2022, Here We Come!

At the start of a new year, I do like to take a moment to reflect on the year past and what I have planned for the next one. I don’t hold these goals too tightly, and I don’t beat myself up over them if I miss them, but I do like to have some thought in mind of things I want to accomplish. So, in 2022, I want to:

Publish Choice

I’m going through the last round of edits on the third (and final) book of my historical fantasy trilogy. I’m also getting all the incidentals worked up, too, like updating the Who’s Who list to reflect new characters, creating the synopsis of what happened in Book Two, getting the back cover blurb created, etc etc. I’ve taken a little extra time to make sure that this is the best book that I’ve written so far, and I’m really happy with how it’s turning out. Look for Choice coming soon, likely March or April.

Work on What’s Next

With the publication of Choice, I have all sorts of options open to me as to what to do next. Which is slightly terrifying. After all, I’ve been working on Thomas’ story for over a decade. I’ll be sharing some of my thoughts on this once Choice is out the door. I’m looking forward to the challenge of beginning something new, whether it’s in the same Traveller’s Path universe or something completely different. Whatever is next will be the cause of much angst, I’m sure. I much prefer the editing process, when you can hone the words already on the page, as opposed the terrible and wonderful adventure of a blank page and blinking cursor. But, it’s going to be fun to see what comes next. I’m looking forward to getting YOUR input on that, too!

Read Better

I mentioned in my previous post that I wasn’t all that happy with the books I read in 2021, with a few exceptions. I followed the advice to authors to read widely in your genre, so you know what is selling, and what people enjoy and expect from your chosen genre as an author. This is good advice, but it didn’t work well for me last year. I read quite a lot of historical fantasy books, but this is a narrow genre. Especially if, like me, you are looking for specifically adult as opposed to young adult books. And, especially if you want to read books that are not just “adventures”, but have more meaning and depth to them. And are well-written from a craft point of view. As you can see, I have quite a few standards! The result was I didn’t learn what I needed to learn from the books I read, and I didn’t really enjoy it, either.

So, I’ve decided this year to expand my focus a bit. I will read fantasy books, and historical books, and, when I can find books that combine those elements and are well-regarded, I’ll read those too. I also have a couple of science fiction books lined up for this year that I’m really excited to delve into. You’ll be seeing some reviews of these on the blog as I go through the year. And of course, I will continue to hone my writing skills by reading craft books and will start research on the background for the next book.

This year is shaping up to be a good reading year, and I’m happy about that!

Better at Business

Writing is art, but, if you want to actually sell your work, it has to become a business as well. I am learning lots about this and I aim to continue to learn in 2022. It’s hard to find time for all the tasks that “should” be done to ensure that people actually see your books and then buy them. Having picked up a part-time job that keeps me busy three days a week has really cut down on my writing time, and I need to do a better job of using what time I have wisely. I look to refine my schedule and improve my ability to market and promote the books. It’s not something I particularly love doing, but it’s a necessary part of being an author.

Do you have any goals that you are working on in 2022? Share in the comments below!

Featured Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash