{"id":23881,"date":"2021-01-22T03:00:56","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T11:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=23881"},"modified":"2021-01-12T08:02:26","modified_gmt":"2021-01-12T16:02:26","slug":"failing-upward-a-glance-back-as-i-look-forward-to-2021-by-keri-kruspe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/22\/failing-upward-a-glance-back-as-i-look-forward-to-2021-by-keri-kruspe\/","title":{"rendered":"Failing Upward: A Glance Back as I Look Forward to 2021 by Keri Kruspe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Failing<\/a>Let\u2019s welcome back monthly columnist Keri Kruspe<\/a> as she shares with us \u201cFailing Upward: A Glance Back as I Look Forward to 2021.<\/span>\u201d Enjoy!<\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Congratulate yourself\u2026 we did it.<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We survived one of the strangest years in humankind\u2019s recent history. Who knew on January 1 of last year everything we took for granted would be turned upside down?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here in America,<\/strong> we got caught up in a political nightmare that divided the country. Piled on that, a smorgasbord of underlying unrest in human differences was shoved into the mainstream. Sometimes violently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then came the global pandemic. I don\u2019t know about you, but the controversy surrounding that issue befuddles me. All I can say is that it\u2019s my sincerest wish we all come out victorious in the end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I look at the indie publishing world,<\/strong> if anyone says there weren\u2019t any shifts in the industry is either lying or completely blas\u00e9 about the whole thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now at the beginning of 2021, I\u2019d like to look back at what I learned in 2020 and plan what I\u2019ll focus on in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

After all, I\u2019m a firm believer that you can\u2019t know where you\u2019re going if you don\u2019t know where you\u2019ve been\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Before We Look Forward, A Quick Glance Back\u2026\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"girl<\/a>I started my second year of being a published author by releasing the last book in my <\/span>Alien Exchange trilogy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and then launching Book One of the <\/span>Alien Legacy five-book series<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As of the beginning of September,<\/strong> I had published five full novels and a free novella.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having said that, I\u2019m nowhere close to reaching my goal of becoming a full-time author. I still have a full-time job. I\u2019m an essential worker in a bank, working forty hours a week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To keep my author business afloat<\/strong>, I created a daily routine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every morning I\u2019m up at 4:30 (including weekends) and put in a minimum of two solid hours of work. Mostly with writing\/editing, but on special occasions I\u2019ll devote some of that time to marketing. I also include at least 3.5 hours a week in training, listening to podcasts while I get ready in the morning or when I drive to work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019m not scrambling around like an idiot trying to figure out how to write a novel<\/strong> (POV [point of view] and I went through some rounds before the concept finally sunk in my thick brain), launch a publishing career as well as starting my own business, I can streamline my focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Look Forward Into 2021<\/b><\/h2>\n

My goal for 2021 is to be leaner and smarter and to concentrate on fewer \u201cdistractions.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n

To do that, I\u2019m going to work on things I like best. Embrace my bliss, so to speak. I\u2019ve analyzed what I\u2019m good at and will work on honing my skills in these areas:<\/span><\/p>\n