Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
My thanks to all who visited the blog this past year. I hope you found what you needed, information and tips to help as you wrote and edited your way through the year and your manuscripts.
I hope that you are saying goodbye to 2016 with satisfaction, confident that your endeavors were successful. And I hope you’re turning toward 2017 with enthusiasm, with new and creative ideas, and with the skills you’ll need to write, edit, and publish all the stories pushing and prodding at you.
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Before rushing into tasks and goals for 2017, be sure to celebrate the successes and milestones you achieved in 2016. Did you begin a new book? Finish one? Take a writing course? Present a topic at a writer’s group? Learn to critique? Study elements of the craft? Meet your word-count goals? Win NaNoWriMo? Discover a new author or genre?
Even if you didn’t meet all your writing and publishing goals, it’s likely that you met some. So celebrate that you are beyond where you were at this time last year. Celebrate each of your accomplishments. Write them down if you need the visual reminder.
I lift my glass with you and to you. Congratulations on goals met and goals worked at. I encourage you to do what’s necessary in 2017 to meet goals you didn’t meet this past year. Revise those goals or plan to rework your schedule if that’s what it will take to focus on your writing next year.
But don’t think that you must write all day every day in order to be successful. Give yourself a well-rounded life; writers don’t have to cut themselves off from the world in order to be successful. In fact, writers could use more familiarity with the world, not less. And editors certainly need to have a wide knowledge base.
Say goodbye to 2016 with fondness and turn toward 2017 with anticipation. A new year awaits—may it be profitable for you in all ways and by every measure.
If you want to, share your successes with the rest of us.
Tags: encouragement Posted in: A Writer's Life, Beyond the Writing
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Copyright © 2010-2018 E. A. Hill Visit Beth at A Novel Edit
Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
From a lurker who has gained much from your commentary: Happy New Year!
Happy New Year back to you, Thea. I love lurkers, but feel to drop in a comment or question at any time. This is a pretty friendly place.
I’d like to thank you for all the many, many blogs that have taught me so much. Your’s—hands down—is without equal in the world of writing. I am so impressed by the depth of your knowledge, the generosity of your sharing, and the absolutely spot-on advice you give. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
And my thanks to you for your kind words. I’m beyond glad that you find the site helpful. I love providing the info.
Thank you for your insight this year. I am happy that I discovered you and your blog in 2016. I have a folder of blog posts that I printed, I reference them often. I also purchased your booklet on punctuating dialogue.
2016 was amazing! 2017 promises more. Happy New Year to you and may all your dreams come true.
Lorraine
Lorraine
Lorraine, I’m also glad that you discovered the blog this past year. I hope new articles are just as helpful in 2017. Punctuating Dialogue is hands down the most popular article here—sometime this month or next it will reach half a million page views.
May 2017 be both challenging and rewarding for you.
Beth, Thank you so much for your abundant knowledge with all things writing, and your immense generosity in sharing your wisdom! I have referred my writing group to your site. I was able to finish my book, Given Away by the end of 2016 and I await publication of my near-memoir in January (Amazon). I have published with the pen name, Kate Anne Kang. Please check out my website, http://www.kimchivoodoo.com which will go live by January 15. Each time I received your blog I was reminded to write! Thank you!
I’m proud to say that my copy of The Magic of Fiction is a terrible mess, dog-eared, coffee-stained and loaded with bookmarks. I just had a piece of Flash Fiction published that grew out of something I read in your book. I’ve got a lot of editing to do this year. You will be at my “write hand” as I proceed ;-} Thanks for all you do to help us, Beth. Happy New Year.
I’m pleased that I found your blog, and also that I have FINALLY made some significant progress on one of the many stories “pushing and prodding” at me…but I’m still not into a rhythm…
Here’s hoping I find my rhythm this year–maybe with some help from you, Beth?!
Cheers,
Marian