Moral support

Today I want to talk about how important moral support is to authors. This year has been tough for everyone. The freedoms we’ve taken for granted have been severely restricted, for much longer than most of us expected. Although we will be able to see family at Christmas, that still brings risks, and the number of households across our generations means we can’t have our normal festivities. My dear father-in-law died in August after several years of illness, so it won’t be the same. On the other hand, our new granddaughter will be experiencing her first Christmas.

It’s been hard to write at times, and I haven’t made quite as much progress with my second novel as I’d hoped. That’s disappointing, but if there’s one thing this year has taught me, it’s that I should count my blessings, not my failures. Many people have much worse things to worry about.

A different 2020

This year, the moral support I’ve received from fellow writers has meant more than ever. Writing is a solo occupation for the most part, and I like to interact with people to keep me motivated. We’ve had three holidays cancelled and museums have closed for most of the year, so I haven’t been able to fill my creative well by seeing different places and absorbing interesting information. All the conferences I would normally have gone to have been cancelled or done virtually. There have been lots of excellent sessions, but I’ve missed meeting author friends and making new ones.

Twitter has been a big help, enabling us all to exchange news, commiserate over lockdowns, and share our triumphs and struggles. If you want writing craft tips, advice on publishing and how to spread the word about your books, it’s all there. I’m a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Self Publishing Formula community and various Facebook groups, which help to keep me motivated, hearing of other writers’ successes and helping to answer each others’ questions. It gives you a boost when you realise you’ve learned enough to advise others!

For those of us who have released a book in 2020, a normal launch hasn’t been possible. Some authors have held virtual launch parties; Kirsten Hesketh dyed her hair red to match her book cover when Another Us was published, and raised funds for MIND.

An unusual unboxing

My opening of the box of books was witnessed by my (then) four-year old granddaughter, in her unique style which I suspect comes from watching too many YouTube videos (she isn’t American by the way)!

Guest appearances

I’ve been fortunate to be offered a guest slot on other authors’ blogs, to introduce myself and talk about my writing journey, sharing the inspiration for A Borrowed Past and snippets of research. I have a Guest Posts page on the main menu, but here are the links:

Jess Carpenter’s Indie Author Spotlight

Tara Greaves’ Behind the Book

Tony Riches’ The Writing Desk

Debbie Young’s My Favourite School Story series

Susanna Bavin for Frost Magazine: Creating a Sense of Time

Susanna Bavin’s blog: The greatest compliment you can pay an historical writer

So I wanted to express my appreciation for anyone who has contacted me, encouraged me and helped me through this year. It really does make a difference. Let’s hope 2021 brings some better circumstances for us all.

Until next time, take care and stay safe,

Juliette

 

 

 

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