2024, the year my writing went wrong....
And why I still call it a successful year
2024 did not exactly go to plan for me, especially when it comes to writing.
A broken ankle scuppered my plans at the beginning of the year - January 2nd to be precise. I did no writing (outside of my business/substack) for a month and a half as a result. It's amazing how little you can achieve when it takes so long to get dressed and you need to crawl on your bum up the stairs each time you need to pee. And visit consultants and physios. And since I am the only one paying the mortgage and bills, and I was doing final copy edits on my latest book, those things had to take priority over writing.
I ended up abandoning not one, but TWO novels in progress (I’m too scared to look at the total word count, but I think it's probably around 70-80k words). Yes, it was as painful as it sounds.
The publication of my latest book Home Matters was pushed back by two months, putting it squarely in the worst time of year for me - the summer holidays. So that meant I ended up not writing anything new (outside of book promotion etc) for the entire summer.
One of our paid carers took more than seven months off due to two different operations, so for the majority of the year, I had very little support outside of school for my disabled teen. In fact, it was the least paid carer help I have ever had outside of lockdown.
Francoise Sagan, looking like I often feel
This is in addition to all the predictable ways that life often gets in the way of writing - unpaid caring (which for me involves appointments and admin, poor sleep, high stress levels, repairing/replacing/cleaning after meltdowns, constant noise etc), parenting, cooking, laundry, earning enough money, business admin, life admin, illness, blah blah blah… you get the picture.
But I do not count this year as a total failure by any means. Why?
Despite all of the above, I’m pretty proud of what I have actually achieved in my writing this year. This includes….
a couple of short stories I’m proud of (entirely the result of giving myself a break from long form when it wasn’t working).
Facing some hard truths about why those two novels were not working
Starting work on a third novel, that I’m much happier/excited/feeling good about because I really looked hard at those truths
More than doubled my readership here on Substack
Somehow did not miss a mortgage payment despite everything that happened this year (yes I know this is not writing but I think all of us should pat ourselves on the back for keeping up with our bills in tricky years!)
Published a book I’m proud of! (yes, technically I did not write it this year but I did a lot of writing around publication and so I’m counting that as a win).
Taking stock like this can really help us achieve our writing goals in the long term. By meeting the challenges we have faced with some compassion, and reminding ourselves of all that we have achieved, even if they weren’t in our original plans (I’m looking at you third novel of 2024), we are setting ourselves on the path to achieve what we want long term.
I do this by taking stock of where I am, what I want, why I want it and how I’m going to get there.
This year I decided to invite everyone along with me!
Join me (and I really do me join me, because I will be doing this alongside you) as I guide us through the questions that will help set us up to achieve our writing goals in 2025. It will be 60 minutes given solely over to your 2025 (and beyond!) writing self.
Where: Online on Zoom
When: Wednesday 11th Dec 7pm (gmt)
Who: Anyone who wants to work towards some writing goals in 2025 (new writers, published writers, poets, non-fiction writers, novelists, substackers - you get the picture)
How much: Free!
I hope to see lots of you there live. But if you can’t make it live, everyone who signs up will receive the recording the following day.
There is a lot I want to achieve in 2025. But the only chance I have of reaching these goals is by getting clear on what I want, why I want it and making a (flexible and realistic) plan for getting there. I’d love to help you do the same.
See you there?
Thank you. I needed to read this right now as I e run around attending various appointments for my myself and those I care for, getting all the usual contingencies in place, then had a run for a train to go for a once in a blue moon night out with my husband who I never seem to see. Sat down on the train out of breath and alarmed at my lack of fitness, then poured my entire cup of tea over myself. Cried. Read this. Feel better. Thank you. See you next week 💕
Love this, thank you for being so honest. Also you didn't mention how much you have helped OTHERS this year, a massive achievement. Your nonfiction book proposal course really helped me work out the structure of what I want to do next - thank you! xx