New Year

Welcome To 2016

  
Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season went well and you parlayed that into a great start to the new year.

The end of 2015, the fun time of the year for me (October – December), brings the holiday season, football season, and cooler temps. And as usual, those months raced by and brought us here to the new year.

For me, the good news is that we still have a couple of more months of winter. Now, I know that’s not good news to everyone out there, but my reason is purely in the spirit of creativity. I find the Winter to be the best time of the year to write – and reading for that matter. If I’m not too distracted by the NFL season and playoffs, I usually get a lot accomplished.

Many projects are on the books, so to speak, and deadlines are on the calendar. But those things are for me in the solitary confines of the writing world. 

As for all of you, no matter where you are, covered in snow or basking in warmer temperatures, I just want to wish you all a great start to the new year and I hope you accomplish any and all the goals you have set!

Happy writing, reading, and creating!

ALJ

Gieveaway Done … And

Starting Out

2013 has arrived and already is moving into its second week. I wanted to start 2013 with a Giveaway on Goodreads for Episode #1 of Night Dreams. 761 souls signed up for a chance to win 3 copies, and I appreciate everyone for their interest and their time, to sign up. The 3 paperback copies have been mailed out today, and I hope to hear back from the winners at some point after reading it.

Short-Range Goals

If you write and take it seriously, then you know goals have to be set. They have to be not only set, but those goals (self-imposed deadlines) have to be reached. Reached, if you want to make progress in your projects, books, and goals. My first goal this year is to finish my novella Floor Four. If you are a self-publisher, then you know just writing and finishing the story is not the end of it. 1st draft, 2nd draft … editing, beta-readers, and formatting (ebook & print). It’s a non-stop process that many of you know well.

After that is done I will put the finishing touches on Episode #2 of Night Dreams – Andrea’s Demon. I’m setting my short-range goals in 2-month blocks. So every two months I will have completed 1/6 of my overall (yearly) goal. 

For me, that is how 2013 will start. Along with the previously mentioned projects, there are plenty of leftovers from 2012 to be finished. (I guess my goals for 2012 didn’t all get done as planned!) 

It’s never-ending, but you really gotta love what you do to continue the fight.

~ALJ~