And just like that, we’ve already cruised through the first week of 2022. It’s amazing how time flies. I hope that you had an excellent holiday season, and an even better start to your New Year.
I’ve been busy settling into my new job as the associate editor of Winter Is Coming. Half of that has been getting accustomed to everything my new post entails (and writing…a lot of writing), the other half has been getting a feel for how I’ll be slotting my other creative pursuits into my daily schedule. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything even remotely close to a regular day job schedule, but surprisingly I’m finding that I have way more time and energy to work on other stuff then I’d expected. So while this week has consisted of a lot of adjusting, I’m really excited to dig into this new schedule and get to work this year.
Which brings me to the “what I did last year” section of the post, because that was something I meant to talk about before the end of 2021 and just didn’t get a chance to. One thing I’m trying to embrace more this year is being easier on myself about those kind of slips. Writing has a habit of swelling to fit the time you allow it, and for me it always feels like I’ve got ten times more to do than I’m getting done — even when what I’m getting done is actually quite a lot.
That was certainly the case last year. For as many difficulties as 2021 held, it also somehow ended up being one of the best years of my writing career to-date. Hell, maybe the best year, though I’m hopeful that 2022 will top it. Early last year I sold my first short story — and it was published in the summer as part of THE MODERN DEITY’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING HUMANITY anthology. I actually got to hold a book with my writing in it, finally! I signed with a literary agent, and we took one of my novels out on submission. It’s still out on submission, because the process can stretch on (especially during these pandemic times). We’ve gotten rejections from several editors, and are waiting to hear back from several more. I also wrote half of a new book, a new short story (which I just sent out on its first submission!), and a truck load of articles for Winter Is Coming. It’s hard to choose favorites among all the work I did over at WiC this past year, but one of the things I’m most proud of are the interviews I did with C.L. Clark, Andrea Stewart, and Fonda Lee. I love talking with authors about their work, and doing those sorts of interviews has been one of my babies at the site. I also interviewed Joshua Palmatier, founder and editor of Zombies Need Brains, right here on the blog.
The twin capstones to the year in writing were that I was hired as the associate editor of Winter Is Coming (which happened just before Christmas), and going to Worldcon.
All told, it was a pretty badass year for me. Surviving these insane times we live in was up there on the achievement list too, perhaps the most badass thing of all. I’m certainly not taking it for granted.
But while it’s nice to think back on last year, we’re already into 2022 and I’m already looking forward to the year ahead. I haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions, because honestly there’s just been so much that I’ve had to deal with that it feels a little redundant. My main New Year’s resolution is just to step up and keep meeting the universe halfway, doing the things that need doing, and putting as much energy into my writing, music, and home life as I can. It’s possible I’ll come up with some more finite goals as the month goes on though, because that’s the way my list-happy brain works. I’m already starting to feel “read a book a week” creeping up on me, because I finished a book this week and that felt pretty good. (And there are a lot that I want to read coming out this year.)
But for now, I’m just feeling incredibly grateful to be where I am, doing what I’m doing. That includes talking to you here on the blog…because I also started this website right around this time last year! So thank you for reading, and for coming along on the journey with me. It’s been so exciting, and I can’t wait to share more adventures in the coming months.
Here’s to hoping 2022 is kind to you, and filled with good stories. To the year ahead!
What I’m reading: CIBOLA BURN by James S.A. Corey
What I’m watching: Cobra Kai, The Book of Boba Fett
What I’m playing: Pokemon Shield, Animal Crossing, Hades
Daniel Roman 