For the past few years I’ve had a goal. For the most part, I kept it to myself, silently dreaming, wishing, and hoping for it to come true. A couple of false starts and two years later the fire was officially lit beneath me.
That’s the kind of thing that happens when you are faced with the realization that no amount of wishing will make your goals come to fruition. Here’s where I admit, somewhat sheepishly, that one of my favorite quotes says as much.
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
At the start of the year, the goal was clear, I wanted to write and publish two novels in one year. I had been holding onto a story (Growing into Greatness) for years and I was determined to get it down before the story gremlins came and took it away from me. My creative brain can typically only hold 3 story ideas at one time and with the Vintage Vineyard Series tugging at my pant leg like a toddler demanding to be picked up, I knew time was slipping through my fingers. All I needed was a plan.
The solution was a combination of more “butt in chair” time (aka work), along with the additional support of another editing team. With two novels, a dedicated team for each story was necessary since the creative process is seldom linear, smooth, or considerate of a planned schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely lost count of how many times I sat down to write and had to remind myself what story I was working on.
I will say that writing two novels in one calendar year is not for the faint of heart. Despite the workload, the story juggling, and the way too many M&M’s consumed, I don’t have a single regret. I am not usually a person who bursts with pride but this year, I was proud of myself for not only writing and releasing two novels in one year but for doing it while producing two of my best stories to date.
I hope you enjoy my 2024 book releases as much as I enjoyed writing them for you.
Xo,
Tanya