2022 in Review
My calendar switches over in January, but the fall has always felt like the beginning of a new year to me. Part of this is starting school in September during all my formative years. The other part is something more innate. The people who said Samhain was the last night of the year must have known something.
So! Let’s review! Between last November and now:
I finished, reviewed, edited, and published my first complete novel-length work, which is also my first complete fanfic. I hit writer’s bingo in the first two weeks (made a stranger stay up past their bedtime to finish it, made someone cry, and someone said it’s their new favorite fic) and got enough praise to seriously consider devoting all my time to writing, which led to…
Quitting my day job in December and spending all of work-wise 2022 focused on writing. Also, my cardiologist said I had to quit that job anyway, and to be honest, much of this year was also trying to recover from those conditions and explore what a healthy work life actually looks like for me.
I also jotted down a concept for the first book in a potential contemporary romance trilogy, wrote the book, and got to the point where it’s currently being line edited by an actual professional editor.
I got book 2 in that trilogy from a concept to the rough draft stage, 87K words, which all happened in the last seven months, while I was also working on book 1.
After almost a year of not having any fucking clue what book 3 would be about (besides who the two main characters are), I finally have an amazing idea for it and the outline is almost finished. I’m feeling really good about it now.
And, between waiting to hear back from my editor and doing the next pass on book 2, I’m currently writing a short story sequel to that novel-length fanfic, because my mom asked for it. So did my husband, actually. And so did my brain. Look, I love those characters, and the company that owns their IP will never let them be happy together, so someone’s gotta do it. They deserve it and so do we.
I took a lot of classes and workshops with writers I admire, and they helped more than I care to admit, because that means spending the money and putting in the work and listening to their expertise can actually improve my craft, and I’m lazy.
I started a Ko-Fi page that was supposed to be poems and tarot, that ended up mostly being tarot, because I sort of abandoned poetry for all these novels.
Non-work accomplishments include fracturing my tailbone, hosting my parents on their first visit here in at least three years, our HVAC system blowing up, the water softener kicking the bucket, effing up my foot, and much more!
I tried to get to New Zealand for research for book 1 (and to visit friends), but I counted my money and realized, after paying for the necessary home repairs, I just couldn’t afford it. I know I’m not 20 anymore, but maybe I can channel my inner naïve adventurer and embrace economy class, hostels, and hitchhiking through a foreign country for a few weeks.
And of course, I have to be difficult, and book 2 and 3 also take place where I don’t live, so that’s two more trips I’ll eventually have to make.
My characters are all more adventurous than I am, so I forced myself out of my cozy shell and went and did things like axe throwing (amazing), golfing (never had so much fun being terrible at something), and doing an escape room (the most white-people of entertainment, but I ended up not being anxious, which is huge). Up next is a rope bridge course and boxing, so, wish me luck!
Also, I made, like, new friends? In real life? So weird. And I started regularly going to the nail salon with my mother-in-law, which has been a nice way to spend time together.
I’d say, overall, this has been a great year. Despite getting injured and despite spending a fortune on things that broke and despite not being able to travel where I needed to, I’ve come a long way and learned a lot and accomplished more than I thought I could. Hopefully this next year is just as fulfilling.