2015 and beyond

 2015 was a year that didn't go as I expected in any sense. I did set some goals for my writing, and even though I didn't meet all of them, some amazing things happened.

I set a goal at the beginning of 2015 to send out 100 submissions during the year. I picked that number because I reviewed previous years on Duotrope and realized I'd only been sending out 20-25 submissions per year. I wanted to publish more, so submitting more seemed like the wisest step. In the end, my submissions for this year didn't quite reach that level, but I did come out at around 70 for the year - roughly equal to my total for the last three years! 

Unfortunately, out of all those submissions, every one I received a response back on was a no. (There are several still awaiting responses.) That was a bit rough. I got four or five rejections in one week. I ate a lot of chocolate that week.

As it happens, that doesn't mean I didn't get anything published in 2015. I did have one poem appear on a wonderful blog. I was solicited for a piece for the first time ever. And I wrote a nonfiction piece that was accepted for an anthology that's still in progress, but will hopefully appear in print in the first half of this year.

Another goal I set was to do National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) this year. I did not make it to the finish line (50,000 words) but I did rack up my highest wordcount to date for a NaNo novel.  And I had the unique opportunity to teach a one-day class on the NaNo experience and offers some tips and aids to rookies and veterans alike.

I also dreamed bigger and better this year. I submitted to larger and more well-known publications, started more pieces, had more ideas, and also formalized my tracking of my rejections as well as submissions.

I  joined the independent Minor Arcana Press as an Editor over the summer. Being on the other side of the submissions desk is a new experience for me, and one I am embracing. I'll post here from time to time about our upcoming projects.

If you've looked at some of the other posts in this blog, you'll know that I occasionally participate in the weekly challenges at YeahWrite. While I have had some hits and some misses, I can say with some pride that I had one flash fiction piece in 2015, "Terminal," that landed an Editor's Pick, a Top Three, and a Crowd Favorite (top place in the site voting). I hope to manage a few more of those in 2016.

Speaking of 2016, I have some other goals in mind. I'm still formulating the details, and hope to post a list later this week. Meanwhile, we're here - the New Year is upon us. Nothing is certain, of course, but I'm hoping to do everything bigger and better this year when it comes to writing. I have some great pieces in progress, and some great ideas. And the calendar is smack-dab at one of my favorite places: the beginning.