You know those years where you’re just glad to be rid of them? When it seems like an achievement to just make it to the last day? Well 2019 was not one of them.
It also wasn’t one of those years were EVERYTHING happened.
2019 just was. There WAS good stuff. There WAS bad stuff. And there was a lot of stuff in the middle.
From a writing life perspective, it was a year of consolidation.
I started out the year with a few goals. Here’s how they panned out:
- Finish up the 52 week picture book challenge and DO NOT start another 52 week challenge.
Man, this was a relief. The 2 years before had been fabulous, but seriously relentless. I am super proud that I finished up 104 picture book first drafts over 2 years. And there is lots of good work to show for it.
In 2019, I spreadsheeted those 104 drafts, to make it easier to pick some winners to work on. - 50 rejections: I had a theory that I can’t control everything, but I can control how often I put myself and my work out there. So, I planned to be rejected 50 times this year.
How did I go? I fell short.
About halfway through the year, I realised that work I thought was ready, was not. - I found out that I love junior fiction/chapter books. Like really love them. I love the space it gives me, but also still restrictions. I enrolled in and started 2 junior fiction courses. I also wrote 2 junior fiction books for a “farting” series and have planned out 2 more.
- I went to KidLitVic again, and WON the door prize. It’s a faber academy course. Now I just need to dream the course I want into the schedule in the next 3 months.
- I got an honourable mention in a pitching competition!!
- I got some manuscript assessments on a picture book that I love. I realised that it is far from good enough. I need to break it down and build it up again. I think I am on the right track there.
- I entered a mentoring competition. I did NOT get a mentorship, which would have been amazing! However, one of the people I applied to was LOVELY enough to recommend me for an assessment.
- I participated in NaNoWriMo, and set up a great writing habit. One that I’m falling back to this year (I hope!).
- I fell asleep writing this a few times. haha!
There might be more. I don’t know…. I’ll come back and fill in the blanks when I remember stuff. But in the meantime, maybe tomorrow I’ll write down my goals for 2020.
