2020 has been a strange, scary, crazy year. And much as I hope that 2021 will be better, the truth is we cannot be sure it will. The pandemic raging across the world will not be magically resolved because 2020 has come to an end. 2021 begins under the auspices of uncertainty. Still, life must go on... I had a look at the post I made one year ago. Where I was hoping that 2020 would be an even better year than 2019. Ha ha ha. I look back and wonder at my naïve hopefulness. Have I managed to keep the resolutions I had taken then?
The first was to finish, illustrate and publish Mr. Summerhaye’s Horse. All done, so that’s good.
The second was to edit The Orchid Collector (done) and find an agent (still searching…).
The third was to finish editing the sequel of As Winter Came and Went (not done).
The fourth was to learn about marketing and sell more copies of As Winter Came and Went (not done).
The fifth was to write short stories (not done).
The sixth was to unearth one of my unfinished manuscripts and work on it (not done).
The seventh was to read more fiction and post reviews on the blog (sort of done).
I have not kept most of those resolutions (which makes me wonder why I’m even bothering making some). The one thing I am pleased with is having published Mr. Summerhaye’s Horse. For some reason, I have a special fondness for that novella. I will even venture to say that, so far, it’s my personal favourite among the books I have written. Maybe because I had wanted to write a story with a horse as the central character ever since I was a child.
In spite of the likelihood that I won’t be keeping most of them (though I hope that somehow I will), here are my New Year writing resolutions for 2021:
One: to find (at last) an agent to represent The Orchid Collector. Failing that, I might take the route of self-publication (again…).
Two: finish edition the sequel of As Winter Came and Went.
Three: be more active on this blog, with reviews and maybe some short fiction.
Four: unearth one of my unfinished manuscripts (I know, I know, I’m repeating myself).
Five: write more regularly.
Six: sell more books.
Seven: allow myself to not make plans, to write stories as they come, to find pleasure in writing.
Will I keep more resolutions than I did last year? None of us knows what this year will bring. All we have is hope. And maybe, given the situation, that’s enough.
