Monday, December 31, 2012

2013- The Year of Uncertainty

Over the years New Year's Eve has become more important to me than Christmas. For me NYE is a time to take stock, to see how the last year went, and to prepare for a new one. It's an exciting time for me.

In 2012 I took a few trips. I attended the Caine Workshop in South Africa. I met a lot of great people and got a bit of insight into my own writing. It was a useful workshop for me. I came out of it knowing myself a bit better and understanding that my way of writing is not the wrong way (something I often thought), it is only my way and that's okay.  I also went to Nairobi and attended the Storymoja Hay Festival.

I wrote two books for educational publishers this year. One for a publisher in UK, about elephants, and The Second Worst Thing for South Africa's Oxford University Press. I took a wobbly walk into self publishing with the publication of three of my Kate Gomolemo Mysteries as ebooks at Amazon.

It was a disappointing year too. I finished the sequel for Signed, Hopelessly in Love, Signed, The Secret Keeper and after many months I had to make the decision to withdraw the book for consideration by the publisher. I'd always seen the first book as a series of three. Now I'm not sure what to do. I like the second book quite a bit, maybe more than the first, so I doubt it will remain unpublished for long. It's just waiting for me to decide what to do with it. I also had to make another difficult decision this year. I parted with a publisher I really liked working with because I could no longer continue to sign contracts that I was not 100% behind.

Both of these decisions came at the end of this year and have left me slightly lost. I'm trying to find a new path for my writing career.  I felt a bit as if I was finally realising the kind of writer I would be, and now the road disappeared. So I've pulled out the bush cutter and am back to finding a new way.

So as I step into 2013 it is an uncertain year that lies ahead. I'm working on a very ambitious project that I hope will meet with publishing success. I'm also attempting to expand my romance writing and am working on a romance novel I'm hoping to submit to THE BIG romance publisher.

Although it is never nice to have to end relationships, I feel in a way the hard decisions I made were needed. Writing is a tough business and when you find a nice little nest where everything is lovely, it's easy to become complacent. I think that was  happening to me. Complacency is the death of a writer. I think it's healthy for me to be uncertain and scared. It is good for me not to be able to see what lies ahead.

So I'm looking forward to this year of uncertainty.
I hope all of you also have a 2013 that you're looking forward to- Happy New Year!

(And with a new year, comes a new look blog- what do you think??)

10 comments:

groovyoldlady said...

I love the new blog look - very peaceful.

Lauri said...

I'm hoping for simplicity to be a theme for my life this year. Starting with my blog. :)

Joyful said...

Good for your for making the decisions you needed to make. all the best in 2013!

Selma said...

I'm disappointed for you re. the sequels to 'Hopelessly.." Awww. Not fair. I was looking forward to them. Must have been a hard decision to make.

Yeah. It is a year of uncertainty coming up. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Ann Summerville said...

Sometimes the timing isn't right so don't give up on your novel. You may find a place for it later. I hope you find success and contentment in this coming year. Your writing is amazing.
I wasn't impressed with the publishing world or agents that I met, many of who I found were arrogant and self centered. I've been much happier self publishing.
Ann

poco_bw said...

I came accidentally to your blog,checking ranking on my site, on some keywords, I never knew are full time writers in Bots making actually a living out of it, congrats if you succeeded that.
Ciao,
Lucian

Sue Guiney said...

I also have this sense of 2013 being a year of transition -- both scary and exciting. Not sure where it will lead me, or you - but I hope we can go through it together ...at least virtually.

Lauri said...

Joyful- Thanks! All the best to you in 2013.

Selma- I am all about efficiency so for sure I'll find a way to get at least the second book published because it is finished.

Cozy- Thanks for your kind words her and at your blog about my short story collection. All the best in 2013.

Lucian- thanks for stopping by!

Sue- I'm actually looking forward to getting stuck in with this 2013. Of course we'll be tackling it together. All the best with your new project.

annelengi2yahooo.com said...

LAURI I NID TO TALK TO YOU MMATSHILO MOTSEI IS THE ONE WHO REFFERED ME TO YOU. ISAAC ANNELENG

Lauri said...

Hi Isaac. You can email me at lakubuitsile at gmail.com.