Sunday 3 January 2021

My Meandering #Authorlife…


Bet y’all are glad to put 2020 to bed, and start 2021 with clean sheets. Actually, we were lucky and blessed in a way as our lives weren’t so disrupted. True, we had to hunker down when everything (except certain stores) closed for a few months due to Covid-19, but our health, safety, and much of our sanity remained intact. Thank God the liquor stores were deemed essential! LOL! Of course plans, celebrations, and milestones went out the window, and my mother had to adjust with no visitors in her nursing home until I was made her essential caregiver in September. Masks became in fashion, and social distancing a requirement. I’ve had so many Covid-19 tests now, I swear my nose wants a divorce!

A shining light in 2020 is that it gave us time to reflect and review our lives and lifestyles. What we liked, what we didn’t, what we needed to get rid of, and what was important to us. Board games became popular again amongst families, as did learning to cook from scratch. We really got back to basics, and slowed down from the hustle, hustle, hustle of the ‘real’ world. I for one was happy for the break. I believe, at least in my author life, I was trying too hard to be like other authors, and not being my authentic author self. Trust me, that’s so exhausting.

So, I continued to post my weekly #authorlife images on my social media platforms to show people how ‘mundane’ an author’s life can really be. It’s not all about meeting readers at book signings, having extravagant book launches, receiving eye-popping advances from publishers, and making movie deals with our books (though that would be nice). The idea is to be present, connect, and engage. That’s all. Writers know there’s a lot of sweat equity behind showing up to write, whether blog posts, articles, or full blown novels. Not to mention (but I will) the hours spent creating marketing plans, posting ads on all your social media accounts, and constantly promoting your back list of books. An author’s life is also a fine balance between being there for your family, friends, or pets, as well as doing important tasks like housework, cooking, laundry, and grocery shopping. Add dealing with an unexpected pandemic, and you’ve got to juggle a whole lot more! Or…you can choose to drop those balls and focus on what you really want.

I was blessed to be quoted on author Colleen Story’s Writing and Wellness annual quote round-up post, which I’ll share with you here:

“Trust that inner voice of yours….Write what’s important to you, what you want to say, in whatever genre you’re compelled to write in….Know that you’ll be in it for the long haul if you want to make it as a career writer, so don’t give up on your dreams.”
~Sharon Ledwith

I never did give up. Recently I submitted the third installment of The Last Timekeepers young adult time travel adventure series, The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave to my publisher, Mirror World Publishing. I got the nod that this book will be published in the late summer or early fall of 2021. This will be my sixth published book to date, and I truly know that I’m in for the long haul. Or as I’ve dubbed it, ‘my meandering #authorlife’.

As I wait to begin edits on the next Last Timekeepers saga, I’ll be working on a side project to help and inspire writers with tips and tricks from my past blog posts. Plus, I’ll be getting back to writing the third installment of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls entitled Sticks and Stones. So, bring on 2021! I’ll be ready. I’m betting you are too.

If you’re an author, what does your #authorlife look like? Did 2020 give you a chance to reflect on what kind of writer you want to be? Or were you a writing machine, churning out your best work? Would love to read your comments! Wishing all my followers a very Happy New Year in 2021! Cheers, be well, and thank you for reading my blog.

12 comments:

  1. Happy New Year to all my friends and followers! May 2021 be your year to flow and glow! Cheers, all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congrats on the new book! Missing your sunny smile.

      Delete
    2. Thanks so much! Wish your name was listed. Cheers and all the best!

      Delete
  2. Happy New Year, Sharon! Wishing you the best for 2021!

    Myself, I failed to complete a draft for the sequel to Mystical Greenwood in 2020, so I'm hoping that will happen this year. But 2020 saw many highlights. I did way more online marketing, especially on Twitter, and Mystical Greenwood got some more good reviews. I set up my Amazon Author page, got in the Poets & Writers magazine directory, and 2020 had more anthology publications featuring my work (poetry and short stories) than any other year previously.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seems like you're shining your light in this world, Andrew! Bravo! All the best in 2021, my friend. You've got this! Cheers!

      Delete
    2. Thank you, Sharon! Cheers to you!

      Delete
  3. A fab blog, my Canadian chum! I'm glad your writing career is going well.I started a new book too, not the one I wanted to write but something else that came to me in a dream.It's quirky but I am enjoying working on it. As we just went into yet another lockdown in the UK, I certainly have no excuse for not being able to crack on with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, Carol! There was certainly no excuses for not having time to pursue your interests. Cheers and all the best in 2021, my Brit buddy! Good luck with your new story too!

      Delete
  4. Congrats on being able to continue writing during the pandemic. Lots of us have had some trouble with that. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually, I did have trouble, but was determined to finish this book. It needed to be done. Started it in the late fall of 2016, and we four years in the making with a sidestep to launch another YA series. Hugs and thanks for your kind support, Catherine!

      Delete