The Christmas tree is still up and the snow village is still out. LED icicles hang from the eaves of the house and multi-colored lights twinkle on the shrubbery. The red velvet cake is all gone and the many guests have left the spare bedrooms empty. The grandchildren are home with their parents enjoying their gifts and the house is quieter than it’s been in two weeks. A special sort of peace has descended upon us.
The sound of the coffee brewing is comforting and I am feeling reflective over the previous year and contemplating my resolutions for the upcoming one.
- Write more guest posts.
- Write more blog posts.
- Write more interviews.
- Write more outlines.
- Write more novels.
- Write more.
It all boils down to writing more.
I’ve never been one able to discipline myself to meeting a daily word count. It feels forced, to me, when I try, and unnatural…but being about six months behind where I thought I would be at this point in the series, I may have to buckle down and set myself some small goals.
I spent a lot of time in the parks playing Pokemon this past summer and fall. The weather is gorgeous here this time of year, cool breezes blow on sunshiny days and the air is dryer. Florida is wonderful from November until about April.
My North American Pokedex has been filled three or four times over. I don’t need to collect anymore until the new Gen 2 Pokemon come out (we’re thinking February), and all I have to do with the game now is battle gyms to collect my coins and star dust every day. I’ve been holding ten gyms for two weeks, and that’s all they allow you to cash out on every day, so there’s not a lot for me to do there except keep up the status quo.
The game has really helped me toward getting out of the house and meeting new and interesting people. I’ve gotten to know many of the homeless folk who hang out in our city and county parks as well as many young and old residents of the area. I have a team FB page with 200+ members and they’ve become like extended family.
I’ve never done anything half way. My grandfather used to say, “Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well.” So I gave it 100%, but there was a cost. Playing the game as hard as I have ate into my reading and writing time and I need to pull back from it and refocus on my big goals.
The Naked Eye private investigator series is swirling around in my mind up through about book eight and there are outlines to get written. I have Book Two outlined and that outline is in the process of getting fleshed out. It’s been added to Scrivener, where I can keep things organized, and it’s time to move it along. I have fishbone outlines of the next three books completed.
I was sorely disappointed that Mystery Writers of America doesn’t allow self-published authors to sit on panels and doesn’t allow anyone but panelists to place their books for sale in the Murder on the Beach bookstore. I’m still attending SleuthFest this year, but I’m not joining MWA until they get with the times. They invited me to be a moderator for a panel. I’m still mulling that over.
The audio book of Naked Alliances is coming along grand. I’m so excited to be able to bring the book to my audience in this format. Steven Barnett is absolutely the most wonderful narrator ever there could be. His voice is engaging and he’s having a blast with his reading. We’ll be done with the book by the end of the year. I don’t know how long it takes ACX to get the book uploaded for sale on Amazon, but I’m expecting some time in January the audio book will be available.
I have my coffee now, my keyboard, and plenty of time in front of me…so, today will be my first day back at work. Peace. May your Christmas cleanup be easy. Blessings for the upcoming year. May all your resolutions hold fast and may all your goals be met.
S.K. Nicholls 
Those are worthy goals. I wish you a healthy and rewarding new year.
Thank you. I’m really trying to get and stay focused.
Happy New Year to you Susan! You sound very organized. My goal is also to write more. Some days it doesn’t happen though! ~Elle
Good to see you, Elle. I am so far behind in my reading and writing, I just have to pray I can catch up.
I’ve listened to so many audio books I find myself falling asleep with the written word in front of me! So glad you took that step to put yours on audio!
It’s been a fun ride and I hope people enjoy the audio book even half as much as we have enjoyed producing it.
I got a warm, glow-y feeling reading this post, Susan. You have hop-scotched energetically through this year leaving many of us writers behind in the dust. (I guess I should speak for myself.) I’m ending the old year with a major overhaul to my website, so I can buckle down on memoir with fewer distractions including moving once and selling twice in the past year.
By the way, I like afterglows; our tree will remain upright for at least another week. Happy New Year!
Thanks for stopping by, Marian. I love the afterglow also. And don’t really enjoy the clean up…so I’ll drag through all of that later. I’m looking forward to your memoir.
Great goals. Have a happy new year!
Happy New Year, Charles!
Susan, if I lived in in Florida, I think my production would be half of what it is now. Fall and winter are the most productive times for me because I don’t mind being indoors, but summer usually takes a bite out of my writing time. You’ve got that beautiful weather all year!
I don’t have a set writing goal word count either….although I do have a set writing day each week. I completely agree with you that it all comes down to writing. Building a back list really helps!
Happy New Year!
I’m about to send you an email. I’m working hard today to get some guest posts and interviews out. I’ve been really slack lately and my lack of sales tells on me. The book did great out of the starting gate…now I’ve got to get busy if I’m going to keep up the exposure. Yes, the weather here is great this time of year. It’s really hot most of the time and I did things kind of backwards, but got so interested in the Pokemon game that I didn’t let the heat bother me, and I wanted to stay out front as far as competition goes. Now my husband has started playing…and has beautiful weather to visit the parks. He’s always been a tad smarter than me.
🙂 Send me your email whenever you’re ready! We can schedule something for January!
I can’t seem to find your contact info anywhere. I thought surely I had it. I have an interview, complete with questions, on an HTML file that you can post in the text editor and then click to the visual editor to produce the post with all of it’s links and pics. Can you send along your contact info or point me in the direction where I might find it?
Happy New Year to you also, Susan! By the way, I love red velvet cake, too.
Thank you! Oh my, yes, and topped with cream cheese and pecan frosting it can’t be beat for desert…unless you add a bit of Blue Belle vanilla ice cream. 😉
Happy New Year, Susan. I wish you well with your future books
Thanks, John. I just signed up for RRBC and am looking forward to both supporting others and receiving the support you guys/gals offer.
Super. I think you will enjoy it. The key is supporting others.
Don’t work yourself too hard, except of course on the Naked Eye book ;). Can’t wait! Happy 2017, Susan!
That’s work, but it’s fun work. The research is the most fun to me. Happy New Year!
Thanks!
Happy New Year, Susan! I’ve packed away our decorations already since I’ll be going back to work tomorrow. Ah…Red Velvet Cake…I always loved that as a kid.
Thank you. I think if I was going back tomorrow I would like to have everything cleaned up already.
You always seem full of energy to me, Susan! Enjoy the coffee and the afterglow. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!!! I try to stay upbeat…you just don’t see me dragging to the computer in my PJs.
I live in PJs. 🙂
You’re just full of energy and ideas, Susan. Happy New Year. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it with all that energy behind you.
The audio book is almost ready and I’m so excited. Steven did a fine job. I hope it sells. If not now, then as the series progresses.
That is exciting. Wow!
Happy New Year, my friend!
We’re still basking the peace of the afterglow…Wishing you a New Year filled with wonders! 🙂
Happy New Year, Bette!
Happy New Year to you! Getting outdoors has to be a good thing, and you got so much more out of it than catching Pokemons from the looks of it! But being behind with the writing is not a good feeling, I know, I’m well behind. I took a break from blogging and writing the last couple months, it was just too much pressure, and I was feeling overwhelmed. I’m moving on now, this year is all about finding balance for me. I have to… I missed all my blogging friends and hated not writing. Sounds like you got it all worked out though, so I wish you all the best for a happy and productive 2017. Xxx
Happy New Year, Ali! Yes, balance. I started the year out right. Yesterday was a pokemon day with my husband and today has been all work at the computer. Tomorrow I’m planting in the garden. But I’m sure I’ll find some evening time to write. I joined RRBC also, so I’ve been studying up on that and how it all works. Also researching BookTubers on YouTube. But trying not to spend all my time in front of the computer.