One word: STREAMLINE
Two years ago, I found out about the One Word trend, where you choose a word to be your focus for the coming year. I did not achieve my goal last year, for a variety of reasons, so this year, I’m hoping that I can accomplish a new one, and perhaps the previous one, as a result.
So, my One Word this year is STREAMLINE.
To me, streamlining refers to removing blockages and complications to allow the free flowing of of a project- removing everything that detracts from maximum efficiency.
This applies to my personal life, as well as my work. I have been severely reducing, decluttering, and organising my life, and I’ve found it a wonderfully freeing feeling, allowing me to focus my attention and efforts on things I love, rather than acquiring heaps and heaps of things I hope will make me happy, and only ending up weighed down by a mound of crap.
For my professional life, streamlining means detailed planning of my social media strategy, writing blog posts and newsletters in advance, and automating Facebook and Instagram posts. The theory is that with social media posts (note: NOT engagement) done way ahead of time, I can focus on writing, editing, working with my team, reading for pleasure, and responding to interactions on my social media posts. I won’t be playing catch-up with myself, I won’t leave months and months of silence, I won’t need to be prodded by Breanna a week into the new month about what the Book Club theme is. I can be active, engaged, and relaxed in the moment.
Yes, it meant a HELL of a lot of work in December 2019, but I’ll be so much happier January-November of 2020, enough that I may be inspired to devote December 2020 to doing the same thing again.
Fingers crossed.
So what am I actually working on?
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll have seen my love of mermaids and my flood of posts relating to Siren Song. I have finished my first round of major edits and it is in the hands of my betas. I’ll need to make their edits, polish again, send it to my editor, implement her edits, compile the illustrations, format, and publish.
I’m aiming for a publication date sometime in May, during MerMay.
Watch this space for information regarding preorder and publication updates.
In addition, I have a number of inter-novel novellas and short stories set to be released here on my website to tide you over until the novel comes out.
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What about you? What is your One Word?
Avon Van Hassel 