It could be debated whether the anniversary should fall on the day I started writing my first book or the day it was published, but I choose the former because it’s the day I took action. – from my one year anniversary blog 1-12-15

Looking back over the last year I had a few ups and downs. The ups were:

– Publishing Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic (Feb)
– Writing 4 fun horror shorts that I planned to release as an anthology (March)
– Writing my first horror novel (March-May)
– Creating a daily word count goal (Sept)
– Writing Zombie Boy: Press Start, book 1 of a trilogy, using the above daily word count goal (Sept-Nov)
– Publishing Zombie Boy: Press Start (Dec)

When I look at that list of accomplishments, do you know what stands out the most? The period between May and Sept. I hate to admit it, but I did nothing to speak of writing-wise during June, July, or Aug. Not only that, but the horror short anthology and the horror novel did not get published last year. As humans, it’s so much easier to focus on what we didn’t do, which brings me to my downs from last year. Basically it consists of one thing – I let various things in life, both good and bad, interfere with my writing. During the months of June through August, I let a lot of negativity in, and it affected my getting things done.

Thankfully I recognized this, and in September, after reading two books that encouraged the process, I created my first ever daily word count goal. It was small, 250 words per day, but it got me focused. I was able to write Zombie Boy: Press Start in just shy of two months thanks to this goal.

The take away here is, every little bit counts. No matter how small, it adds up. If there is something you’re struggling with (saving money, writing a book, etc.), my advice would be to create a daily plan to get it done. Plan out a small step for every day, stick to it, and I promise it will add up before you know it!

You can check out my latest book, Zombie Boy: Press Start, now! It’s available at all your favorite retailers!

Available on: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

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2015 was a pretty good year

While I didn’t accomplish all of my writing goals, I did manage to publish two books that I’m very proud of: “Monster Girl: Ghost in the Attic” and “Zombie Boy: Press Start“. I also wrote the vomit draft of my first horror book as well as several short stories, all of which will be published at a future time. I was hoping this year would be a good time to bring my books to the audio world, but it’s something I decided to put off a tad longer.

One big goal that I hoped to accomplish this year just recently happened. ALL of my books are now available at all the major online retailers: iBooks, Nook, Kobo, and, of course, Amazon. I’m in this for the long haul, and going wide to all the other stores just seemed like a no-brainier.

It was also a good year for me personally due to all the hiking my husband and I were able to do. And also for the two hiking-and-gaming-filled visits by my best friend and her husband. Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad, and 2015 also brought me both home and auto repairs to deal with. Bleh. However, I am very blessed with what I have!

My focus for 2016

Book sales are still low, which is to be expected. Readers don’t read my books if they don’t know they exist. So, 2016 is the year of promotion and more writing. Writing needs no explanation. I’m a writer, therefore I write. However, I can’t efficiently promote unless I have a decent number of reviews. I’m working on a plan that I can implement hopefully in the first quarter of the new year that will net me more reviews, and thus allow me to promote more. I’m sure readers hear/read it all the time, but it’s true. Reviews are so very important to indie authors like myself. Think about it. When you’re browsing an online store for a product, you check out the reviews, right? I know I do. I want to get a general feel for what other users think of said product. Does it perform as advertised? Is it a good value? Has it held up over time?

Books are no different. We buy them based on what our peers say about them. I’m gonna toot my own horn here for just a second. Knowing how important reviews are, I try to return the favor as often as I can. Granted, life is hectic and I don’t always remember to do it, but I do practice what I preach and write reviews for some of the books I read. (I mainly review on Amazon and Goodreads since the Kindle has been my preferred reading platform for a while now.)

And speaking of reviews…. One thing I would like to do more of in 2016 is read more fiction! I read a crapTON (yes, that’s a word) of non-fiction. I’d like to make a concerted effort to read even more indie fiction this next year, especially in the horror and thriller genres. With that will come more reviews, too!

See how I brought that back around? I firmly believe ya get what ya give.

Stay tuned for books 2 and 3 in the “Adventures of Zombie Boy” series! Be sure to check out book 1, “Zombie Boy: Press Start” available NOW!

Available on: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Happy New Year, everyone!

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!

However, it’s important to make a list of goals that we’d like to see accomplished. There’s something about seeing it in writing that helps make it more real. And if it’s real, there’s a better chance of seeing them come to fruition. It’s also important to take a moment and make note of things we accomplished the year before.

In early Jan 2014, I set out to write and publish my first book. I remember that Sunday like it was yesterday. It was a mild, sunny winter afternoon. My dogs and I were relaxing on the deck in the sun with my writing notebook in my lap. Inspiration for a ghost story struck, and six months later I had a rough draft. Another three and “Monster Girl” was published. I’ve been riding that wave ever since. All I feel now is the desire to improve and write more stories! I’ve learned a TON during the first few months of being a published author. All that I learned will help me in the year ahead.

There are a few things I’d like to accomplish in the new year in order to see my writing career grow. They are:

1. Publish my second book – Recently, I announced the completion of the first draft for book 2 in the “Monster Girl” series. Now that I know that I can finish a book, it’s become an addiction. More details will be available very soon! It’ll be here sooner than even I realize.

2. Publish my books in audiobook format – I think this is an important area for stories and one I’m eager to dive into. It’ll be a slower publishing process, but I plan to initiate the transition in the first quarter.

3. Publish my first horror novel – This will undoubtedly be my third published book, as I’ve already begun the first draft. It will be darker and more mature in tone from previous books. My background is in horror, so it’s only natural that I take this next step.

4. Expand to other platforms – It’s important to reach readers who aren’t Amazon customers, and 2015 will likely be the year that I expand to other digital platforms like Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple. I say likely because it will be beneficial to wait and make the move after I have at least 3-4 published works.

5. Publish another monster-themed book set in Draxon Hollow – I already have the outline for a book similar in scope to “Monster Girl” that will be even bigger and monster filled, and I cannot wait to write and share it! It’s basically a scary monster story I wish Spielberg had made when I was growing up!

6. Publish Halloween themed book of short stories – Halloween is my favorite time of year. It’s not just a single day; it’s a month-long celebration, and a book of short stories seems like a great way to show my affection! This book will happen whether it’s in 2015 or not.

7. Blog a book – To “blog a book” means to publish publicly, in blog form, the work (fiction or non-fiction) while it’s being written. Blogging a book is an interesting concept to me and one that I wouldn’t mind trying. It’s number seven on my list because, while I do want to experiment with it, it’s not a top priority. And when I do get around to trying it, it could be for a short story and not a book. (Thanks to Nina Amir for the inspiration!)

Whew! That’s seven big goals right off the bat! And I didn’t even mention the possibility of “Monster Girl book 3″. Oops, just did! Do I think all seven will be accomplished? Maybe, maybe not. Like every year, my goals grow and change as I do, and a revised list midway through the year may be necessary. Seeing these goals in written form gives me a solid jumping off point, and I’m very eager to take the plunge! Come along, it’ll be a wild ride!

Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year!

Top image: Flickr Creative Commons ‘Resolution is in your hand’ by Jeff Golden

Val O. Morris

Val O. Morris likes to pretend the monsters aren’t real. She is a filmmaker turned author who writes Urban Fantasy, Horror, and YA. A Monster Kid since birth, she loves all things ghosts, goblins, slashers, demons, monsters, zombies, madmen, werewolves, vampires, and freaky little kids who live in the corn. She invites you to come for the monsters and stay for the story.

Get Your FREE Book!