Issue 174 * Blog 04-2021 * Read Time: 5 Min. * Section: From the Author’s Desk
Well look at this, it’s 2021, and not a moment too soon. There is really no need to wish everyone a Happy New Year, as it’s almost the first of February. I guess the polite thing to do would be to wish all a belated Happy New Year. So here you go!
Happy Belated New Year to all my fans, subscribers and readers and welcome to 2021.
Like always the first blog of the year covers my writing goals and projections plus recaps of what I was shooting for in the previous year. Trust me this will not take long.
No Goals Were Met In 2020!
Not a new release, no appearances, no contest entered. I feel way short on the blog projection for 2020. The blog shows 6 new post in 2020. I was credited with writing 3 in 2020, that is 9 short for the year. Those numbers are misleading, here is why.
Just because a 2020 blog number was assigned doesn’t mean it was written in 2020.
You see 1 of the blogs I’m credited with for the 2020 year, was a transfer. I wrote the piece for a Music Monday feature for Live, Laugh, Love Nashville. I moved that post to this blog, and assigned it a Joseph E Clay Dot Com blog number.
So, when it’s all said and done, out of the 6 new post that show written in 2020: 4 of them were transfers. I only penned 2, which means I fell 10 blog’s short in 2020.
Speaking of Live, Laugh, Love Nashville you will find a new category I created last year, on this blog with that name. There you will find the articles I wrote for them. A couple have been transferred but there is more to come.
I have also started posting some of my flash fiction and short stories to this blog. You can find them under the tab, Joseph’s Short Tales. The second post of the three listed above you will find there. That title is To Rest in Peace One Must Die in Peace. There are other tales over there as well.
One would have thought that being locked down in a pandemic that a writer…well would write. Not being able to leave the house except for essentials makes it the opportune time to pen, blogs, short stories or maybe a novel. After all I did say,
I can tell you if I don’t release a new work this year. I will give up writing and focus on something else.
Joseph Clay via blog 2020 Goals and Projections
To find out what lead me to say that, read 2020 Goals and Projections.
The way I feel, everyone in the whole world is exempt from any goals, resolution’s and projections that were made in 2020, due to the chaos that the pandemic caused.
Back on January 19, 2021 I penned a post titled, 2020 – The Year from Hell on my personal blog. Give it read and see what the year brought to us here a Sleepy Cougar Ranch. You’ll understand the title; and why I’m exempt from last years goals.
That still doesn’t explain why I didn’t release any thing in 2020, when I had the time to write. So what happened?
Some say that I had writers block. Nope, I don’t believe in writers block. Writing wasn’t my top priority during the pandemic. Sure I could have released something but it would have took six month’s.
Like everyone else I needed something to entertain me now, not later.
I turned my attention to podcasting. This gave me the outlet I needed along with those who listened every other week.
I am now a podcast host. The Podcast, Spotlighting the Indie Author, a Joseph E Clay Dot Com Production. The first show aired in late February of last year. Since I’m on the airwaves twice a month this may lead you to believe that I have all but given up writing, with the exception of a blog here and there…but I haven’t. I write two podcast scripts a month.
The podcast has opened new doors and has allowed me to talk to some great Independent Authors through the Author Chats we feature on the show. Plus I’m reading and reviewing some great books.
I also write the bonus shows. My favorite was the Christmas special. I wrote it like an old time radio show with sound effects and the whole 9 yards. The title – (Bonus Show #2) – Mission: Christmas Traditions – Spotlighting the Indie Author Christmas Celebration. What’s the show about?
Mission: Christmas Traditions is a light hearted skit about Santa’s brother Joe Claus and his wife Nina Claus. Their mission from Bro Santa…visit two special people chosen by Santa to weigh in on the nagging Christmas questions that haunt all of us. Go ahead and give it listen!
Will I go back to writing books? If you had asked me that at the end of last year… I would have answered with a Strong No. I was having to much fun.
Then it happened.
The date was January 5, I had an email that was sent through my Author Media Kit. The sender, Abha Bhattarai a Retail Reporter for The Washington Post. She had read a post I had written on my personal blog Joe Coming Unglued.
Abha was writing an article on Baby Boomers and online shopping during the pandemic. She ran across my blog – Online Shopping! Is It For Us Baby Boomers written, December 20, 2019. That blog lead to an interview with Abha. She used my comments along with others throughout the article titled – Baby boomers, to retailers’ surprise, are dominating online shopping. I have linked the article in case you want to give it a read.
That was the spark I needed to dive back in to writing more than scripts. So yes, I’ll be back behind the keyboard hammering out short stories and Novels. Will any of them get to market this year? I have no idea, but I’ll keep you you posted right here. Plus you can join me twice a month on the podcast.
That’s all for now folks, but not the end of Joseph Clay the Author.
-Joe-
Joseph Clay - Author 