This turned out to be a really long post, but I guess I’ve been saving it up. I hardly wrote any blog posts (or anything else) last year. I also spent a good chunk of the year hiding from email and social media.

There were a lot of reasons that I kept a low profile, but I think it all boils down to fatigue. I just really needed a break.

Well, break time is over. I’m back—and better than ever, hahaha! Or at least ready to get rolling again.

So, what do I have planned for 2019? I’m glad you asked…

Works in Progress

I have so many stories I can’t wait to share with you!

My Screenplay — It’s over halfway done, and the first draft will be finished by the end of the month. After that, I’m going to spend a month or so editing it before I start entering contests. Eeep!

Darkly Fae Cycle 2 — At the same time, I’m working on the second collection of Darkly Fae novellas, which will center around the Deachair clan. (Catch up on the Moraine clan in the first cycle.) I’ve just started writing the first story and am still trying to work out the overarching plot, but I can promise that this cycle is going to be full of intrigue, magic, and (of course) romance. The first story might be available as early as April. Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed.

Untitled PNWM — I’m also brainstorming a new series that I am SUPER excited about! For the moment, I’m keeping the details under wraps, but here’s what I can share: a prince named Taro, a girl named Amanda, and a beach town in the Pacific Northwest. You are going to love it! The first book release is planned for next summer (as in Summer 2020) unless I can get it in the schedule sooner.

There are, as always, countless other works tickling at the back of my brain: a play set in a record store, an ambitious fantasy series, a Greek myth retelling, and a Shakespeare story. Those are the ones that are currently bouncing around in my brain, and whichever one(s) fall into place first get written first.

But for now, My Screenplay, Darkly Fae Cycle 2, and Untitled PNWM are the ones actively in production. 👩‍💻

Online in Focus

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been back on there in full force for a few weeks. I am having so much fun asking questions in story polls and playing with a layout grid in my feed! For now, I’m trying out diagonals—check out my feed to see (and while you’re there, but sure to enter my January giveaway where you could win a signed Firelight trilogy from Sophie Jordan).

For the foreseeable future, I’m focusing my social attention on Instagram (with a little Twitter on the side) because that’s the platform I enjoy the most. So if you want to follow my life—writerly or otherwise—then IG is the place to be.

I also have plans to actually start up my YouTube channel this year! The first video will drop later this month, so make sure you’re subscribed with notifications turned on. 🛎

Life in Balance

I am a bit obsessive by nature. When I start something, I don’t want to do anything else until I’ve finished. While this can be really good in some instances (deadline mode, for example) it can be detrimental in others. My aim for this year is to work every single day on living a more balanced and sustainable life.

Here are some of the ways I’m trying to do that:

Miracle Morning — To start every morning with a mix of meditation, reading, positive affirmations, and a bit of exercise means that even if the day goes completely off the rails, at least that will have gone right. (If you don’t know about this method, you might want to check out the book* by Hal Elrond.)

Create First — Every day, after I’ve done my Miracle Morning and am dressed and ready to work, I go to a coffee shop and create. It might be brainstorming (an underappreciated part of my process that I have recently started taking way more seriously) or writing fiction words or script pages. Nothing else can come first, not even checking my calendar.

This practice has literally changed my entire perspective on writing. Now, instead of having to pull myself away from the never-ending stream of business-related things to do, I create first before my left-brain takes over for the day. It’s been so freeing and I am enjoying writing more than I have in years. Dare I say I’m loving it?

Reading for Fun — It’s also been a few years since I felt like I could read for pure pleasure. Even when I picked up a book I thought I would love, I found myself getting lost in analysis. Studying the author’s choices, evaluating what my choices might have been, trying to absorb what worked for me and what didn’t. It was mentally exhausting.

Thanks to the Miracle Morning, I’ve been reading daily. I started with just a few minutes in the morning. Now I’m having to force myself to put the book down and get out of bed. I am halfway through my first read (Three Dark Crowns* by Kendare Blake) and the deeper I get into the story, the faster I want to read.

Looks like I might actually have a shot at my Goodreads challenge this year!

Paperless Writer — A few months ago I stumbled onto a YouTube video about taking notes using the GoodNotes app on an iPad. I fell instantly in love. I downloaded the app and bought a stylus that would work with my Mini. I loved it, but I had a feeling the Apple Pencil would be even better. I finally gave in an upgraded to the new iPad and the Apple Pencil and I swear my life changed.

I have long been a hoarder of all things stationery. But the bulk of carrying around a notebook and a set of pens and highlighters and a stack of index cards everywhere was a hassle. Now, all I have to take is my iPad and Apple Pencil! I feel so free!!!

👇 Comment below if you’d like me to share some videos about how I use Goodnotes in my writing.

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If you had to ask me to state my theme for the year, it would be this:

Focus on the process, not the outcome.

Do I want to sell millions of copies of my books? Of course. Do I want every social media post to become a viral sensation? Uh… sure. Do I want to develop a ravenous fandom so big and boisterous that I have to host a convention to contain them all? ABSOLUTELY!

But those are all outcomes I can’t control. What I can control are the processes that might lead in those directions. I can put in the work. I can show up and do my part. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

Here’s to 2019 and showing up!

xo
TLC

PS—Don’t forget to pop over to IG to enter my Firelight giveaway. It ends at midnight PT on January 31, 2019.