J. L. Willow

2017 is about to come to a close. It’s been a crazy year for everyone, filled with ups and downs. With the release of my debut novel, there have been many happy moments, but these were mixed among some pretty trying times. The beginning of a year can be a fresh start for many and an opportunity to accomplish things we may not have gotten around to in the previous 365 days. I, like many others, have some goals in mind that I’m looking to accomplish in 2018. So, to hopefully inspire others (and to hold myself accountable) I’m going to record my yearly writing goals. Then, at the end of the year, I’ll look back on this blog post and see how much I was able to do! Hopefully, I’ll be able to check off most things off this list. So without further ado, here are my 2018 New Year’s Writing Resolutions:

1. Host a giveaway

Everyone has been so supportive of my debut novel and I would love to provide an opportunity to give back to my fans. I’ve been meaning to host a giveaway for a signed copy of The Scavenger, and I definitely want to make it a priority to do so in 2018. Keep on the lookout so that when I do get around to doing it, you’re ready!

1. Give a talk for The Scavenger

I’ve received a few requests to speak at various schools about my experience as a teen author. I plan on making it a point to visit some students and talk about the work that goes into writing and publishing a book. Not too long ago, I was one of those students, dreaming about holding my own work in my hands, but not really sure where to begin. I would love to be able to inspire others to follow their dreams and not be afraid to take the first step toward accomplishing their goals.

2. Attend an author event

There are so many great opportunities in my area for new and young authors. In the coming year, I really want to focus on meeting others who have gone through the same thing I have and forging some new bonds. It’s really important for writers to have a support group (as I’ve talked about in a previous post) and attending an event specifically geared toward writers is a great way to expand that network.

3. Organize my writing folder

I originally had this bullet titled as “Clean out my writing folder,” but I really want to emphasize that I am not throwing anything out. It’s crucial for writers to save every idea, big and small, that they’ve come up with over the years. You never know when you’ll suddenly have a brainstorm that might take a concept you came up with years ago and completely transform it. It would be devastating if you threw out something that might’ve been able to lay the foundation for something bigger. Save everything! But, even so, some organization might be in order so that when you do have those brainstorms, you know where to find what you need 🙂

4. Complete the outline for ‘Rose Petals’

As you can probably guess from the title of this bullet, I do have an idea in the works for my next book. It’s not anything close to ready for a reveal and ‘Rose Petals’ is probably not even going to be the final title, but every project needs a starting point. It might take some time to flesh out and really get a feel for, but outlining is the first step to getting a project on its feet. Even if I don’t end up using it, I would like to at least complete a solid outline for ‘Rose Petals’ in the coming year.

5. Write a first draft for a new manuscript

Now, this draft may not necessarily be ‘Rose Petals.’ It may be a completely different book, which is why I’m not specifying which first draft I’m writing. Sometimes, writers will write an outline and realize that it’s just not ready to be fully realized in a book — and that’s okay. Some things take time. But I do have a few ideas bouncing around in the back of my head, and I would like to have a draft done for at least one of them by the time December rolls around next year.

And that’s wrap! Not just on this blog post, but also on 2017. All in all, it’s been a pretty solid year for me, and hopefully for you as well! I wish you an amazing (and productive) upcoming year, and I hope you accomplish all the goals you set for yourself.

Do you have any resolutions for 2018? If so, leave them in the comments below!

— J. L. Willow