So somehow we are already 20 days in 2018!
2017 has finally come to an end, and now we’re looking at 2018! So much happened in my writing life in 2017, so I thought I’d do a quick look back.
In 2017 I…
- Queried a lot! (And got rejected a lot…)
- Signed with my wonderful agent.
- Overhauled and rewrote large parts of the MS I signed with.
- Wrote a draft of #PoisonMS.
- Finished the draft of my MG historical fantasy.
- Joined a new writing group (they’re the best!).
- Found two amazing CPs!
It’s been a busy year full of lots of writing, editing, and making new writer friends!
I want to add, while I’m proud of my achievements last year, I’m lucky because they are all ones that are easy to measure. But remember, every bit of writing you do is an achievement in itself. Every time you sit down and take on this seemingly impossible task of turning that story in your head into words, you achieve something that most people never will. Be proud of all those victories!
And last year definitely had its ups and downs for me. Right before I signed with my agent, I was going to give up on that MS because I’d had a lot of people who didn’t connect with my main character. But luckily I didn’t, as that was right when the best thing happened!
Of course, it’s that time of year. With January, comes New Year’s resolutions.
I’ve always had mixed feelings about resolutions, as there’s often an underlying feeling that they’re something you never actually stick to.
BUT I do like goals, so I’ve made some writing goals rather than resolutions for 2018 (and if I write them here, then I have to stick to them):
- Finish editing #PoisonMS
- Write a draft of TOF.
- Hopefully squeeze another draft in there (either #MermaidPirates or OKAP).
- Blog more!
- Keep persevering with writing even when it feels like too much (this is probably the most important one!).
And then just a few small things like finish my Senior History Thesis and graduate college…
I hope you guys are also going to set writing goals with me!
If you do, remember to set goals that you can control. For example, instead of setting the goal of signing with an agent, set the goal of sending out 50 queries or working on revising your query letter.
If you have 2018 goals, tweet them to me, so we can work towards them together!
To celebrate the end of 2017, I’m giving away four of my favourite books published last year. Head over to my twitter for a chance to enter!
(Apparently this year I loved a lot of green books!)
Even if you don’t win, be sure to check out these books!
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao: This is a beautiful fantasy with a wonderfully brutal anti-heroine (you know I love villain stories!). It’s a retelling of Snow White, focusing on the wicked queen, and it follows the story of the beautiful and ambitions Xifeng, as she begins to embrace her destiny. It’s dark and villainous–basically everything I love in a retelling.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee: This historical YA will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. Set in the 18th century, it follows the story of Monty, his best friend Percy, and his sister Felicity as they embark on their traditional grand tour of Europe. But what Monty hoped would be a wonderful year of debauchery–and maybe finally getting to kiss his best friend–all begins to go wrong when they end up on the run from bandits. Everything about it is wonderful, from the beautiful writing to the characters you will fall in love with, and I cannot recommend it enough. (TW: child abuse)
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia: This book is a must-read for anyone pursuing something creative, as it’s so relatable. It looks at anxiety in a very real way, as well as examining the relationship between creators and fans. Eliza is the creator of a popular online web comic, Monstrous Sea, but she keeps her identity secret. When one of the top Monstrous Sea fan fiction writers starts at her school, Eliza has to deal with the struggle of opening up to new people and sharing something she’s created with the world. As someone who deals with anxiety, this was amazing to read and I loved it from beginning to end. Plus, it has little snippets of Eliza’s web comic in it, which are amazing! (TW: suicide and anxiety)
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan: This book really surprised me. I picked it up on a whim, and sat down planning on just glancing at the first page. I finished it in a day (oops). It follows the story of Elliot, who discovers he can travel to another land full of warriors, elves, trolls and, most importantly, mermaids. But when he gets there, he soon realises the people of this other land have a lot of things backwards, and war is their answer to anything. It’s unusual, whimsical, funny, and beautifully real. Not only does it look at a lot of those familiar tropes of discovering a fantasy world, but it examines the real cost of war, and how someone can fight to be a pacifist in the midst of it.
And that wraps up my first blog post of 2018, thank you for reading through my ramblings!