Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on FacebookTwitterPinterest, or on her author website.

Another year gone, another new one ahead. The new year is always an exciting time for me to set goals for what I’d like to accomplish in the year ahead. This time, I took it one step farther. I plotted out my goals on my daily calendar. So I know how long it will take me to finish each project I have planned, how much I’m capable of doing, and where I need to draw the line. This helped me be more realistic and intentional with my goals for 2014. Here are a few of mine:

-Write 2000 words a week on Onyx Eyes, keeping two scenes ahead so I can edit before posting.
-Host a release party for Outcasts on my blog on January 10.
-Publish The Senet Box and set up the free download on my website
-Finish the RoboTales books and book proposal. Email them to my agent on Feb 14.
-Blog on Mondays
-Write Broken Trust, Mission League, book 3, 3000 words a day on Tues, Wed, Thursdays
-Write 1000 words a week on my new fantasy novel on Fridays.
-Publish Ambuscade, mini-mission 2.5 on March 14
-Plan out Blood of Kings novellas and see if and where they fit into my schedule

I prioritized my list. Anything out of my control comes when it must, which would be my release for Outcasts and when the edits for Rebels arrive. I put RoboTales next since this is a series that my agent thinks she can sell and it’s something my son and I brainstormed over a year ago. (Luke has been waiting long enough. It’s time to get her done.) I’m still a little indecisive over whether or not Broken Trust takes priority over my new fantasy novel. That’s something I plan to consult my agent about after the holidays. I have to weigh the sales of the Mission League series and the time it will take me to write it against the potential sale of a new fantasy series. It’s a tough call which should go first. My heart is warring with logic on that one.

So far my goals only encompass the first part of the year. Things will happen that will delay me. Life. I’ll get my edits for Rebels and I’ll have to drop everything else to get them done. Other opportunities may arise that I’ll decide have priority over these projects. But it’s nice to know what I’ll be writing and when. To have a plan of attack for the new year.

Do you have a plan of attack? If not, make one. You can accomplish a lot in 2014. So go for it! Share some of your goals in the comments below.