2020: What I Accomplished This Year & My Resolutions for 2021!

2020 has been a difficult and challenging year for everyone. My family wasn’t really affected by COVID a whole lot—back in April, my husband’s work shut down, but financially God provided. It was hard not getting to go places or do some vacations we wanted, but we’re alive and healthy, and I had a wonderful writing year, filled with more accomplishments than I could have ever imagined.

Here’s what I accomplished this year, in 2020.

I’ve written 21 full novels this year.

For a total of 1,414,551 words written in completed novels.

I have 533 subscribers on my newsletter so far—numbers to fluctuate up-and-down every day.

I revised my YouTube Channel to be more niche—writing and reading focused.

I started my store on my brand-new website, which I raised $400 to do.

I started selling eBook covers I made, my editing services, and joined Fiverr as a freelance writer.

I traditionally published one short story.

I self-published three novels this year and re-released one.

I made my own audio book and paid to have my first one made.

My book Hunter was released in audiobook on Audible—my first time ever.

I was published in my first anthology.

I became a best-selling author.

I wrote 3 novels in one book series.

I wrote my first sci-fi novel.

I wrote my second longest novel, Champion of Lies, at 134,654 (my longest was 196,292 a few years ago), but Champion of Lies is my longest novel with few POV changes. My longest had like a dozen different POV changes (no joke).

I edited six of my novels this year.

I edited four novels for clients and 2 short stories for clients this year.

I designed two book covers that went on 2 of my 3 self-published books.

Challenges I completed:

The Million Word Challenge (writing a million words in a year—less than 7 months in my case) and the 365-Day Challenge (writing at least once for 365 straight days).

My overall word count (including novels, short stories, freelance articles, notes, and my diary entries) will be calculated on January 1^st.

Here are my resolutions for 2021:

Writing –

• Finish the last two books in The Mystics Series to finish it completely
• Write my second Children of Chaos novel
• Write at least 2 Calamity’s Hope novels (Wildfire and Flood)
• Write Once Upon A Winter’s Tale (collection of Christmas fairy tales)
• Write Daughter of the Night and one other Children of Legend book (fairy tale retelling series)
• Write Light Magi (Republic Chronicles Book 2)
• Write The Realm Traveler (The Book Whisperer Sequel)
• Finish writing my nonfiction book about writing
• Write some other projects just for fun

Outlining –

• Reoutline Wildfire, a Calamity’s Hope novel
• Outline Tsunami, a Calamity’s Hope novel
• Outline the final Calamity’s Hope novel
• 2 or 3 more Children of Legend books (fairy tale retelling series)
• 2 more Republic Chronicles books outlined
• The Mech Child outlined (The Mech Wars Book 2)
• The Eighth Curse Book 2 Outlined
• 3^rd book in The Book Whisperer Saga outlined
• Champion of Lies sequel outlined

Publishing –

Volcano, a Calamity’s Hope Novel in Spring

Earthquake, a Calamity’s Hope novel, in Fall

Samurai, Valiant Book three at some point next year

Healed, Samurai’s short story ending, next year, a month or so away from Samurai’s release

The entire Mystic Series published

My Million Word In A Year novel published, the email list sequence set up, and maybe a mini course to go with it and to test course software.

YouTube –

• Reach 100 subscribers
• Set up Merch and connect it with my website store

Social Media –

Reach 2,000 followers on Instagram, 1,000 followers on Twitter, and 500 people in my fangroup, or more.

Website/Blog –

• Grow the readers on my blog
• Organize blog posts to include author interviews and reviews when I can.
• Set up my writing course.

Newsletter –

• Reach 1,000 subscribers

FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY TO LAUNCH A BOOK NOW THAT FACEBOOK EVENTS DON’T WORK!

At the end of 2021, I’ll go through this list and checkmark the ones I completed and see which ones I didn’t complete—hopefully, I’ll get them all.

Comment with your accomplishments in 2020, and your resolutions and goals for 2021! Let’s see if we can meet our goals together