by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt
In just 12 days we’ll count down the seconds as 2019 ends and 2020 arrives: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Happy New Year!
With that occasion in mind, here are 10 writerly ways to count down 2019 and prepare for 2020:
10. Clean your computer files. You’ve generated a lot of files – documents and graphics – in the past year. In the midst of all your productivity, it’s easy to overlook the need for virtual housework. Utilize a program like CleanMyMac (there’s a PC version too) and clean your computer clutter.
9. Say thanks. Lots of writers send Christmas gifts to their editor and agents. You didn’t? Don’t panic. A handwritten note of appreciation is so appreciated. And don’t forget the graphic artist who designed your book cover or the web guru who handles your website.
8. Plan ahead. If you blog – and yes, I realize some writers have decided blogging isn’t their thing – brainstorm ideas for the upcoming year. Utilize the 2020 My Brilliant Writing Planner and jot down titles, topics, holidays.
7. Evaluate your social media. There’s no denying social media is part of our writing lives. Just remember we don’t have to do it all. Is there one type of social media you enjoy more than others? Where you’re connecting with readers? Concentrate your efforts on what’s working in 2020.
6. Pray about finding a mentor and/or becoming a mentor. Having a mentor can benefit your writing in so many ways – and so can being a mentor. Who could share their expertise with you? Who could you come alongside and encourage?
5. Evaluate your blog and newsletter subscriptions. We’re all busy and there are times we need to trim our blog and newsletter subscriptions. Hey, “unsubscribes” from my newsletters are always a bit of an “ouch,” but I try not to take them personally. And I don’t want a high “unopen” rate, either.
4. Rest. Yes, I’m giving you 10 things to do as you wind down 2019. Some of us are traveling. Some of us are on deadline. But don’t forget to rest during the holidaze. Sleep in a little later. Take naps. Watch favorite Christmas movies and drink hot chocolate. Rest is good for us any time of the year, but especially during this busy time.
3. Consider how you’ll invest in your writing career in 2020. It’s not too early to consider what writing conferences you want to attend, what contests you want to enter – some are already open to entries – and what local writers groups you want to participate in.
2. Count your blessings. Please notice I said “blessings,” not successes. Too often we get caught up in evaluating our lives by asking “did I land an agent?” and “did I sign a contract?” Acknowledge all the blessings you’ve experienced in the past year: your writing friends, encouraging words, the minutes and hours you’ve had to pursue your dream – yes, even if you had to fight for that time!
1. Don’t do resolutions. Surprised you, didn’t I? I haven’t done New Year’s resolutions in 14 years. I pick One Word and focus on that instead. For 2019, my One Word was “Anchor” and I lasered in on where I anchored my thoughts and emotions. My 2020 One Word? It’s “Listen.” Consider tearing up your resolutions and choosing One Word for the coming year – it can be life changing.
Moments We Forget by Beth K. Vogt
Jillian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine.
Now, Jillian’s on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as she’d hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again.
Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be “just Jillian,” the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?
Beth K. Vogt
Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” The Best We’ve Been, the final book in Beth’s Thatcher Sisters Series with Tyndale House Publishers, releases May 2020. Other books in the series include Things I Never Told You, which one the 2019 AWSA Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year, and Moments We Forget.
Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us.
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.