When I started this blog, I had no particular idea what I was going to say or do with it, just talk about what I’m up to, there’s been a few rants along the way, but hey that’s life. One of the things I was hoping was that it would help me be more positive about things, and it has. Instead of spending the year thinking, “Oh I’ve done nothing again”, it’s made me look back each month and appreciate that actually I have done stuff, I have achieved things.
So as we start the New Year, I thought I’d have a review of what I’ve achieved this year.
Of course, where I have to start is what did I say I’d do this year? Look back on my blog and you’ll find I said the following:
So what at the plans for 2014?
- Get another book published.
- Write a monthly blog and a weekly Facebook update https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gail-Williams/261748000603425.
- Enter at least 6 competitions this year.
- Finish the romance book.
- Write book two of my Murder Tydfil series.
So did I do it – actually no, which is more depressing than I hoped this blog would be. I got 3 of the 5 done, which is 60% and I think that just about gets me a ‘B’. So where did I fall down? That would be points 1 and 5. Every agent and publisher I sent something to has rejected my books, some with some good feedback, but let’s face it, the only feedback any of us wants to hear is “Yes, I’ll take that one”. Then there’s Murder Tydfil book 2, I’ve started it twice, but it’s just not working, so after a grand total of about 50,000, they’ve all ended up in the bin.
My blogging actually went really well, excluding this post, I’ve done 16 blogs this year, slightly more than my target, and they’ve been more positive than I would have expected, even the one about depression wasn’t that depressing. So I’m proud of that. Similarly I’ve got into updating my Facebook status a lot more frequently too. Added to that, I’ve started to use Twitter much more, which I find an interesting medium, the restriction of 140 characters makes you really think about what you write. Every word must count.
I started the year having won the Topsy Evans prize for literature, which I didn’t expect. I entered way more than 6 competitions this year, and was very fortunate to be shortlisted for the CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition. Additionally, I’ve been placed in a number of internal competitions for the Writers’ Circle. I also had two World War One short stories published in the anthology “Unforgotten: The Great War 1914 – 1918”. I’ve got one short story on the go at the moment, for a submission to an anthology, which I’m hopeful for, but won’t hear about till 2015.
I did write a full romance book, supernatural romance as it happens. It’s been edited and sent off to a publisher, still waiting to hear, but that’s not unusual.
Added to all that I also edited 10 full length novels, and never mind how many shorts and chapters. And I managed to keep down a full time job.
Don’t forget, it you like crime thrillers and want to read a full manuscript, “Foreshadows” is still available.
So all in all, I feel 2014 was a successful year and I hope 2015 will be as good if not better.
The Write Route 