The past 365 days have absolutely flown by, in large part due to some really amazing things that happened. When January 2013 arrived, I was alone in my publishing journey, with no one but my very closest friends having any idea I’d decided to write a book. I’d never heard of QueryTracker or Critique Partners. I had no idea how very much I had to learn. But let’s look at what happened since then.
January: I flew to Mexico to watch my sister get married to someone who suits her in every way. I’ve never seen her so happy. I also got to spend a couple of days drinking with my family.
February: I discovered for the first time what a critique partner was, and started to make friends in the writing community. I swapped work – and learned so much more.
March: I got my first R&R. I also sent the query that would eventually lead to signing with my agent. I prepared a dance routine I performed in public – ME, a shy little bookworm, doing things I never thought I would be fit or athletic enough to do, actually performing in front of other people. My husband and I also adopted our furry little beasts, and I can’t imagine my life without them. Then I spent a lovely weekend in North Carolina, a state I’d never seen before, with friends.
April: Christmas comes in April for me every year, in the form of a board game weekend with my friends. This year, I went to Austin. The airport, shuttle, and hotel were lovely.
May: I received a second R&R that I almost didn’t do, but which ultimately was the draft that got picked up by my agent (not the one who requested the R&R). Also was chosen for Query Kombat, where I met my third amazing critique partner and made so many new friends.
June: After many long months of waiting and agonizing, my husband got his green card. This opened up an amazing new world of possibilities for both of us.
July: We spent an amazing week with friends in Boston. When we returned, I got two offers from fantastic agents and signed a contract. Sometimes, I still can’t believe it.
August: My husband and I drove to Nova Scotia for a week to see his family. Much of that amazing week found it’s way into my current WIP. On top of that, I got to help all three of my critique partners get chosen for PitchWars, and my best friend got married. She and her husband are the most adorable couple in the world.
September: Much of this month was spent deciding where we wanted to live, geographically. It made us take a long look at all the wonderful things around us. I also got to spend a fantastic weekend in Dallas with good friends I don’t see nearly often enough. I also started offering editorial services to help other writers who are working to get published.
October: My husband got a new job that he absolutely loves. He’s happier every day, and it shows. I’m so excited that he’s found something to challenge him.
November: We bought a house, packed, and moved. That more or less overwhelmed the month, but it’s ok, because we’re so happy where we are now.
December: Still recovering, mostly. Settling into the new house. Learning about wonderful things like how to buy a dishwasher. Also editing my WIP like crazy, because I want to be able to say I wrote two whole books this year (on top of three complete re-writes of the first one).
Whew! A tough year to beat, no question, but there are already some good things on tap for 2015 (Spoiler alert: My sister’s having a baby!!) But the most important thing is that I kept working toward my goals, and I didn’t give up. I’m dedicated to helping make 2015 even better. I can do it, and so can you.
What was your major accomplishment for 2014?
Congratulations on an amazing year! No major accomplishments for 2014, but I did convince a baby to sleep in a new bed in her own room, so that might count as major. And, I added about 50,000 words to my WIP, so there's that. 🙂 And I am fostering a dog for the first time. So I'll take all the little victories and run with them. Hope your new year is ever better than 2014. 😀