A Sneak Peek At My Goals

Can you believe we are rounding the corner to January 1st? Ready or not, the new year is just days away. 

Three things you might not know about me–I love puzzles or anything that needs detangling. I’m first in line for an action-adventure movie, AND I’m a goal-setter. Yep! It’s true. But I know my odds of achieving a goal increase with accountability, so I’m going to share four of my 2025 writing goals with you. 

• Finish and publish my current manuscript–TRAPPED. I can’t wait to get it into your hands. (Below–are two FAQs, and their answers, about TRAPPED) 

• Sequel to Kaleidoscope of Secrets - ready for publication by year-end. 

• Increase the number of book clubs and bookstores I visit. I love meeting readers (like you) and can’t wait to do more of this. 

• Grow the list of friends who receive this newsletter. (Want to help? Share this email with your friends and encourage them to subscribe by stopping by my website. www.sandyclements.com. Thank you😊.) 

Setting a goal is easy. Accomplishing them, well that can be another story. If you find it difficult to follow your dreams and achieve your goals (and listen, they don’t have to be major achievements, just saying), then read this paraphrased passage from Mel Robbins, and get out of the stands and onto the court. Stop arguing against yourself and your potential. As we go into 2025, let’s agree to encourage one another as we take bold steps and go for our dreams. I encourage you to share with me, or another close friend, at least one of your 2025 goals. I want to cheer you on!

“You’re either in the stands commenting about the game or on the court playing it. Think about that flame inside of you. That dream that you have. Are you engaged in your own campaign of misery, sitting in the stands, telling yourself why you can’t get on the court right now? Are you telling yourself it’s not time for you to jump in or are you on the freaking court?

There are only two places to be in life. There’s no middle ground here. You are either in the stands or on the court. 

Being in the stands is loud. It’s an active thing you’re doing to yourself. We argue against our dreams and potential. If you are arguing against your God-given potential, you are actively destroying your confidence, you’re actively destroying the possibility in your life. And you freaking know it. 

The pain of sitting in the stands and never getting down there is greater than tripping on the court. Get out of the freaking stands and back onto the court and into your life.”   

Mel Robbins [Paraphrased from a podcast with Mel Robins.]

I recently received the following questions from readers. 

Q: How do you pick names for your characters?

A: Picking names can be tricky. When I begin a story, I know the qualities I want my characters to have, and I research the meanings of names so that the name matches the person. I also make sure it matches their culture or nationality. It’s not uncommon for a character’s name to change before I’m finished writing. On a side note, in every story, I incorporate the name of someone I know or have known into the book. In my current manuscript, I am using the name Silas for one of the main characters. He’s a good guy and shares the name with one of my grandsons. 

Q: Where do the ideas come from to write?

A: I have piles of ideas in my head. However, for my current manuscript, Trapped, I took a trip to South Carolina, toured the area of Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, and engaged in conversations with locals. The area is rich in history and culture, and because of that, I felt it would be a perfect setting for this story. I focus on resilient women thrust into heart-pounding situations, so I created a main character who is inherently stronger than she realizes.

What are you reading?

Last week, I finished One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner. A suspense thriller that takes the main character, Frankie Elkin, on a journey into the mountains of Wyoming as she and seven others search for a missing hiker. This one started a little slow for me, but by mid-way, I was hooked. I’d rate it a 4.5 Stars. Yesterday, I started listening to a non-fiction book, Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist. I’ll let you know what I think in my next email. What have you read recently? Let me know.

I’ll keep you posted on my publishing progress for TRAPPED as well as my trip to New York City on New Year’s Eve! Wishing you a wonderful new year and thankful to have you as a friend.