Writing Into 2021

Photo by Dan Counsell on Unsplash

2020 has to go down in recent history as one of the worst years, for reasons we all know. Despite all the doom and gloom in the world, the endless months of hardship and uncertainty, people got inventive. They found new ways to work and socialise. Some took the opportunity to learn a new skill or hobby, or to revisit long forgotten ones. For me, it was a time to pull myself together and not let the depression sink in. After all, my main sources of income had been snatched away and I was left with the sinking feeling that I would never be able to make ends meet.
Though it is by no means a main source of income for me (at the moment) writing seems to take up the majority of my time. At least it did in 2020. With no choir to run, no singing students and no gigs, I found myself constantly at my laptop, either writing or editing. Needless to say, the year went by in a frenzy of words, typos, documents, editing, files, folders and submissions.
By the end of the year, I had self-published a book I'd previously written in my pen name, Rosa Temple (Dear...Anybody? came out in digital format in the spring), had finished editing the next Rosa Temple book and had written a women's fiction novel in my own name. Also by the end of the year I managed to get back the copyright of my debut novel, Holding Paradise. After an edit of that book, it is now with my agent who hopes to submit it to publishers this year. Then there are the two manuscripts I submitted to independent publishers. One submission was a novella and the other a full length novel - both written a few years ago.
That's an awful lot of irons in the fire.
I do have high hopes for my writing going forward in 2021. I'm of the opinion that things are only going to get better and I that I should be hoping for and expecting a brighter year.
Next on the agenda, I plan to re-visit another novel I wrote back in 2015. That in itself will be a huge undertaking. I envisage myself 'killing my darlings' for the next few months and hoping I have an improved novel as a result.
My hope for my writing in 2021 is that I have success; submissions accepted, amazing book sales, even a best seller!
I'm dreaming big for 2021, sending out the positive vibes and knuckling down to some more writing.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!