Looking Back to Look Forward
2022 is just a few more steps away—right around the corner—and while I’m not one for creating resolutions I won’t keep, I am one for looking over my shoulder to reflect on where I’ve been in order to form manageable blueprints to guide my goals.
So here’s my reflection about 2021… Creatively, it has been a solid year.
Books Read:
As of this writing, I read 117 books (and I’m currently reading book number 118, a contemporary, enemies-to-lovers with fake dating in The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas—an indie author and indie book that made the Goodreads Best Romance List of 2021). When eyeballing my goodreads list for the year, it’s clear that my go-to genre was contemporary romance but sprinkled in are several fantasies, a few memoirs, and a dash of dystopian/sci fi. Clearly, romance is my jam.
Here’s a take away from my reading journey this year: There are a lot of really great storytellers out there, and there are a lot of great storytellers who aren’t traditionally published. I knew that, of course, but the converse is true as well. There are a lot of terrible stories out there both traditional and indie. But one will never know without taking the chance to dig for treasure unless you do it. It reminds me of my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify, unearthing those amazing gems of songs among the duds.
Some of the indie treasures I found:
Chloe Leise and the Bergman Brothers Series. Leise does a great job with character development and weaving in representation (specifically mental health and autism spectrum).
Raven Kennedy’s adult fantasy The Plated Prisoner series which begins with Gild. If you liked Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, then this indie author is a wonderful choice. Her series is a reimagining of the King Midas story which comes to a stunning conclusion in the third book (but the story will continue. HOORAY!)
A traditional author I love:
Mhairi McFarlane. Romance author who does an impeccable job of exploring individual character growth for the sake of personal empowerment. I love that.
I already shared my top five reads this year (click here for that if you missed it), but I didn't share my disappointments. I don’t plan to begin disparaging other authors anytime soon, so I won’t go into detail about those specific titles, but here’s some lessons about writing and narrative that were reinforced for me:
Editing matters, and not just copy editing but developmental editing too. And this wasn’t just a problem in indie books, but a few widely reviewed traditional books as well.
Characters need to be developed, otherwise I’m not invested in the journey, and isn’t that why I want to go along in the first place? Reading about characters whose motivation isn’t clear, or who aren’t very likable make me want to throw a book at a wall.
TikTok book talk doesn’t always get it right.
Overall message matters to me. A highly recommended book might be enjoyable but if the message perpetuates negative or unhealthy attitudes and ideals, I’m out.
I’m not sure I’ll set a reading goal this coming year. I read a lot, but with what I’ve added to my goals for 2022, I’m not sure I need one more thing to do in a year that is going to be very busy on the creativity front. We’ll see. How about you? Do you need the goal to read?
Books Written & Published:
As you know (I hope), I published In the Echo of this Ghost Town and When the Echo Answers this year with Mixed Plate Press. Wow. Two books published in the year. I never thought I could do that. I also published the novella The Ring Academy: The Trials of Imogene Sol in my newsletter. I’m so proud of these new books, and that endeavor taught me something about myself: I can produce and shouldn’t be afraid of that.
Behind the scenes of those publications, I drafted four new novels. FOUR! That’s exciting stuff. They aren’t revised or in any finished state, but that’s four new stories to eventually share in the coming year or so. Two of these books are for a brand new pen name-imprint I’ve started, Maci Aurora (for adult romances). One of those books will be published in April 2022. Then I’ve drafted a fantasy and a new adult contemporary. Can I do two novels in 2022 as well? That’s the hope (and if I can get my stuff together, a possible 3rd).
How important planning is. Sure. I knew this, but my background as a teacher really came in handy especially when it came to managing more than one book title.
The importance of time. If the planning is on point, then the amount of time needed to put together a product deserving of being considered by consumers in the marketplace is more likely.
How much I love this work! I do. I love it. Can I do this forever? Please.
Looking forward:
The intersection from 2021 to 2022 is ahead. And I’ve got some goals, which I feel like are different from resolutions. Defined, a resolution is the decision to work toward or modify something. Whereas a goal is the object of my effort with specific benchmarks to see it to fruition. Perhaps the goal is what makes the resolve happen, but regardless, here’s some goals I have for this coming year (feel free to hold me accountable):
Publish a new CL Walters novel this year: The Messy Truth About Love. I’ve got an exclusive scene I’ll be sharing from that novel in my newsletter next month (sign up for all kinds of exclusive content dropped into your inbox once a month).
Work forward on publishing the fantasy The Many Shades of Lies.
Draft three new novels this year (the second in the fantasy series, the third Maci Aurora novel, and a new YA book).
Start a Patreon—or some other way to develop an income—that will allow me to continue publishing (it’s really expensive to do it well my friends and book sales alone won’t see it done).
What are your goals for the coming year?
Thank you so much for being on this journey with me. You being with me is what makes it so much more rewarding!
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