At the beginning of the year, I shared my goals for the year with you guys. So I thought now would be a good time to check in and update you on my progress thus far.
Good news: Some things are going great! Kill for You is out, and I just got GREAT news on FALL & FLAME.
Bad news: A pandemic broke out, making some of my goals (ie: being more social) almost impossible.
2020 has not gone at all the way I thought it would go, but I don't have the "quit" gene, so I'm going to keep on pushing through and crush these goals. I'm going to share the list below and then hit the highlights before sharing what I've added to the list.
Writing Goals Update
Kill for You is out. Yay! Bleed for You is in the works. Die for You has an outline taking shape.
I just signed FALL & FLAME with Tirgearr Publishing. Woohoo! I am really hopeful that both books will be back on shelves later this year. I will keep you updated on the progress.
Finishing FEAR… I haven't conquered this one yet, but I am going to make it happen this year.
Starting Inflicted – Not yet. It's on the list.
Um…I may or may not have also started a few other top secret projects. I'm super proud of how well said projects have been received thus far. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and feel so good about having done it!
Engagement Goals Update
Growing my reader group has been temporarily put on the backburner. I feel like I really need to get a handle on the rest of my social media first. It's kind of overwhelming because there is so much to do and not enough hours in the day. I finally have a solid plan and am working my way through it.
I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone and be more social online. Offline, of course, is kind of out of the question at the moment because of COVID-19. But I'm working on it!
I HAVE started doing more cross-promotion with other authors which I'm really excited about.
Lifestyle Goals Update
COVID-19 has made some of these a tad bit challenging. I HAVE started making better food choices, which is great. But the weight loss has been slow going. I also have not touched my closet.
Learning Goals Update
I haven't quite mastered AMS Ads yet, but I am moving in the right direction. I've spent a lot of time working on this and have started to see some results. But I'm not sure how that's going to translate in the long term since book buying is kind of last on the list of priorities for a lot of people right now.
I also haven't taken a masterclass yet, but have signed up for an Intro to Screenwriting class that I'm excited about. I just need to find the time to sit down and actually work through the class.
I've started compiling what I know. I also got to answer several questions about criminal justice and law for a fellow writer, which was fun.
Leisure Goals Update
I am reading like a fiend at every available opportunity. I have no idea how many books I've finished yet though. I am spending a ton of time with my giant, and spending a lot of time chatting with my bestie and my brother. In-person visits have been limited, though my brother and I did get to go to my bestie's wedding dinner in January which was great. It was so nice to all be in the same room again for once!
Traveling is postponed until COVID-19 is over.
Added Goals
1. Doing a reading for the first chapter of at least one book and doing a podcast or radio interview. For someone who, literally, talks on a radio or phone 12 hours a night, I have so much anxiety about doing either of these.
2. Sharing more of the things that matter to me… like articles and posts relevant to the social justice themes I tackle in my books, or information on organizations like Operation Underground Railroad. I used to do this all the time and just stopped for some reason. I didn't realize how much I missed this part of my writing life until recently. It's past time to get back to my roots!
And that's all I've got for you now. :)
