New Years Eve. Traditionally a time for remembrance, a time to reflect on the year gone by. However, for 2020, I think a lot of time will be spent wishing for a new year with new possibilities whilst mourning the year we have lost.
This year has been brutal for everyone worldwide. The world has changed beyond recognition and we all have been impacted in some way or another.
But there is hope, still. My hope for 2021 is that more kindness is put into the world than is taken from it. Maybe it’s not as news-worthy as a vaccine or trade deals or anything else, but the world certainly needs more of it right now.
Writing Update
In January I set myself the task of finishing my Draft 1 of “Assassins 1”.
Did I make it?
Absolutely not.
However, I have made progress.
The story has come a long way since the version in January. I’ve got a whole sub-plot for my now second MC, Haare, whose plot line has a more “thriller/detective” vibe than the traditional “lemme get some powers and fighting prowess” line which my 1st MC, Mae, has. I’ve also spent some time developing the magic system, backstories, and worked out how I want to properly introduce my prologue to my story. I’ve also now got my “big baddie”, a nefarious character called The Mervadis.
It’s going to take a lot of work to get the book ship-shape, which is part of the reason I’ve changed around my blog posting schedule. I’ve got less time in my week than I had last year, and our DIY is taking up many a weekend. However, the time I do get to focus on my story I aim to make some real progress.
My goal for 2021 is to get “Assassins 1” to a finished “Draft 1” state – which for me means a coherent set of sub-plots and storylines, ready for the first round of edits to finesse the story. For most people, my “Draft 1” is probably more of a draft 4 or 5 – I’ve got large swathes of the story written but they need to be put into a cohesive order. However, for me, a “finished Draft” is something that I could give to someone to read through end-to-end. In my early writing days, it’s the position the story would have been in to be posted on the internet for free.
I think this goal is achievable, especially as my time opens up more as we progress with our DIY project. And this year, instead of setting myself a mammoth goal that I know is unrealistic, I’m going for something realistic. After all, it doesn’t matter how long the journey takes if you complete your goal in the end.
Writing on Caffeine
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What else has Alex been up to?
Not much! Aside from the DIY activities, I’ve been experimenting with sourdough recipes to varying levels of success, preparing new content for my blog for 2021, and watching probably far too much TV!
For those of you who are fellow WOT fans, check out the new Thom spot on the WoT IG page! I am super excited for this show, and words cannot describe the level of anticipation for seeing the Aes Sedai on the TV Screen. Plus if we get Siuan fish metaphors and saying on TV will make my year.
Husband and I have been trawling through the Netflix backcatelogue and finally found the time to start Star Trek Discovery. If you like a good sci-fi show and not yet dived into this I wholeheartedly recommend it. Neither Husband or I are well versed on “Trek Lore” but managed to follow the storyline and enjoy it a lot.
If you’ve not watched this yet, I wholeheartedly recommend it. Who knew chess could be so tense? (Extra bonus points to the sound mixing team on this show who worked the chess clock into increase tension).
Goodbye for 2020, see you in 2021!
I wish you all the best for the New Year, and hope that 2021 brings you all you hope for and that you missed out on in 2020. Stay safe, stay at home and don’t forget to wear a mask!
See you in 2021,
Alex xx
Photos Credit: Photo by Mike Enerio on Unsplash
Alex.J.Cobalt 