This is the longest I’ve been able to stare at a screen since Christmas Eve, so I might as well do my year-end now. Not a sympathy post – went to the doctor on Friday, apparently this flue is quite common right now but I’m on the mend.
Anyway, it’s time to do the “here’s what I did and what I plan to do next year” sphiel.
Last year, I wrote:
In 2013, I will:
1) Finish any lingering editing manuscripts that I was working on in 2012.
In a word: NO. I know I was writing back in the summer that I was almost done Terran – but let’s face it: I’m still not happy with it. It was my first serious attempt at character-driven fiction, but excuses aside, I think I’ve got enough other older manuscripts to polish and send off that I can take my time thinking about this one a little more. Speaking of lingering editing – yeah, I really need to learn to let things go, but eeeh.
2) I will write a new novel.
I’m going to give myself a pass on this one. I finished off my nano from 2011, and now I’m mostly done roughing another, shorter novel. My 2012 Nano remains in segments forgotten. So while I wouldn’t say it’s “One New Novel” it’s like 2 3/4 novels.
3) I will write a novella in a different genre or subgenre then the novel.
I’m still working on it, but I have another most-of-a rough. And yes, it’s in another genre (steampunk, if you’re curious) it’s kind of more gothic-horror than classic adventure but, once again, eeeh.
In terms of accomplishments – well, I got Tower of Obsidian both in eBook and print this year, and also released a short story to Burst as well. I did two virtual book tours, went to Keycon and Comic Con – I was planning on going to When Worlds Collide, but unfortunately I had a job interview come up that weekend and even though I didn’t get the job, I’m glad I got to interview and know more about the position (two friends of mine landed the positions). I honestly haven’t been submitting to anthologies/magazines like I probably should have, but if I can be honest, my focus has been on my job a lot in the last year. Which brings me to the announcement that I’ll be starting a new position early in January – one that’ll hopefully test my skills and help me grow as a paramedic in the years to come. My current position was good for learning the basics, but I’m ready for the next step.
In terms of my reading accomplishments – I very lately, I think in like March – gave myself a ‘year of the dragon’ challenge which meant I needed to read a book that somehow involved a dragon every month, but that fell hard. If I don’t give myself a challenge now, I won’t do it.
This year’s reading challenge is:
Reading Black Speculative Fiction, with a focus on science-fiction. I was researching this back in October, and I realized there was enough literature to space it out and do like a mini-course. I can be a creature of habit and read nothing but one genre, but I find I learn better if I intentionally space things out. I mostly wanted to do science-fiction, but I also realized this would be a great excuse to read more Nalo Hopkinson, and I didn’t want to limit myself. I’m already familiar with Octavia E. Butler (obviously) and I wanted to read more of N.K. Jemisin too, but I’m loading my ereader with the works of Samuel R. Delany and others – no real order, just every month, read at least one and two of the same authors in back-to-back months doesn’t count (in other words, I can’t read only Octavia E. Butler for January-February).
In terms of my writing challenge: Self-Publish Something. I keep saying I will, but I keep pulling back and doubting myself.
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