by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt
“As with anything creative, change is inevitable.”
Enya (1961-), Irish Musician
Remember that challenge I gave you in my January 2022 blog post, oh-so many months ago?
I’m not surprised if you don’t. I came across the months-old post as I was working on today’s blog post.
Let me remind you.
The new year was only a few weeks old. I wrote, “Before we stroll into the second month of the new year, I’m offering you a writing challenge for 2023. Think of the one thing you don’t want to do in your writing life. Maybe it’s cleaning out your overflowing inbox. Or maybe it’s something to do with marketing. (I hear those groans.) Or maybe it’s entering a contest. You considered doing it on and off last year, but you balked.
Do it.”
And then I talked about how I never, ever wanted to do reels and how I was having fun doing one thing I didn’t want to do: posting a writing-related reel on Instagram once a week.
Fast forward to now – the end of 2023.
I still think this is a good challenge. So this is me challenging you to do one thing – just one – you don’t want to do in 2024. Here are six quick tips help you:
- Remember the quote at the top of the blog. “As with anything creative, change is inevitable.” As a creative, your life of inspiration and imagination requires flexibility. Don’t fight change – embrace it.
- Pick one thing. You probably have a lot of things you resisted doing in 2023 for various reasons. Pick one thing you didn’t do – and do it. If you can’t decide, write all the “didn’t do” options down on scraps of paper, toss them in a bowl, and pick one.
- Accept imperfection. When you do that one thing, it may not go the way you want it to go. That’s okay. My first few reels weren’t great. The point of those reels was me trying something new – not me being perfect.
- Gather advice. Whatever you decide to do, whether it’s to enter a contest or to record your first reel, ask someone else what worked for them.
- Have a sense of humor. Trying something new? Lighten up. Laughter makes everything easier.
- Pray. You’re never alone in your writing journey. Ask someone to pray for you as you accept my challenge. Do it – but do it with a prayer partner.
I’d love to know if you took the challenge this past year – you can comment here or contact me through my website. Or let me know how 2024 goes for you! Merry Christmas!
Beloved romance novelist Kylie Franklin walked away from her pen-name career as bestselling and award-winning Veronica Hollins the day her husband died. Her loyal readers are eager for the final book in her sensational series. But Kylie’s given up on love, both fictional and in real life. Behind her back, Kylie’s agent contrives a way to get her writing again.
Joe Edwards has made a name for himself with his popular military suspense novels under the pen name Tate Merrick. Yet he can’t quite break onto the bestseller list. What his books need, his publisher suggests, is some romance. Joe flat refuses. However, his publisher is determined and hires Veronica Hollins to save the day—and his career.
Veronica and Tate quickly realize they’re Kylie and Joe, good friends who connected online via a popular word game and their mutual love of trivia. Surely they can wrangle their alter egos into this literary collaboration. But as the deadline looms, their differences threaten the romance developing off the page.
Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, releases June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.