The Final Countdown... of 2024
A quarterly review of resolutions, Q3 progress and a plan for Q4
Somehow nine months of the year has passed. Spring and summer have been and gone — you’d be forgiven for wondering if summer happened at all; I think it was here for a weekend — and we now have one foot firmly in autumn.
This time of year is difficult for me for many reasons, but I try to see the positives of the season: hot chocolate, hedgerow foraging, home-made jams and pickles, chunky blankets, jewelled-toned leaves, and crisp dark nights staring at the stars. Maybe it’s not all bad…
Writing-wise, this is a season of change too. I’m wrapping up the editing on one crime novel, looking forward to planning the next one and trying desperately not to get side-tracked by various new ideas.
So, with all of that in mind, let’s take a look at how the last quarter went and how I plan to see out the rest of the year.
2024 Resolutions Review
As a reminder, my refined goals for 2024, in priority order, are:
Finish Crime Series Book 1
Refill my creative well
Improve my strength and fitness
In quarter three, there has been solid progress against the first two, but not so much against the third, which I find is always the goal that has to give when time is tight or I’m not feeling so well. But that’s why they’re currently in that priority order.
Quarter 3 Review
Quarter three has, on the whole, been very positive. Here’s what went well…
July
I spent a lot of time doing characterisation work on my book. I ended up writing almost 50k words across 25 different characters (12 series, 13 plot) which was not only hugely enjoyable, but really paid dividends while working on draft four.
I had lunch with my agent at the Rooftop Restaurant of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The tortelloni was delicious, but I didn’t have enough time to see much at the museum, so will hopefully go back soon.
In the garden, I harvested strawberries, bizarrely-shaped carrots, and spring onions. I also dried bluebell, wallflower and sunflower seeds for later use.
August
I edited a lot of individual chapters: changing POV, replacing flashbacks and removing unnecessary subplots. This created draft three; an incoherent mess with continuity, voice and pace issues. So I covered replanned the whole thing…
In the garden, I harvested early parsnips, leek and blueberries. I also made blackberry syrup for the first time, using it in fruit pies, sauces for meat, as cordial, and to pour over ice cream.
I read a lot of books by Clare Mackintosh, Elly Griffiths and Sarah Pearse before taking my mentor’s advice to read Mick Herron, which resulted in me reading the first four of the Slough House books…
September
…quickly followed by the next three books. I’ve also managed to fit in the latest releases from Dave Bartell, LJ Ross and Richard Osman. On TV, I particularly enjoyed Nightsleeper (BBC) and Kaos (Netflix).
I wrote most of draft four; a full, chronological edit sorting out the issues created by draft three. I had hoped to finish this by the end of Sep but I’m still working on Act 3, so will deliver this MS in mid-Oct instead. It’s looking good though!
I had some issues with my Ulcerative Colitis, so had to go back to basics with my diet. Cue: finding my new favourite marinade for fish and chicken, and eating a lot of wholegrain rice and fresh vegetables. Thankfully, this seems to have worked and I’m feeling much better.
Quarter 4 Plan
My priorities for Quarter 4 (October, November and December) are:
Crime Series novels:
October: In two weeks I’ll be delivering my fourth draft to my agent for her review. I’ll also be sending this draft to my mentor and beta readers.
November: Hopefully going on sub to publishers, unless feedback in October suggests my book needs more work. I’ll also be writing synopses for future novels (crime series 2 and 3, plus a few stand-alone thrillers).
December: I will be plotting, and hopefully starting to write, the next book, as well as creating my writing plan for 2025.
Refilling the creative well:
October will be a very busy, and social month between Cheltenham Literature Festival, going on holiday and spending a day on an archaeological dig.
November will be for reading, cross-stitch and sewing projects. I also have tickets to see Ian Rankin’s new Rebus play A Game Called Malice.
December is for spending time for family, going to my local Christmas market and generally having a good rest. And why not?
Health and fitness:
October: I’m in desperate need of a hard reset, with a focus on more walking, more yoga and cooking healthy, hearty food from scratch.
November: a focus on my mental health as I deal with a difficult anniversary; plus lots of nourishment in different forms.
December: I want to go swimming. Just once will do. It was on my list to get back into regular swimming in 2024 and I’ve not done it yet.
Looking ahead to 2025
I’m hoping for a lot of good stuff next year:
A publishing deal is at the top of my list, as well as completing the second book in the crime series and going to lots of crime writing festivals.
Also, as an introvert with a lot of social anxiety, I’d like to see more of my friends and maybe make some new friends along the way.
But I can worry about 2025 closer to the time; there’s still three months of 2024 left and that’s plenty of time to achieve my remaining goals.
That’s all from me for today. See you on October 15th for Path to Publication 3: Writing a Cover Letter!
Your wall planning is magnificent!!!