Aught-thirteen has arrived, with all the hope and promise of a New Year’s blank slate. How will you chalk up success in the next twelve months?
What are your goals for 2013?
Do you want to …
- increase your freelance writing income?
- complete your first novel?
- “break through” and get published?
- grow your audience?
- sell more books?
- make more money in general?
Every time the calendar turns over its new leaf, most of us take some time to reflect on our setbacks and successes from the past year, hoping to gain some insight and inspiration to improve our outlook for the new year.
After you’re finished writing down the resolutions you probably won’t keep (“lose weight, save for retirement, clean up the garage…”), take ten minutes to run through this outstanding checklist compiled by author Peg Brantley at Crime Fiction Collective.
(Approach the New Year) With Decisive Intent
14 Tips for a happier New Year in your writing career
by Peg Brantley
Now that we can be fairly certain the world isn’t coming to an end any time soon, we need to get some work done. Decisive Intent are my “creative” words for Strategic Planning, which sounds blah and reminds me of my former life.
It’s important to think ahead, and to do that we have to understand where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we want to be in a year. This list is focused strictly on writing. Whether you’re indie published, traditionally published, both, or wanting to be published, I think you’ll find some value in exercising Decisive Intent for your career. …
click here to read Peg’s list — a smart round-up of tips to make 2013 work better for you.
Crime fiction writer Peg Brantley is the author of Red Tide 
A Colorado native, Peg is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters In Crime. She and her husband make their home southeast of Denver.
»photo credit: .v1ctor.
What are your hopes and dreams for the New Year? Have you ever made and kept an honest-to-goodness New Year’s Resolution?
Jim, since 2013 is THE YEAR OF THE WRITER, we must strive to fly higher, dream bigger, write better, and publish! I have just published ‘The Fires of Waterland’ a new novel with Redmund Productions new book launch — and I am plugging away with my author site Incoming BYTES.com which eventually will include the majority of my portfolio including fiction, children’s books, a compendium of short stories, niche articles, and specific collections of niche articles arranged for the DIY’er. I am optimistic! I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I just DO STUFF. All the best to you, Jim… Best of 2013 and years to come.
Very excited by your announcement, Raymond.
I know you’ve worked long and hard to release “The Fires of Waterland.” It’s great to see the progress you’ve made on your new site, and to see your second book launched.
“I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I just DO STUFF” — perfect! All the best right back atcha, Raymond.
Thanks for this Jim! I am determined to publish this year and I appreciate these articles.
And Raymond, congrats! I am on my way to check it out!
I’m so glad to see you around again, Daniel!
When you’re getting closer to publishing, let me know how I can help. I’d be happy to be a beta reader for you, or put together an author interview, fun a “free first chapter” — whatever might help.
As Raymond said, let’s make this OUR Year of the Writer!
I am a beginning writer so my New Years Resolution is simple. Make writing the most important thing I need to do each day by doing it first thing, before those other not so important jobs creep in to disrupt my writing practice.
@Priska, interestingly, I find that doing the necessary and mundane work first gives me time to think about characters, dialogue, and plot line. It seems to make the writing go better, whereas if you have to hurry up and get done writing so you can do other ‘jobs’–it puts negative pressure on the muse. “:)
Hi Jim, thanks for sharing Peg’s list I really found it helpful. I’m a coach and published my first book this year but reading that list make me realize I’m very vague about what I want to achieve this year as regards my writing. I want to write 2 eBooks and create a new membership program but as regards book writing I have been left it floating, and as I have become much busier since I published my book, my schedule for writing has become more erratic. thanks again for the list I think it will get me back on track.
I’m so glad you found this helpful, Ciara!
It’s easy to get buried in projects and find yourself plugging away at everything, finishing nothing. When I conceived and launched SoWrite, I found that the only way I could make serious progress was to set attainable goals and list the steps required for each task.
I’d love to hear more about your two ebooks, as well as the one you’ve already published, Ciara. Thanks very much for your feedback!
Great checklist!
As a new writer, building my platform and networking are crucial. I plan on submitting both of my novels, and I hope to have written at least one new book by the end of this year.
Very nice to meet you, MG.
Best of luck to you with all of your plans for 2013!