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Hi all you Story Reading Ape fans. Craig here again with another slice of the author’s life. This time it’s all about ending one year, and beginning a new one.
December poses multiple problems for authors. Holiday shopping and events take center stage and chew into that all important writing time. Different folks handle it in different ways. I’ve seen bloggers take a leave of absence until the new year. Others breathe a sigh of relief that NANO is over, and let their baby manuscripts incubate for a month before taking them up again.
I’m of the “No rest for the Wicked” mindset. December has always been some of my prime writing time. I like the great outdoors, but am old enough that rain, snow, and getting stuck don’t hold as much appeal. Indoors with central heating makes for good writing time.
I also try to treat being an author like a business. (At least in spirit.) I prepare a closing statement for the old year, and a projection statement for the coming year. I don’t have some corporate suit looking over my shoulder, so I don’t make them very formal. In fact, mine are blog posts. They will post on my site the last week of 2017, and the first week of 2018.
It’s time for me to start working on what I want to accomplish in 2018. I’ll rough this out in my word processor and save it. That way I can tweak it for a few weeks before posting it. This usually involves what I want to publish and which promotional avenues I want to test out. I’ve been known to include some reading goals and a few odds and ends.
I don’t really address 2017 until after Christmas. Things could still happen in the next couple of weeks.
Like I said, these are blog posts so you get them warts and all. No fancy letterhead and corporate speak involved. The nice part is the ability to look at posts from previous years. I can draw from them to sum up 2017, and see what changes I want for 2018. I’ve also been known to refer to my projection throughout the year to see what kind of progress I’m making.
Being a writer is fun, blogging holds the same appeal. I won’t turn this into a business with all of the corporate charms, because it loses part of the fun. Still, it’s a good idea to have a loose business plan and my method works for me.
As a writer, and a businessman, you have to be open to change. Someday, maybe there will be some tangible income associated with my writing and I can modify my approach then.
What do you do to close out the writing year? Do you even consider the business aspect of being an author, or are you more fluid?
Craig Boyack
Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 
I go with a pretty informal plan as well. Right now, I usually list what I’ll be working on. I’ve been trying to keep track of things on calendars as well so I have that for future tax purposes but I quit a couple months okay, lol. I need to get back to some type of system for that. I just get bored easily when plans don’t work the way I want them too. I’d hoped to be published by fall of this year but that didn’t work out. Although, that seems to be something I aspire to every year, it just hasn’t happened yet. Still waiting for my someday, I guess.
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I think if I went too formal it would suck some of the fun away. Writing plans never work the way we hoped, but they do work out. Keep chipping away at it.
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I close the year with at least one manuscript ready for Beta. It has been an obsession of mine sine 2012 when I started. I always open the year with no less than 12,000 words written by Jan 31 on the next book. I guess this is my non-suit year-end closing and new year opening. Super post, Craig. Thanks to Chris for hosting.
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I’m jealous. I have two books ready to go, but can’t seem to get new words down. It will happen, I have faith.
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Sure it will. I only expect one a year from me.
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That’s all I managed last year, and it was a short collection. That and my story in an anthology.
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks for sharing this.
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Thanks for sharing, Jaye 😃
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Much as I hate bookkeeping, I try to catch up my yearend files in December so it’s ready for the accountants greedy calculator come spring.
For writing, it’s already Valentine’s at my house, lol. Busy working on two novellas slated for box sets and doing early planning for a wedding story coming up in June.
I treat my writing as a serious business, which means long hours and no days off- at least until I win those movie rights! 🙂
Happy holidays, Chris and Craig!
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Thank you, Jacquie. I don’t take it quite as seriously, but it’s nice to know where I’m spending the most time and money. That way I can modify my behavior and possibly get better at this stuff.
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This year literally flew by! I am of the same mindset as you, Craig – The no rest for the wicked one – and I always end the year by creating a Top Ten List of fabulous books I’ve read and reviewed throughout the year. And, I keep my blog going whether it’s a holiday or not. I love your ideas and motivations. Happy Holidays!
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I really need to get back into the writing mindset. Winter is the time when I make the most progress. I wound up with a week off, but my back issues kind of killed my mojo. I want to finish the second novella this winter. Then I’m diving into another novel.
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I don’t even want to face the fact that the year is ending! Where the heck did the time go? Looking foward to your year-in-review and new year posts. I’ll be writing similar ones, myself.
Great holiday/Lisa art, by the way.
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2017 is not going to be about fond memories. I can give you that hint. Chris cobbled the holiday artwork together. He’s a talented ape.
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No, 2017 won’t be remembered fondly. Looking forward to a better 2018 for all of us.
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Applause…Applause…Applause. (WordPress needs an applause light.)
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And nice job on the art, Chris.
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Thanks, Staci 😀
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Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
I’m up over at Chris Graham’s place today. The topic is how I end the year, and start the new one, as a writer.
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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Thanks for re-blogging, Michael 😀
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Thank you, Michael.
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Since I typically have a December release, I end the year with promos and then a week to close the next year’s projects. Having a young kid, I don’t really get much of a break when the holidays come around. Can’t really say much this year though. Feels like I’m starting from scratch with the new series.
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You almost are starting from scratch. You still have some of the world building done and that can help.
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True. That does bring in an extra wrinkle from what I’ve learned. The world building in another series only helps with readers that carry over, so I have to avoid becoming complacent in that arena. Caught myself skimping on details of previously used stuff a few times. At least I have the first series to act as notes. That probably takes care of the harder part.
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Notes are a writer’s best friend.
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Right up there with privacy and pizza. That second one might just be me though.
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It’s almost an advantage to being a stand-alone book author. I have to start from scratch every time. By doing this enough times it gets easier. Short stories helped here too.
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Good point. You don’t have to go back as far like with a series. Do you ever find yourself doing the same thing in your books? Like a common addition that acts almost like a signature.
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I discovered that most of my novels have something about baseball in them. I never intended for that to happen, but it makes me try changing things up now.
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Not a bad thing. I do a lot of eating and drinking scenes. Seems to have just become a part of my style.
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I try to change it up now. Meals and sports are great bonding times for characters.
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Car rides too.
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I made myself a calendar for the new year and put a schedule on it. Certain days are for sending out query letters for my new book (and hopefully I won’t have to keep doing that all through 2018!). Other days are for blogging and general marketing of my ebooks. I hope to stick to the plan come January. For now, I’m finishing up some holiday projects, so not much marketing happening at this time. I really hate marketing anyway!
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I hate marketing too. I don’t have anything going on this month, but would like to get some new words down by the end of the year.
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