Quarterly review & update: 2021 can be a good year

The first quarter of 2021 is over and while spring has only just begun, this week it feels like summer is just around the corner. The days fly by whether you keep busy or not. This past quarter I’ve had days where I shut off the computer feeling extremely productive and others where I would do better if only I had a drill sergeant yelling in my ear to keep me on task.

But that’s from the mind of a creative with a relentless inner critic. I could finally publish a handful of books a year and still be hard on myself. No matter what the inner critic has to say, I’m moving forward with the intention that 2021 will be a good year.

So, inner critic aside, here’s the positive side about how this past quarter went for me:

Publishing

I may not be publishing a handful of books a year, but I’m currently making changes to eventually make that happen. Can I publish five books a year? Time will tell, but I’m hoping to work up to one per quarter. The Jorja books are long so that it’s been at least a year for each book to go from start to finish. Additional books won’t be as long, in order to write and publish more often, so I expect they’ll be about half the length of a Jorja novel. I don’t want to disappoint those who enjoy the Jorja novels, but I promise to offer other books that those readers will also enjoy.

Writing

In the meantime, I’m currently working on the sixth novel in the Jorja Matthews mystery series, completing revisions and tightening up the scenes as I scour the book for any plot holes. It’s coming along nicely and I’ll be working on the cover and other publishing aspects soon. My hope is that it’ll finally be available in June. Fingers crossed!

Learning

Most events are still online these days, which is disappointing but it does give me more ability to attend if I can partake at my own pace based on my schedule. Last quarter I took part in a few webinars focused on marketing…my least favorite aspect of being a writer, but something I have to continue to learn about. I look forward to this next quarter because I’m virtually attending Crime Writer’s Week where I’ll learn tips and tricks from various crime-writing authors and all things related to crime fiction. It wasn’t an event I could let myself miss!

Reading

I’m a Goodreads author and reader and I pledged at the beginning of the year to read 50 books in 2021. I read quite a bit last year and I wanted to up the ante this year. Stephen King says writers should not only write a lot, but they also need to read a lot. I agree. For some time, I let too many things get in the way of my reading time and yet my TBR pile kept stacking up. Last year I made a good dent and this year I plan to do even better. I’ve finished 15 books so far and that puts me two books ahead of schedule!

Blogging

My blog took on the biggest change this year when I forged ahead with a new blogging schedule. I developed an editorial calendar, finally after years of figuring out exactly how and with material I can have fun with. I’m blogging once a week, on Wednesdays; unless there’s a fifth Wednesday which will allow the blog (aka: me) to take a break. My blog posts are writing related, when relevant to what’s going on with me, but they also include the following types of posts (some of which offer spoilers):

• Chats with the characters in my mystery series — so far we’ve met with Jorja, Taylor and Ryan where they shared a little more about themselves and their lives,
• Series posts related to the nonfiction nuggets in my series, such as this one about Adoptions & DNA, and
• Series posts where I share interesting information about P.I. related material, case reviews and other legal topics, such as this one about Convicts, Cards & Cold Cases (an interesting way law enforcement has been able to use convicts to solve cold cases).

I’m also sharing posts that aren’t necessarily about writing, but are about topics that interest me or speak to me in whatever season I’m working through. Some of the favorites I shared last quarter include:

• What I would say to my teenage-self
• 30 questions to ask your aging family members today!
• Are you productive or just busy?

I share posts on my YA website, but it’s about one post every quarter. My YA novel, Born or Bred, was published last year (finally!) and because the posts I share are different than what I share here, I decided to have a specific site dedicated for that novel and blog posts related to it. The post I shared last quarter was related to writing about twins, as I’ve always had an interest in twins, and the study of nature versus nurture. Not only is Jorja a twin, but my characters in Born or Bred are identical twin boys separated after birth.

In addition, as time allows, I’m sharing posts on my blog, Jaunts with Jozee, about parks, beaches and forests we visit around the PNW. Last quarter I was only able to post twice, one for a mini road trip to the Peninsula where we visited Kalaloch and other beaches, as well as a local trail hike. I’m always behind on these posts but Jozee’s blog is for fun, so I just get to it when I can.

Reader Outreach

I’m continuing to share a newsletter every month, with musings and updates, which will include more details about my secret project as I move along. I’ve been sharing a newsletter for just over a year now, and while it can be extra work, I do enjoy the more personal connection with readers. You can always subscribe to the newsletter here or here if you’re not already on my email list.

I also post updates and random thoughts regularly on my Facebook page and I share my blog posts on Pinterest, but that’s the only social media I’m sticking with for my writing. Someday, soon, I hope to take part in events again where I can meet readers in person. I’m currently waiting for details about an opportunity that may come up during the summer months, which I’ll share more about if everything works out. It’ll be nice to attend any type of live event again!

As we move past the first quarter, I know that every task I complete is one step in the right direction. So far, the first quarter has shown me that 2021 can be a good year and there’s much to look forward to as I continue to work toward my goals.

How’s the year treating you so far? Are you making good progress on your own goals?

As always, thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!