One Word 2017

Happy New Year!

Yes, we've turned the page on another new year. Closed the 2016 chapter, which I'm sure most people will be thankful for. Globally, 2016 was totally crap. With issues such as Terrorism, Brexit, and the disastrous U.S. Presidential Election dominating the news, as well as mourning so many of our talented artists such as Prince, David Bowie, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Leonard Cohen, George Michael, Carrie Fisher, and of course the great Mohamed Ali, 2016 was a sombre year to say the least.For me personally, my 2016 was a mixed bag. For the most part, it was a good year. I had many writing wins, moved house, restructured work, and learned to believe more in my abilities.We had many family highs, but unfortunately a couple of very affecting lows. But that, my friends, is life.But now, attentions turn to the new year. New year, new you. New year's resolutions. And all that. If you hang out here or on my social media feeds, you'll know for the past few years rather than set resolutions or swear to turn over new leaves, I choose a guiding word for the year. I have found this extremely beneficial and I tell everyone who'll listen that they should give it a try at least once. If you're interested in joining in, the place to be is over at Maxabella Loves.And now to the big reveal. Drum roll please.... My word for 2017 is.....  I've learned to fear-less, and to believe in myself and my writing. Now, the time has come to put those things to work and focus on surging forward.I'm no longer happy just tinkering away at my manuscripts. It's time to focus and have a red-hot-go. Now, with two manuscripts well on the way, it's time to finish with them. And by finish with them I mean finish them to a publishable standard and move forward with putting them out there to agents first, and then publishers if need be.It seems like I've been working on these stories for years, probably because I have. And although there's still issues with both manuscripts, I need to get them to the best I can do and see what happens. If something happens, yes! If nothing happens, it's time to move on to another idea, and another story.As an aspiring writer, it's hard to acknowledge that those years of tending to words is all for nothing. But it's not. As amazing as it would be to be accepted and published on a first-time effort (and it does happen), I know it's also very rare. But it doesn't mean it's all for nothing. It means that those thousands and thousands of words I've written now paint me with experience and knowledge to become a better writer. All those hours of toiling over chapters, scenes, paragraphs, sentences, and words, are notches in my belt of which I can be proud. I've done something many want-to-be writers don't. I've finished, not only one, but two, manuscripts. Redrafted, rewritten, edited, and (almost) polished.It's something that maybe only a fellow writer can understand. For with most things in life, if there is no reward, what is the point? I've had people say that to me. Ask me why I keep writing when it's all for nothing. Well, because someday it might be. In fact, it already is. It fills me with a wholeness that I can't explain. And although I one day hope to feel the validation from an agent and publisher, even if I'm not ever traditionally published, I know that I will always, always write.So that's it. Focus. Focus on finalising my two manuscripts and putting them out on submission. And focusing on continuing this writing journey of mine, learning along the way, and of course, sharing it with you guys every step of the way. Bring it on 2017. Bring. It. On!

Keen to choose a guiding word for 2017? Head over to Maxabella Loves to join in. 

What's your word for 2017? Or if you don't have one, tell me one thing you want to achieve in 2017 - and how you're going to do it!