8 Comments
Jan 1, 2021Liked by Suzy Vitello

Hi Suzy, and thanks for the heartening welcome to a new year and a new decade, which for me begins January 21! Last March I set out to begin work on a novel I put aside a few years ago, but Covid-19 brain turned my brain to mush and it went nowhere. I turned to writing haiku for some fun and it turned out to be not just fun but a brain lubricant. 159 haiku and one chapbook later I was ready to dive into the novel and completed a second re-write by the end of September. Time for a third go through and that is my goal for the year. Probably needs way more than that, but as you said, "one word at a time." I just finished reading, "Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward, one hell of a novel, and learned that she introduced a whole new character/voice after the 14th re-write! I am praying for patience. And praying I can face the daily chorus of, "I can't," and keep writing. Your new project should help with that. Many thanks. Peace, Phil

Expand full comment
Jan 2, 2021Liked by Suzy Vitello

I love this--lots of good words after such a hard year for so many. My intention for 2021? Write. The. Effing. Book. It's very easy for me to go down rabbit holes of social networking and self-promotion without anything to promote! My intention is that if an agent or publisher I've queried does me the great honor of asking to see a full manuscript, I'll have something to show them. My own resistance to this work appears to be formidable, but the place the book takes in my aspiration is more so.

Expand full comment
Jan 2, 2021Liked by Suzy Vitello

Words, witchery, and wisdom—my favorite things! Thank you, Suzy, for your invitation to manifest our best work and best selves in 2021 and beyond. I hope to add my author career to the illustrious list of success stories that you have had a hand in!

As you know, I started a new novel in November and should hit 50K words this week. That’s halfway to finished. My goal is to complete the first draft by March 1st and to self-publish by the end of the year. Full control over my work and profits is how I roll!

I share your tradition of writing affirmations at the change of each year. Mostly, these are written in present-tense to immerse my self in the attainment of the goals. The process has begun for each of these. I’ll share a few with you.

1. I support myself and my family in abundance and comfort through my work as a highly successful novelist.

2. My family home is kept in perpetuity, prosperity, and harmony.

3. My body is vibrant, fit, and I feel glorious everyday.

4. My combined companies will gross 10 million dollars in revenue from courses, services, and the profits from my books by 2022.

I typically write these on slips of paper and put them in a special green glass jar with herbs, oils, and crystals. I love the double whammy of writing my intentions here as well as adding them to my jar. Double the power!

Again, thank you, Suzy. I’m grateful that you are my coach and editor. What you do is life-changing, life-affirming, and woven with the magic of words.

Happy New Year!

Expand full comment

Moving backwards in time, but I had to jump in after those inspiring words! My year of confinement has been fruitful writing-wise, but then again, if I'm honest, my novel actually feels more like a collage of disparate scenes than anything even remotely coherent. Oh yes, I'm writing from Canada, and the rules, in terms of COVID, have been pretty astringent here. But hey, for introverts, it might actually make things easier. Okay, so my writing goals are pretty straightforward. By mid-summer, I want to finish the 2nd draft of my novel, hopefully getting all those bits and pieces to hold together somehow. And then getting back to writing short stories and publish at least one by December. Thanks!

Expand full comment