It’s fun to get to the end of the year and look back at what’s gone before.
And even though there might be another 16 days of this month, I think it’s good to pause and remind ourselves what has been accomplished, especially when life can be pretty hectic. So here, in no particular order, are some things I’ve learned from my writing during this year:
1. Finish a series with a fun book that keeps readers wanting more. I loved that I could finish my Regency Wallflowers series on a high with Dawn’s Untrodden Green, a historical that I think was my most Georgette Heyer-like of all my 13 Regencies. It was good to end this series on a witty, banter-laden note, especially after the depths and dark places of the previous two books. Trying to find a balance between realness and humour is tricky, and something I’ll have to keep working at, especially when it comes to writing more Regencies. But whether they will be traditionally or independently published, keeping readers hungry for the next one is key.
2. It’s awesome when you can find the time to write when the stories are in your head. I had some travel and other important commitments this year, and really noticed how long it took to get back into writing mode. There were several occasions however when I had a spare couple of weeks, and because I’d just finished writing a book and had the story world / characters already in my head it was SO easy to let the next story spill onto the page. This is part of the value in writing in series! I highly recommend looking at your calendar for 2024 and blocking off those ‘less-able-to-write’ times then looking at the remaining time available and figuring out if you can squeeze another book in. I was able to write my next book The Love Penalty pretty quickly, thanks to the fact I’d just edited the previous book in the Northwest Ice Christian hockey romance series. A few weeks later I wrote the third book in the series – which sees the most macho guy in the online Bible study group go on a Dancing with the Stars-like show. This just so happened to be about the same time as that show was on, which made research very easy! I got so excited I wanted to write the fourth, but had to put that on pause, because I have other books I’ve committed to write.
3. Stay open to the new things! You never know what opportunities may come your way so it’s good to stay open and keep building writing connections with other authors. I’ve got several interesting writing things in the pipeline, including another multi-author series but set in England, and a new newsletter builder group promotion (I still can’t decide if my novella should be a Regency or a fresh contemporary), along with an exciting ‘Around the World in Fifty Books (minus one)’ international reading challenge. I’ve got a few books included in this reading challenge, and it starts with Love on Ice, my most international book that sees characters travel to 10+ countries, so it’ll be fun to take readers from around the world to ‘visit’ places around the world via books. So stay connecting, stay involved, stay reading. I wrote a collection of short stories for the first time this year (Muskoka Holiday Morsels) because I wanted to try something new. So who knows what exciting venture is just around the corner for you?
4. Be proactive in finding new readers. God bless those readers who seem to praise other authors all the time, but remember there are others out there who are exactly YOUR kind of reader and want YOUR books. So don’t sit back waiting for them to magically fall from the sky. Join the promotions. Get your reader magnet happening to boost your newsletter subscribers. You don’t have to spend $$$, but can do newsletter swaps or join Bookfunnel group promotions for free, all of which can help find those readers who want your book. Those readers who will then want to read everything you’ve written! (So keep writing)
5. Give yourself (& others) some grace. There will be times when readers or other authors or other people in your life misunderstand or say stuff that can really make you question whether you should even be writing. (That’s happened to me several times this year) If I listened to all of the conflicting reviews and commentary I likely wouldn’t write a thing. But it’s worth remembering that as Christian authors we know God sees our heart and knows our intentions, and while we may do things imperfectly, He is still able to use our clumsy efforts for His sake. Stepping out into the new may upset some, but trying is better than giving up, right? We have one life to live, so who wants to shrink back because of the naysayers? If as Christian authors we’re committing our books to God, then ultimately He’s the one we’re following, and we have to trust Him. And the Bible says God has good plans for those who are called according to His purposes – so if God has called and gifted you to write, then trust Him to give you the right words at the right time – so keep writing!
There’s plenty more I’ve learned, but Christmas shopping awaits. So I’ll leave you with two Christmas-themed freebies from me! Sign up for my newsletter and you can get Originally Yours free, and you’ll find out about the exciting writing projects coming from me next year (I think it’s 7 and counting…). And if you want a fun story about a historical novelist who escapes to her small home town to write a book with a Christmas Eve deadline, then Muskoka Christmas is free until this weekend, so get your copy today! Happy reading – and happy writing to you!
Fun to hear your lessons. Always more to learn.