We’re now half-way through 2021, and it seems like a good time to review your progress on all those writer’s New Year’s resolutions that you made. How is your writing coming? Are you satisfied with your progress? If not, are there things you can do to get back on track? Even one or two little things can be very helpful. The wonderful thing about writing is how patiently your unfinished books wait for you to come back to them.

After giving that advice, I guess I should review my own author resolutions from my January 1 blog post. I’ve actually done a lot better than I thought I would.

So here is my update:

1. I resolve to write at least 500 words of fiction per day until I finish the current fantasy novel that John and I are writing: Prophecy’s Malignant Son. Completed. The galley proofs are currently being reviewed and the book is nearing publication.

2. I resolve to learn more about advertising and marketing our fiction books. I think it’s fair to say that I completed this one. While I still have a lot more to learn, I definitely know more than I did on January 1, 2021.

3. I resolve to develop a marketing strategy before the next book is released to help improve its visibility and to attract potential readers. *Sigh.* I’ve got some ideas for marketing the upcoming book, but my ideas only count as a “marketing strategy” in in the broadest, most generous definition of those two words. I guess it’s time to follow my own advice and get back on track with this resolution.

4. I resolve to come up with a more complete outline for the next novel that John and I write and to start writing that new novel before the end of June. Completed. The outline was finished in June and I already have a very rough draft of the first chapter.

5. I resolve to keep writing and publishing this blog every Friday for the rest 2021. So far, so good. All you wonderful blog readers will have to judge how I do with this one.

Talk to you next Friday!

-Susan 7/2/2021