them. Right now, however, there is something broken about each of them, and I’m not sure what it is. So, I’m giving myself permission to set them aside until I figure out what it is or gain some new steam to dive in and investigate further. There there are the shiny new ideas that have completely captivated me for whatever reason. This all get new In Development folders (paper ones and folders on my computer). I will spend some time developing a characters and a synopsis/beat sheet. I want to see what happens when I put a little time in these ideas. Maybe nothing will happen. But one of these might be one of those projects that practically writes itself. So, I’m going to feed, water, and nurture all the ideas that come to me. Up they go into development, and when the urge strikes, I’ll spend a few hours on this one or that one. And as time goes on, I’ll have enough that I could pitch them to my agent. Maybe I’ll get a bite. Maybe I won’t. But what I refuse to do any more is feel guilty for SSS. It’s who I am. I’m tired of trying to change that about myself. I’m embracing it and learning to work with it.

Assignment Time

First, can you list three goals for 2022? You don’t have to stick with my categories. Those categories worked for me. But you might have different needs. Maybe you’ll have a first draft goal, an editing goal, and a social media goal. Or maybe you’ll have a pitch to X agents in 2022. Or maybe find a critique partner and swap manuscripts. Or learn how to write a story using the Hero’s Journey. This is going to be different for everyone.

Second, what do you think of the In Development idea? Would something like that work for you or drive you bonkers? I’m curious. Share your thoughts and your 2022 goal(s) in the comments so we can hold each other accountable.

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms, and the author of several young adult fantasy novels including the Blood of Kings trilogy. She loves teaching about writing. She blogs at goteenwriters.com and also posts writing videos on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant. She grew up in Alaska without running water or electricity and now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. Find Jill online at jillwilliamson.com or on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.