It’s a new year, with all the hope that brings. I hope that you had a good Christmas, however you celebrated it. And that 2022 brings us all a better year.
I’m not mentioning the elephant in the room, just concentrating on things that I can actually control. Having just spent the festive season with the healthcare professionals who make up my family, I’m both awed and humbled by their dedication and attitude, enough said.
I actually enjoyed a break of a couple of weeks, only jotting down a few of the rough ideas that came to me, with luck I’m now refreshed, as are the voices in my head, I’m ready to get started again.
As per my recently announced writing plan, I have an ambitious target this year, to finish the 11 novels and several short stories that I have started over the last few years.
To do that, I’d like to write 2-3000 words a day, every day, as well as my blog posts and social media. In 2018 (the last year I actually measured my output), I managed over 500,000 words (1405 a day), all I have to do is increase my typing speed a little. Plus, I have my dictation software to help me along.
Of course, that sort of output will also require editing and cover design at some stage, which is a lot more expense in a year than I can afford. I will therefore be doing the covers myself. Which may be interesting. I also haven’t told my long-suffering editor my plan yet.
I’m working on The Safety of the Realm this month, as well as updating some of the blurbs on my Amazon sales pages. In two days, I’ve added just over 4000 words to the tale.
Sadly, work on the time travel story that I told you about has come to a halt, there were just too many unresolvable paradoxes in the plot. I still think that there is potential in the idea, maybe I can get back to it later, I’ll leave it to stew in my head.
Here’s a taste of what I had wanted to achieve.
It was the perfect crime, stealing something that nobody would ever admit was missing.
All you needed was a newspaper report on the robbery of the century.
And a time machine.
Now that the feeding frenzy of the festive season is over and costs have returned to a sensible level, I’m also resuming a bit of paid advertising.
The feedback on We are Saul is starting to come in, which is always nice, if a little nerve-wracking. Whether it’s good or bad, it will help me in preparing the second draft of the novel, working towards a probable release date in June this year. Once I have their opinions and I’ve done another rewrite, I’ll be looking for ARC readers and organising a blog tour.
Look out for more details soon.
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