Okay – so I get you need to write what people will want to read. Fair enough. But I also believe that if your heart isn’t in it, it will be flat and boring and no one will want to read it anyway. As a writer, I would much rather write what appeals to me and have it not read than labour through a post that will be so dull no one will read it either.

With that in mind, here are my ideas for a new approach to my writing in 2021.

Learn, learn, learn

I am a big believer in education: I guess that comes from being a teacher myself. As an extension of that, life long learning for me is a must to keep me sane. At this stage in my life, I like the learning to help me grow as a writer – so I have already enrolled in a couple of courses for 2021.

• Blogging for Beginners – this course is run by WordPress. Yes, I know – I already have a blog. But I’ve really just fallen into it and I would like to have more understanding about the whole process: actual posts, using the blocks, statistics etc.
• Preparing Your Manuscript For Publication – delivered by author Tiffany Taso, through Writing New South Wales. This course starts in April and the reason is self explanatory I guess, but it does lead me to …

Submit to publishers

I am determined to start submitting my first novel, Passage to a New Life, to publishers in 2021. I’d like to think I can have it ready by the end of the manuscript preparation course, but either way – I need to get it out there and move on to the next one.

Choose my next novel – or two

I do have a couple of ideas up my sleeve. The most difficult part here will be deciding which one to take up and run with. I may actually attempt two at once – which will be different for me. I’ve worked on a novel and short stories at the same time, but not two novels. Maybe one of them could be a series of short stories … we shall see.

Be more systematic

Time I faced it: I need a system to be organised and productive. Every year I say I have to do it. Every year I start. And every year it falls away for one reason – or excuse – or another. I’m going to try really hard to be more productive in 2021 – whatever I need to do to reach that may take some experimentation.

So …

Enough for my poor brain to process. Happy New Year from me to you – may it be everything you want it to be.

Cheers

Kerry

Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Categories: New Year 's resolutions New Year's Day

Tagged as: blog Blogging Basics 101 education manuscript organisation publishers publishing system writing writing dilemmas

Kerry A Waight - Author

A writer of historical fiction and paranormal stories.