I was going through files last week and I discovered a sheet of paper from November 12, 1999 that had a list of projects that I was working on. I had already contracted for my first book, The Promise Remains, which would be coming out in June, 2000. I was working on the follow-up book. I’ll share what the sheet says:

1. Nov. 12-Dec. 14–Write the first draft of The Watermark 

2. Dec. 14–Finish Watermark if not completed

3. Christmas/New Year’s holiday–Begin rewriting Bull Road

Objectives: 

1. Tighter, less wandering pace

2. More humor

3. Less angst 

4. January–Bull Road rewrite (add to Fade Out)

Wait to hear on The Watermark

5. February–Bull Road rewrite finished (add to Fade Out)

Watermark??

PRIORITIES: 

1. The Watermark

2. Bull Road

3. Ideas for Somebody

4. Some Great Reward rewrite

5. Fade Out

6. The Sun and the Rainfall

Okay–so Travis here again–why did I write down all of that? To show you that ten years ago (and even before that), I was doing what I do now–planning ahead. Setting goals for myself. Some are a bit ridiculous. Finishing a draft in a month?? Rewriting a massive book in a month (this being when I had a fulltime job too)!! Having less angst (come on–there’s now way!). But I’ve always set lofty goals and tried to achieve them. 

This sheet reminded me of that. And it proved that setting goals can be a good thing. If you are familiar with my writing, you’ll know that The Watermark did get finished and was published in 2001 (so the waiting turned out to be fruitful!). 

Wondering about Bull Road? That was a massive novel I wrote and rewrote and rewrote for several years. And it’s still waiting to be redone completely. It’s not forgotten about and one day it will see light of day. But that one didn’t make it. 

The story I called Somebody? That was my follow-up to The Watermark (which I was currently writing). I eventually wrote it and had that published in the book entitled Three Roads Home. Again, the planning worked out for that. 

I’m not even sure what Fade Out was (though I think it might have been the story that turned into Admission). The Sun and The Rainfall is a story I still want to write but have put on the backburner for now.

All this to say–even if you’re unpublished and working on your first novel, why not dream big (as I say you should do)? Why not set goals for yourself? The goal can be simply to finish the book you’re working on. But if you do that, plan another. Set unrealistic goals like I do because you just might end up achieving a few of them. 

If you saw the list of projects on my “writing schedule” these days, you might get a headache. I’ve learned to work on one project at a time, but I can think about and plan for others. And my dreams and goals continue to be large.

I remain very thankful that some of those dreams and goals have seen the light of day. And that some thankfully haven’t!