One Year and Counting…

It’s official! THE CRIMSON FIVE: Spin the Golden Light Bulb has a release date, and it’s one year from today…

January 2, 2018!               

YAY!!!!!!!  (and YIKES!)

I apologize in advance for the non- stop posts on this subject. I’m sorry, I just can’t help it. I’ve dreamed of this whole book debut thing happening for far too long not to give my it a BIG countdown this year! Don’t worry. I promise no daily posts or anything. 🙂

I’m not sure really what it will be like waiting out these 365 days but I have a feeling that they will probably fly by—and I’ll be busier than I’m prepared for. But I’m planning to take it all in stride and be as organized as I can about the whole thing. Lol I’ll let you know how that’s going.

For this month I plan to work on my draft for Book Two whenever I can. However, my main focus will be the first round of revisions on Spin the Golden Light Bulb. I’m excited (and very nervous) to receive my revision notes from my new editor at Amberjack. She’s lovely by the way, and I’m so excited to work with her!

Beyond that, I’m not quite sure. But I promised to bring you all along on this journey, so I’ll definitely keep you posted.

On a separate note…

January is a month when many writers make resolutions and set new writing goals—in fact I’m one of them. But be sure your goals are something that you can control. Getting an agent is not something you can directly control and neither is getting a publishing deal.

One method that I use when setting a goal is the SMART method. I didn’t create it. In fact, many of you may already do the same thing. But for those of you who haven’t heard of it, here’s how it works:

When setting a goal, make sure that it is…

S…Specific. Be very specific about the goal you want to reach. Getting in shape is not a great goal. Losing ten pounds is better because it’s specific.

M…Measurable. Be certain you can measure whether or not you actually reached the goal.

A…Attainable. Goals should push you, but be sure yours is something within the realm of possibility.

R…Realistic. A goal must represent an objective toward which you’re both willing and able to work.

T…Timely. Set a date you want to accomplish the goal by. With no date set, you’ll have no sense of urgency.

For a more detailed explanation of this goal setting method, just google “smart goal setting.” You’ll find tons of information on it.

One of my writing goals for this year is to complete my 65,000 word Book Two draft by March 1, 2017. I’m not too far from reaching that already, but with a busy few months ahead, I want to be sure I stay on track. In order to do that, I need to structure my weekly word count goals accordingly.

How about you? I’d love to help you stay accountable and cheer you on this year too. You’ve all been so great encouraging me so I want to do the same for you.

Good luck and cheers to the New Year. May it be productive and full of motivated writing days for all of us!

Have a great week too guys, but stop back again for another addition to our Writers Around the World Series. I’ll be posting my next interview in the next few days. 🙂

Jackie ❤