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IWSG 20 - 2018 Here I Come


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Welcome to the first post of the year for the #IWSG blog hop. New Year. New outlook. New goals.



So last year I made a list of goals for 2017. The first time I'd ever set real writerly goals for myself. I'm hard on myself normally, so I kept them sweet, simple, and attainable. I do another blog hop, and did my follow up 'how did I do' post last week. My biggest writer accomplishment was publishing Not Broken.

The people that I met during 2017 helped get me to that point. This group was part of that, plus I met some wonderful ladies thanks to a hashtag game on Twitter. The worries and insecurities I had surrounding beta readers and CP partners were taken care of thanks to the women of RChat. Not to mention the wonderful people I've met thanks to the popularity of the accidental hashtag #turtlewriters.

2017 had it's ups and downs. On a personal level, I lost family members and that's always a hard time to process. There were personal ups with seeing my oldest child graduate college with the highest honors.

On a professional level, I managed to put out my second book and I have the beginnings of four new ones. Threes novellas and a new full length. Writing is normally a solitary endeavor, but finding a sense of community has done wonders for my outlook. I'm excited about my upcoming projects and have found my focus (some days) so that I get them done and out in the world. Now, I have professional downs. I wasn't super pleased with the blog tour I did. I wished I had more reviews on Not Broken. Not to mention the general wish that I was somewhat faster, and planned better, so I could put out books quicker.


Jumping ahead into the new year. I want to keep the momentum going. I'm sure I'll face more doubts and insecurities, but my main hope is to not let them keep me down as much as they have in the past. I have a 'tribe' now. That helps so much, to have people rooting for you and to help you out of those dark, self-doubting places.

I want to keep learning about the publishing business as a whole. I need to get better at marketing and having a business plan. I need to solidify my 'brand' and make sure I'm being consistent throughout. I'm even considering attempting the query process for the first time. It's all about learning new things and putting myself out there.

Because I know how much I need and appreciate support, I want to get better at supporting and promoting other authors.Starting that off by participating in the Blogfest for fellow IWSG member, Chrys Fey. Hop over to that post to get more information about the new release in her Disaster Crimes series.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. And best wishes for 2018.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

 The awesome co-hosts for the January 3 posting of the IWSG are Tyrean Martinson, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Megan Morgan, Jennifer Lane, and Rachna Chhabria!

Until next time,
~Meka
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Comments

  1. Tamara NarayanJanuary 3, 2018 at 8:59 AM

    Good luck with your endeavors. Having a support team means everything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:20 PM

      Thank you! I'm excited for what 2018 has to offer.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  2. Chrys FeyJanuary 3, 2018 at 10:44 AM

    Your professional achievements were great. I wish you even more for 2018! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:21 PM

      Thank you Chrys!! I appreciate your role in helping me make some of those achievements.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  3. LidyJanuary 3, 2018 at 11:38 AM

    Congrats on releasing Not Broken last year and well wishes for your writing in 2018. I’m a slow writer and it took me awhile to admit that. I’d love to write and publish quickly too. But sadly that’s just isn’t me. Maybe if there were no repercussions to cloning, like my clone won’t go crazy and try to kill me in order to replace me. And if time turners were real. Then it can be done. No matter, the tribe will always be there for you. Just call on us and we’ll be there. (Guess what song that line is from).
    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:23 PM

      Thank you! I'm hoping for an even better 2018 with more titles under my belt. I had to admit to being slow so I would stop beating myself up for my lack of production. hahaha yeah I never trust a clone. But we are who we are and we just have to do what we can.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  4. Alex J. CavanaughJanuary 3, 2018 at 1:00 PM

    Congratulations on the release and finding a community that can help you. We can't do it alone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:23 PM

      Thank you!!! IWSG has been a great support and the group along with the rest of my support network gives me hope for the future.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  5. emaginetteJanuary 3, 2018 at 2:28 PM

    Looks like a fine year ahead of you. Enjoy.

    Anna from elements of emaginette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:23 PM

      Thank you! I sure hope so.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  6. CathyJanuary 3, 2018 at 3:52 PM

    Congrats on releasing your book and best wishes for all of your projects in 2018. You've put a lot on your plate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:24 PM

      Thank you. I was very excited to have gotten it out finally. Onwards and upwards. Hoping I can hit most of my goals for 2018.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  7. Yawatta HosbyJanuary 3, 2018 at 7:53 PM

    Hey, Meka, I'm sorry for your loss. It's good that you found a writing community of other romance writers. It sounds like you're on the right track for 2018 :)

    Keep smiling,
    Yawatta

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:25 PM

      Thank you. It was hard and some days it's still hard to know she's gone. :( I'm happy to have found a 'home' so to speak. It's nice to have support. Fingers crossed for 2018.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  8. The Cynical SailorJanuary 4, 2018 at 9:12 AM

    Sorry for the loss of family members last year. That's never easy.

    Yay for finding a supportive community of writers and well done to having one of your kids graduate with honors! All the best for the coming year :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:26 PM

      Thank you. It is hard and I miss her everyday.

      Having support has made all the difference. We were very proud of all our daughter accomplished

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  9. Loni TownsendJanuary 4, 2018 at 11:01 AM

    I think it's awesome you were able to publish and that you found a place within the writing world. I hope you experience less loss in 2018, and find even more joy than previous years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meka JamesJanuary 25, 2018 at 2:27 PM

      Thank you! Finding a place had been an ongoing struggle, but it's nice to have a growing network of people to lean on and share ideas. I'm hoping I'm done losing people for a very long time.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete

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