by Candee Fick, @CandeeFick

It’s that time of year when the chaotic build-up to Christmas is done and the New Year is just around the corner. Making this the perfect week to relax by the lights of the tree and simply reflect, revise, and more. Yes, I’m talking about that end-of-year assessing and start-of-year planning.

Personally, I used to look at my life in terms of three main priorities: Faith, Family, and Fiction. These categories encompassed my core identity, my relationships, and my calling or profession. As time went by, I also added Fitness, Finances, and Friends as other areas I needed to be intentional about cultivating.

However, since we’re here to learn how to write a novel, I’m just going to focus on fiction today and let you apply the same ideas to the rest of your life.

First up, reflecting. This is where we tally up a list of all the wins and losses for the entire year. When we try to remember what happened before a virus impacted our world. What goals had we set and what dreams had we pursued? How close did we get to reaching them? What victories and milestones were forgotten or fell by the wayside as we moved on to the next thing? 

It’s a time for honesty. Grace. And celebration. After all, even if we didn’t get everything done off our lists, chances are we’re a lot further along than those who simply dream of someday writing a novel and never actually put any words on the page.

For me, I wrote two and a half novels, helped organize and launch a multi-author boxed set, learned how to finally run profitable Amazon ads and stacked promotions to double my income, relaunched my backlist, published my tenth novel/novella, and bonded with a core group of other authors for accountability and collective brainstorming.

(Honestly, when I started to write that previous paragraph, it only had two things on it. The writing and the bonding. But the more I reflected, the more I remembered. The more I put on the list, the better I felt. And that is all the motivation I need for the next step.)

Second, it’s time for revising. This is where we take a closer look at the speedbumps and hiccups. What obstacles stood in our way? What derailed our focus? What projects were abandoned in favor of something new? What things are still on that to-do list and never seem to get done?

And yes, like revising our stories, once we’ve identified the problem areas, it’s time to do some fixing. For example, is that unfinished task essential or simply there because others said it should be? If I’m procrastinating, why? Do I need more information about how to do it or an added incentive to just get it done…or can I delegate it to someone else and relieve myself of the guilt?

The solution to each issue we find might be another “Re” word. Restructure. Reschedule. Redirect. Relocate. Relaunch. Restore. Resolve. Reimagine.

One of my biggest hurdles in 2020 was losing my writing space thanks to the virus. The entire family was home during the day all talking and zooming and frequently interrupting. And my local coffee shop was closed along with the library so there was nowhere to escape. During the first round of lockdowns, I tried noise-cancelling headphones and focused on non-creative tasks like marketing and editing and taking classes. After all, anything that grew my business and knowledge base was progress. Things opened up again and I wrote that second novel at the coffee shop. 

Then the second wave of shutdowns began right as I was starting on my third book of the year. My teaching husband and high school son were blessed to be able to continue in-person school, but my adult special needs daughter lost her job (again). Entertaining her OCD-anxious-autisticlike-self those extra few days a week drained my creativity and writing in my home office was like slogging through wet concrete. My NaNoWriMo stalled before it even had a chance.

Until I revised. 

I reimagined those days with my daughter as time to fill my creative well with stories by watching movies together. I rescheduled my errands and cleaning routines to free up different blocks of time for writing. Then, on the few days when she went to her day program, I relocated my laptop to the spare bedroom in the basement for a change of scenery. And thankfully, the words started flowing again…something I’m resolved to continue into the new year.

Reflect on the wins. Revise after the losses. And remember that even if the pace is slower than we’d like, turtle-speed progress is still bringing us closer to our destination.

 

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Stepping Into the Light 

Sometimes the most heroic live in plain sight.

Tragedy stalks Gunn Castle, most recently when the heir to the Gunn chiefdom died, leaving the land vulnerable to attack. But security has come in the promise of a marriage alliance with the Clan Sinclair, the Gunns’ powerful northern neighbors.

The search is on to gather the eligible maidens…except mysterious accidents befall all who join the laird’s widow at the castle. Meanwhile, messengers have been spotted along the southern border, and Clan Sinclair may be walking into a trap.

With war looming and a madwoman in their midst, the only hope for a peaceful future may lie in the hands of a disfigured Gunn recluse and the overlooked second son of Clan Sinclair.

If you like clean medieval romance, the Scottish Highlands, and cheering for the underdog, then you’ll love the first installment of this new series from Candee Fick.

Candee Fick is the romance editor for a small Christian press and a multipublished, award-winning author. She is the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. When not busy editing or writing, she can be found cheering on the home team at sporting events, exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.