Looking Ahead...2021


I gave up making resolutions decades ago. Those wishes that sound good on January first but that have no solid plan to accomplish. "I want to lose weight" or "I want to get published" just don't work without hard work and deadlines.

Last year, I made plans and goals and...well...we all know what happened there too! 

This year? I have a combination of concrete goals and hopeful plans. My goals look like a production schedule. 

January - send manuscript to freelance editor, start drafting new manuscript, contact cover artist about the manuscript being edited, continue second draft of the next Zoe mystery.

February - receive manuscript back from editor and begin final rounds of revisions, continue drafting new manuscript and second drafting next Zoe mystery, solidify cover art, begin putting marketing plan in place.

I was going to go on, but frankly it's boring. Besides, you get the idea. Concrete goals are the things I know I can do to move the process ahead. They also include stuff like preparing the book proposal for the new book while I'm still working on its first draft and collaborating with my agent on that proposal. I have plenty to keep me focused on what I can do instead of lamenting what I can't.

As for the hopeful plans, those are dependent on how soon I can get the vaccine and what conferences actually get to happen this year. Malice Domestic, the Pennwriters Conference, and Bouchercon are on my hopeful-plans list. 

I'm not all work and no play though. During all the nonsense of 2020, I rediscovered my meditation practice. I intend to keep up with that. And I intend to drag out my old Nikon DSLR and see if it still works. I've been using my phone's camera lately, but I think it's time to get back to my old photography passion. And I really hope to be able to take my annual trip to New Mexico at some point this year.

That's what I'm looking forward to in 2021. What's on your list?


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