Here we all are, half way through 2021, can you believe it? I know I can’t, this year is going as fast as any other.

Things may have quietened down on my blog, but I can assure you I have been busy working away behind the scenes. It came to me the other day that I was at the point of needing to update everyone on my New Year Resolutions, after all, I did promise an update way back in January.

Here’s a reminder list of my resolutions:

• Writing Time
• Writing/Family Life Balance
• Finish Editing Course
• Read More
• Finish First Manuscript
• Plan and Write Second Book
• Plan Third Book
• Helping Others
• Building My Social Media Profiles
• Stricter Routine for my Weekly Blog

If you want to read more about the issues I faced with each of these topics, please read my original post, which you can find when you click HERE.

The Update

Writing Time

Writing Time has improved and I feel like I’m in a really good rhythm with it right now. I’m managing to write late in the evenings when my little one is in bed fast asleep, but I’m also dabbling at bits on my phone when something is in my mind and I’m needing to get the words down.

Writing/Family Life Balance

The balance between all things family, work and writing related seems great at the moment. Spending my days doing the boring chores of all things housework, playing with my little one and helping child development and as I mentioned above, doing my writing during sleeping times.

Finish Editing Course

Simple. Nope. Not finished it. Other things got in the way and my motivation was focused on them instead. Maybe I will learn this lesson the hard way. Time will tell!

Read More

This one I feel I have aced. So far this year I’ve read 19. That may not seem a lot to some of you, but with a busy lifestyle, bedtime is my reading time, and this is a great improvement for me. This is most I’ve read in a long time. I find myself taking to a book more than trying to find something to watch.

Towards the end of last year I discovered Ivy Smoak, and got completely absorbed by her writing style and ability to tell amazing stories and give us fantastic characters. Her books are romance with plenty of drama and suspense tied in, and the sex scenes are steamy. If you think it sounds like your type of read, why not click HERE to visit Ivy’s website and check her out.

Plan and Write Second Book

I’m chuffed to say this particular point is well under way. I’m about half way through my first draft, and excited to see where the story is going. Although I’ve planned it out, I also like to keep my options open and see where my imagination takes me. Plus, sneaky fact for you all; I’ve set in my home province of Northern Ireland.

Plan Third Book

I have several ideas jotted down in notebook by now, but all need work to flesh them out. Despite that, I have recently come up with an idea for a third book which I’m considering publishing on Wattpad. A few weeks ago I joined Wattpad with the hopes of reading some works on there, but I’ve been so busy reading other books that I haven’t managed to read anything published there yet. I have published four flash-fiction works which were originally written for a competition on a Facebook group I’m in. So, watch this space for updates on my third story and whether I publish on Wattpad or elsewhere. For now, click HERE to read my short stories on Wattpad.

Helping Others

Half there and half not. I’ve not been contributing much to posts on Facebook groups because most time I find they are asking questions I know nothing about. On the other hand, I have beta read a novel for another author who beta read my first manuscript for me. It was great being able to provide feedback to her which she found useful.

Building My Social Media Profiles

This is a difficult one. There are so many people across all social media platforms and getting myself recognised is hard work. I’ve been making use of my social media planner to help get my posts published at what I hope to be the right time for my audience but I’m struggling with post reach and interactions. If I could find the time to network more on social media myself it would probably help, but again time management comes into play with this.

Stricter Routine for my Weekly Blog

Well, I think we all know how well that is going – it’s not! My last post was dated April 25th 2021, so I’ve gone over two months without posting anything on my blog. I’ll be completely candid when I say that I find the blog the hardest. I struggle with inspiration for what to blog about more than coming up with ideas for novels. Perhaps I need to cut it back to at least one new post per month with anything additional being treated as a bonus. All the same, perhaps you can help me with this. What would you like to see me blog about?

I’d love to find out how you are managing with your resolutions, so please drop a comment on social media and let me know. I’ll be back at the end of the year with a final update and new resolutions for next year.