…I’m a terrible blogger. Maybe 2017 will be a new year for my blogging. It already feels like the start of a new year with my writing.

It all started with the NaNoWriMo challenge back in November. I shocked myself by completing the draft of a literary novel (I hit the 50,000 word target and had a mostly complete 1st draft at that point). I’m really proud of the draft and think it’s a decent story. My writing process has changed from where I was when I wrote the first draft of KILLING MEMORIES back in 2006. I feel like it’s more purposeful and direct. The story is more complete by the time I’m done with the first draft, and the editing overall is lighter than it usually is. I like to think that’s a result of so many years writing (and my degree). It’s been a decade since I wrote that first novel, so I guess it’s probably about right that novel #8 would feel the strongest.

Gosh, it feels good to be writing again.

I’m going to try to pursue the “traditional” publishing route with this new one. I often think that I dove into self-publishing because I can be incredibly lazy when it comes to big, overwhelming projects. Again.. maybe 2017 will be the year of putting in actual work to take my writing somewhere.

So, some preliminary writing resolutions:

1. Write one page a day
2. Submit “Girl X” (my NaNo novel) to agents for consideration; give this process an ENTIRE year (or more) before stopping
3. Finish KM3 and KM4 paperback edits
4. Finish a draft of Book I and II of the YA series I began this year
5. Blog once a week (on Fridays)! <–needed to make this one specific ;c)

Let’s see what 2017 brings.