The Year End Writing Round-up, 2011 Edition

2011 Writing Round-Up

2011 has been the year of coming home--and not just because we returned to our rebuilt house after the December 2010 fire.  If 2010 was the year our lives were interrupted, then 2011 was our chance to reclaim it and move forward. After stuttering to a halt in my writing for much of first part of 2011, I returned to a new project with enthusiasm and energy.  My YA Ghost Story in Progress (YAGSIP for want of a better name), stands at 30K, which is a little more than 1/3 of the way through its first draft.

My goals for 2011 were:

1. Walk daily. Now that we're living in an apartment while our home is being repaired, I have the perfect excuse/need to walk daily.  Our dog.  I had been getting lazy, just putting her out in our fenced yard rather than taking her on walks.  Not good for either of us.


2. Plan out a sequel/series. All the novels I have written thus far have been independent of one another.  Several of them have sequels that I would love to write.  There is a difference between writing a standalone story and writing a series.  I need to explore what makes a good series.


3. Write one short story my critique group gives its blessing to.  I feel like there is a secret code to writing a complete and satisfying short story and I haven't broken it yet.  2011 is the year.

So, how did I do?

On goal number 1--I pretty much failed miserably.  Well, not miserably, but if I had a long walk 2 or 3 times a week, it was a lot.  I really need to work harder on my physical fitness in 2012.

On goal number 2--I have the bare bones structure in place for a sequel to THE BETWEEN. It came together while attending Readercon this year and I am really excited to start writing it.

On goal number 3--Again, not so much.  Short stories continue to mystify me.

What else did 2011 bring?

Novels:

 I made the decision to independently publish my Fae novel, THE BETWEEN. If you take a peek at the countdown timer to the right, you will see the most amazing cover art, designed and drawn by Jade E. Zivanovic and the number of days until the release!

The work of getting THE BETWEEN to market has been  almost a year in the making and included a ton of learning new skills and finding the talented individuals who could make up for my lacks.  I am proud of this story and am thankful for those of you who have cheered me on in this journey.

Poetry:

I filled several journals in 2011, but only completed a handful of poems.  There were a number of difficult issues in our family and personal lives that made it difficult to delve into the place poetry comes from. I do hope to return to those journals and use that raw material in crafting poetry in the new year.

I also haven't been able to keep up with my moderator duties at Wild Poetry Forum, which is one of my hopes/goals for 2012.  I miss the community of supportive and talented poets there.

Blog Posts, Guest Posts, and Op/Ed columns:

I continued to be prolific here at Once in a Blue Muse, with 114 distinct posts. One guest post was published at Writer Unboxed and generated a lot of lovely discussion. And 4 of my guest columns appeared in the Newton TAB.

As part of my outreach/publicity efforts for THE BETWEEN, I will be guest blogging in a number of places after the new year.  Stay tuned for links and excerpts!

My Goals for 2012:

I should probably rename these 'guidelines' (Pirate code, anyone?) which would feel a little less onerous and a little more user friendly.  :)

1. Shepherd THE BETWEEN to its ideal readers

2. Generate enough support and interest to write and release its sequel.

3. Finish the first draft of the "YAGSIP"

4. Return to my poetry roots

5. Focus on my physical wellness

All the best to you in the New Year.  May 2010 bring you joy.