Don’t you just love a fresh new year? They’re full of exciting possibilities. But we sometimes fail to see that until we grab our usual work habits and writing choices, and give them a good shake. Kind of like an early spring cleaning.
My year has started off with a few twists I didn’t expect. But I’m looking forward to seeing where the new opportunities lead.
In my last post, I promised to tell you what I’ll be working on in 2016. Blocks for months and days peek through the sticky notes covering my planning calendar as I move ideas for projects around for optimum timing.
Maybe my most ambitious and important project is nearly finished. This website will soon have a fresh, updated appearance. I hope it will allow readers and writers to find easily everything they’re searching for when they visit.
In 2015, I shared my 12 Steps to Publication course with local writers in partnership with the county library. Other libraries requested inclusion on my calendar even before the first workshop happened. I love sharing what I’ve learned over the years, but I wasn’t keen on travelling every month. After some thought about how I could reach the greatest number of writers, I decided to turn the well-received workshop series into an online course. That’s at the top of my list, and I’m currently working on making that happen. Cross your fingers for me to hit a mid-summer release date.
While I provided tons of information and tips in the original course, I feel a workbook will help writers focus their efforts as they progress through the modules. I’m working on that in conjunction with setting the course up online.
There’s one additional piece I’m mulling over to add to the project. I’ll tell you all about it when it gets clear in my mind.
You know that the third Wednesday of each month I’ve been sharing misused words I’ve seen while editing and reading for pleasure. With only one spot per month, my notebooks fill up so much faster than I could hope to share these words with you. The first week of this year, I found myself building a book around how to choose the best word for your story. There are more than 250 entries to date, and I’m just getting started.
I’m enjoying working on first books with a handful of writers. And I’ve decided this is the year I finish at least one of the seven or eight books that have been languishing in my In-Work folder on my laptop.
Because I’ve taken on more editing work and I want to carve more writing time for my novels, I’ve decided to alter my blog post schedule for at least the rest of 2016. Starting with this post, I will change from a weekly schedule to two posts per month. You will still be able to find writing and editing tips right here, every first and third Wednesday of each month.
As always, I’m open to suggestions and questions. What’s on your mind? How can I help you reach your publication goals this year? What can I do better here?
Leave a comment and share how I can improve what I offer on this blog. Or best of all, share what you’re working on, your goals, and your dreams. I’m ready to be your best cheerleader.