Forgive me a moment of self-indulgence, but the last day of 2013 seemed like a good time to look back on my writing year.
This year has been a big one for me. I gave up my office job to pursue a living as a freelance writer. It was a daunting step but an immensely satisfying one and it’s left me feeling better about my whole life. I’m still struggling to build up the levels of work and pay I’d like, but I’ve staved off the risk of a return to temp work. This is a step that, in retrospect, I should have done years ago, but it’s taken until now for me to find the courage.
Fiction-wise I’ve had a dozen short stories published or accepted for publication next year. Most exciting is a recent acceptance by Daily Science Fiction which will be the highest profile publication on my credits. But I’m delighted any time one of my stories sees the light of day, and I’m particularly looking forward to the publication of The Enlightened Raid the Underworld, a long story of daring and adventure coming in a future issue of Stupefying Stories.
Meanwhile, chugging along in the background, I’ve got halfway through the first draft of a fantasy novel. I’m hoping to pick up the pace in the new year, but I’m already far more pleased with this than with my previous attempts. I can see the improvement in both structure and writing. Apparently all that practice is helping me grow as a writer – who knew?
And of course I’ve started blogging far more regularly – hence there’s something here most week days.
The last few years have been immensely challenging for me, and it’s reassuring to take stock and see things moving in the right direction. Those of you who take the time to read this are part of that. It may sound mushy, but every time someone likes or comments on a post I’ve written it lifts my spirits a little.
If you haven’t already done so then take the time to look back on the year that’s gone by. I hope it was a good one. And I hope that the next is even better.
Finally, to get ahead of myself by about eleven hours, Happy New Year!