For my last blog of 2014 I toyed with the idea of writing a “year in review,” but quickly realized I’d already covered that territory—either in a previous post or in one of my “new” pages. Here’s a recap of those new pages, with links to take you there. I’ll continue to update these (and my other pages) when there’s something new to share.
Books: A listing and description of my books, complete with buy links. Yes, books! Plural!
Blog Hopping: An introduction to my interviews on other websites. Be sure to check out these other amazing authors.
Out & About: Some photos taken at the Toronto International Book Fair and the book launches at the Sleuth of Baker Street for The Whole She-Bang 2 and World Enough and Crime.
That’s 2014 in a nutshell. Let’s look ahead to some of my plans for 2015:
- January: I’m taking part in JANO, a writing contest sponsored by Sleuths’ Ink, a mystery and suspense writers’ non-profit organization in Springfield, Missouri. The goal: write 50,000 words in a month, the equivalent of 1,613 words a day. While it’s highly doubtful that I’ll make the 50k target, I’m hoping to reach at least half of that. I’m also a sponsor of JANO 2015, along with several other authors. If writing a novel is on your to-do list, why not sign up? It’s free and you might just win a prize!
- Summer 2015: Barking Rain Press will release my debut novel, The Hanged Man’s Noose. To celebrate this, and to share my experiences in getting there, I’ll be writing a series of blog posts titled “My Publishing Journey.” I plan to cover everything from trying to land an agent and/or publisher to eventually signing a contract, and the highs and lows of getting there.
- Interview with an Author: Since no two authors follow the same path to publication, I’m going to provide an alternate perspective, with a continuation of my “Interview with an Author” series. In 2015, the focus will shift away from short stories and She-Bang, to mystery novelists, both emerging and well known.
- October: It’s official! I’ve signed up to attend my first ever Bouchercon. Billed as the world’s premier event bringing together all parts of the mystery and crime fiction community, Bouchercon moves to a different week and city each year. In 2015, the dates are October 7-11 and the location is Raleigh, North Carolina. I’m hoping to get in some touristy things as well, since I’ve never been to Raleigh (or North Carolina for that matter).
- Start a Newsletter: The idea is to publish quarterly (or thereabouts), with the first newsletter in Spring 2015, before the scheduled release of The Hanged Man’s Noose. But first I need to build up a subscriber list. To aid in this, I’ve added a sign-up link in the top lefthand corner of my home page, or you can click on the “Newsletter” image shown here. There’s also a sign-up link on my Facebook page. See…lots of ways to sign up (though of course, you only need to do so once). Thanks so much if you decide to do so.
- All Year: Reading is a huge part of my life. I’ve never actually measured how many books I read in a year, but for sure at least one book a week, and often more. Now that I’m on Goodreads, I’ve set up a “2015 Books” bookshelf. It will be interesting to see where I end up by year’s end. And if you’re not on Goodreads, consider signing up. It’s a fabulous resource for readers and writers with reviews, giveaways, a super newsletter, groups to join and much more. And it’s free!
- Works in (various stages) of Progress: Finish at least two of the short stories started and abandoned, complete my current manuscript (now in the hands of my beta-editor but still very first drafty), and revisit the town of Lount’s Landing for the sequel to The Hanged Man’s Noose.
Will I achieve every goal? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing is certain: I’ll have a lot of fun trying. To quote Erica Jong: “When I sit down at my writing desk, time seems to vanish. I think it’s a wonderful way to spend one’s life.”
Thank you for reading my blog. Wishing you all the best for 2015.
Judy
Thanks Kaye! May you write more and prosper 🙂 As for the clock, I love it, but I found it on Pinterest and there was no place to buy it. It’s great, isn’t it?
You are going great guns! I know you’ll grab 2015 by the horns. I plan on surviving 2015, getting a couple more books out and writing as many short stories as I can.
AND, where do I get that clock?
Jacqueline, I have so many day jobs (all writing-related) that if I wasn’t organized, I’d never be able to get any fiction writing done! But I’ll admit I can be distracted by Facebook, Twitter, and especially Pinterest. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and comment. Happy New Year!
Judy,
You are well-organized!
Madeline, I’m one of those people, the more time I have to do things, the less I get done! Thanks for your good wishes. All the best to you in 2015 as well.
Good grief! I feel exhausted just reading your list, let alone attempting anything similar. All the best for 2015. I know it’s good to have goals, so maybe I should try and make some of my own.
Thanks Carol, I will be in touch! And best of luck to you in 2015 too: Write well and prosper 🙂
Good luck with your JANO challenge. Also congratulations on The Hanged Man’s Noose. I’m really looking forward to reading your posts on your publishing journey and let me know if you want to be featured again on my blog: this time to talk about The Hanged Man’s Noose. 🙂
May 2015 be a kind and successful one for you. 🙂
Lots of great goals, Judy! I’m looking forward to reading your blog on your publishing journey. Writers seem to achieve publication by such a variety of different routes.
Thanks Gillian. Yes, there are many ways to get to publication, but one thing is constant: there’s no magic fairy dust!
What a great wrap up. I may clone your end of year idea.
Thanks Susan. It helps me with goal setting too!