RNA Members bravely striding into 2016

As this is the first blog post of the year we thought it would be interesting to ask our members about their resolutions, goals or dreams for 2016. Have you made a New Year resolution? Why not share it with us in the comments section below?

Karen Aldous

No surprises! Like many here at the Romantic Novelists’ Association, in 2016, my main goal will be focusing on writing that ‘Bestseller’ – it’s engraved on my study wall, so who knows! My next book is launched in April this year which is exciting.

Also, my aim is to work harder to balance and manage my time more efficiently. I plan to write my blog regularly and naturally, plan my book tours and reach more readers whilst working on my next.

I’m also looking forward to attending more RNA events this year so that I can chat and meet more lovely members and, since Saturday, new NWS members.

Karen Aldous AmazonUK

Marie Laval

I am looking forward to seeing all three books of my romance

Dancing For The Devil published by Áccent Press and I resolve to find new ways of promoting my work, including workshops and library talks.

I hope to find a publisher for my new contemporary romance Pink For Heart.

I also hope to complete one historical and one contemporary romance. It's very ambitious because I write very slowly, but if I plot more instead of rushing, perhaps I will manage it...

My ultimate dream is for my novels to be successful enough for me to become a full-time author, or to be offered a Hollywood contract for one of them to be turned into a film!

Deirdre Palmer

My resolutions, in no particular order:

Write faster and be more productive. I can be slow and it

won’t do. To this end stay off social media.

Secure a publication deal (or even an agent) for my new,

almost finished novel.

Get a story published in one of the mags – turns out to be

much harder than it looks. I have a named contact at People’s

Friend now, so hopefully I’ll get there soon.

Come up with a stupendous block-buster of a premise for a new

novel – the big one!

On t’other hand, I may write a sequel to Dirty Weekend.

Ideas for this keep popping into my mind – my characters must

be trying to tell me something…

Link to Dirty Weekend:

Chrissie Bradshaw

My writing plans for 2016 are on my blog newhenontheblog.com

-I'm  going to try to find a brilliant agent who will get me a two book publishing deal. 

-'Jarful of Moondreams', book 1 of the Dunbridge series, will hit Kindle or the shelves in 2016

-I'm going to finish book two of the Dunbridge series. 

-Most importantly, I'm continuing my NWS membership and going to the RNA conference in summer. There is always more to learn. 

I'm really excited about 2016!

John Jackson

I thought I’d start with the RNA related ones – quite simply to read more, to write more and to write

better.

I’m still planning on making the available parties, chapter meetings and conference; each time I do I learn something, or find a way out of a writing hole.

I’ll keep on Tweeting and Facebooking – it’s a great way of making friends and keeping friendships going.

The WIP WILL be finished on time for the NWS. It’s another historical, one generation on from the last.

On a personal note, I’m (like many) planning on losing some weight and getting fitter, but I will, most certainly, continue to enjoy every opportunity that life throws my way!

Elaine Roberts

2016 is going to be a special time for me. I have been writing for several years now but I’ve always

had to fit it around my full time job. On March 24^th I am taking early retirement and am I excited! For the first time I will be able to write when I am not tired or feeling guilty because I should be spending time doing housework or being with my family. I have been liberated to enjoy writing again. My goals are to attend the fabulous RNA Conference, and all other events that I can, and to finish the saga I started last year, have it critiqued by the NWS, and make any necessary amendments, before sending it out into the world. It’s definitely going to be a special year.

Gina Rossi

Happy New Year to all readers. May your dreams come true in 2016.

This year, first quarter, I wish to finish my ‘arranged marriage historical’ set on the mysterious,

romantic, bosky (fictitious) island of Rozkilda, loosely based on one of the Channel Islands where I am lucky enough to now live. Whether reading or writing, I absolutely adore setting and my main challenge with this story is to develop atmosphere to the maximum, using both the relationship drama central to the story, plus environment.

Once that’s done, I’ll work further on a stand-alone ‘sequel’ to ‘The Untouchable’ published November 2015.

I’ll start tomorrow. There, I’ve said it. Monday 4^th January 2016, watch out, here I come!

Happy writing to all in 2016.

Rae Cowie

It’s only the 2^nd of January and already I’ve achieved one of my writing resolutions, all thanks to the generosity of wonderful RNA friends. 2016 was when I’d planned on kick-starting a writing blog, so I was thrilled when Gill Stewart, Jennifer Young and Linda Mitchelmore invited Jennie Bohnet, Neil Donald (Photographer) and myself to join the Novel Points of View blog team. Blogging with friends sounded like so much more fun – it was a ‘YES’ from me. Posting my debut blog post has made for the most amazing start to the year, proving that once again RNA friends have made my dreams, sorry should that be ‘resolutions’, come true.

http://bit.ly/1VwNCTK

Kate Harrison

I love setting myself goals and challenges so much that I’ve actually just written a free e-book, Make

Your Dreams Come True, outlining how you can achieve your creative dreams this year. My approachis to look back at the last year, and then imagine myself this time next year. I dream up three themes for my year ahead, with specific goals for each one.So my themes this year are: 1. create freely and with passion; 2. spend time with people who matter to me; and finally, one that will resonate with anyone who spends time on social media: care less and more. Because I’ve realised that I spend too much time caring what strangers think. I’m going to pour all the energy I’ve previously wasted on worrying, into more positive actions: like blogging about the books, places and foods I love, or turning off the computer to read, or write longhand. I invite you all to join me in caring less in 2016. It could be a life-changer.

Link to free ebook 

 Laura Wilkinson

Top of my bucket list for 2016 is to get more involved with the RNA. I joined in the summer, and went to the party – which was fabulous – after a year dithering whether or not my work was romantic enough. The support and comradeship offered in the RNA is second to none and I plan to get to know more members. Also, I plan to finish my next novel in 2016. As for dreams – that my forthcoming novel, Redemption Song, is a runaway best seller? But I’m guessing many of us will have a similar dream! So, I’ll adjust mine to enjoying the ride and making my next book the very best it can be.

Redemption Song

Natalie Kleinman
I am resolved in 2016 to designate a particular time each day to my wip – I tend to be rather random in my use of time. I’ve recently found that by making myself slow down I am in

fact achieving more. The tortoise and the hare? Because I’ve changed genre to historical romance, I am forced to think deeply about what I include. I can no longer write ‘in the moment’. With any book the facts need to be right but with a historical comes a huge amount of research. While I’ve really enjoyed contemporary romance, I had the luxury of writing about the period in which I live, in places I have visited. I’ve moved to Regency. Does anyone have a time machine please?

Julie Day

Here are my resolutions for 2016:

1. Finish the pocket novel I'm rewriting, get it professionally edited, then send it to the editor of My Weekly Pocket Novels. Hope it will get accepted so I can then become a full member of the RNA

2. Continue writing short stories for women's magazines, and hope to get at least 5 accepted and published.

3. Finish writing and publishing two ebook series I've been working on the last couple of years.

Fenella J Miller

 I schedule my writing year the previous autumn and in 2015 I not only achieved my goals, but

actually began a seventh book. 2016 is planned too. I have the first of a six book series, ‘The Duke’s Alliance – A Suitable Bride’ coming out in two weeks. Then the first of three Regency Romantics box sets with four/five other writers in February. The third in my ‘At Pemberley’ series will be published in March, then there will be two box sets of my books/a Victorian family saga/the second in The Duke’s Alliance series and two new Christmas Regency books. This makes six books – but as every indie-writer knows – in order to maintain your position you have to write more than four new books a year.

Kath McGurl

My writing plans for 2016? Essentially just to keep writing the dual-timeline novels I love. I have just started one set around the time of the Irish famine, which feels a little ambitious but I know if I get it right it could be my best novel yet. So my target is just that – to complete this novel to the best of my ability. And my dreams for 2016? Simply that people continue to buy and enjoy my novels. That gives me such a buzz!

Link: http://kathleenmcgurl.com/

Barbara Hudson

My 2016 writing resolutions

1. Prepare drafts for news items, press releases, and emails to influential friends ready for the publication of my first novel Timed Out in the spring.

2. Finish all those half-written short stories that are cluttering up my computer.

3. Polish my second novel to within an inch of its life.

4. And write (another?) best seller.

I am retired and live alone, so I have no excuses.

Link: https://barbaralornahudson.wordpress.com

Wow! This is only a small percentage of our members. Imagine if we could list the resolutions of every member of the RNA...

What about me? I’m looking forward to an exciting year with The Woolworths Girls being published in the Spring and also the arrival of the edits for my 2017 book, The Butlins Girls. My resolutions for this year are to get ahead of myself whilst keeping my fingers crossed that my wonderful agent can negotiate another contract so I can keep writing my books. How did I secure the services of an amazing agent and have such a great book deal? Because of the Romantic Novelist Association of course!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this blog and may you all succeed with your resolutions and dreams.

The RNA blog is brought to you by

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to write for the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com