Writers’ New Year’s Resolutions

Like many others, I’ve been looking ahead to the new year and trying to settle on some goals for my writing. At times, this seems like an invitation for me to gallop off in all directions, as the saying goes, or worse yet, spin my wheels in familiar ruts. So I’ve asked for help from my writer friends. (Thanks, everyone!) Here are their resolutions in order of receipt.

Peg Nichols, a dear friend and fellow knitter, offered this charming resolution: Sitting, knitting, gives me space to dream up plots, invent characters, construct grammatically-correct sentences and paragraphs, but because of snide, snarky criticisms from my so-called friends—who are just jealous of my New York Times bestsellers successes (or will be if ever I get there)—I am limiting my knitting goals to only those articles I can achieve with the garter stitch. If you can’t understand why this will greatly simplify my knitting (as opposed to purling) and encourage my writing, ask any of your other knitter friends. Also, I’m going to be more diligent about keeping my ink well full to the screw top, and my quill pen sharpened. (I gave up trying to find more ribbons for my typewriter several years ago.)

Mark Scheel, author of The Pebble: Life, Love, Politics and Geezer Wisdom and the blog series on The Grant Journal and Scriggler, said, Well, sounds like fun. I don’t make resolutions anymore as most I’ve fulfilled. Those few I haven’t I’ve given up on. Ha. But try this one: “To not yield to the lazy temptation of allowing day-to-day distractions to override one’s writing schedule or the focus on one’s present writing project.”

Theresa Hupp, author of historical novels Lead Me Home and Now I’m Found and the forthcoming Forever Mine, all set in the American West, gave these three New Year’s Resolutions (goals) for 2018: 1. Publish my third historical novel, Forever Mine (a first quarter goal). 2. Draft a fourth historical novel (the first draft to be written and reviewed with my critique group by the end of the year. I only have a vague outline done now) 3. Invest in my writing by marketing my books more vigorously, including with paid advertising based on a budget (throughout the year, and I’ve already started!)

Denise M. Hartman, author of Killed in Kruger and the Blanche Binkley mysteries, resolves to start a new murder mystery in 2018 after releasing the last Blanche Binkley book in March of 2017. It is time to begin again!

Well, I guess I’ve passed the buck long enough, and so I must offer my New Year’s resolution. Juliet Kincaid resolves to have something new, free, or discounted available for my readers every month in 2018. So far I’ve lined up specific projects through August and I hope to launch the first book in a new series this fall. Sounds like I’d better get cracking, don’t you agree?

What’s your resolution for 2018?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

For mystery and romance in old Kansas City—that could get downright deadly a hundred years or so ago—try Juliet’s calendar mystery novels and short stories. Click on the Calendar Mystery page for details.