September was a marathon! I put so many hours into the Colorado Gold Conference, and it truly paid off. I had a great time, made new friends, talked writing, and had a blast connecting with the local writing community and industry professionals. The agent I pitched to even requested the full manuscript! That means I need to get my shit together and polish Secrets of Annwyn.

Apart from the conference, I outlined a punk coming-of-age screenplay in the same vein as Dinner in America and started chiseling away at a new horror novel.

Current unfinished project: Jagged Edges

Monthly word count: 11,438

This year's word count, to date: 217,572

Tentative October TBR:

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede (reread)

Frost Bite by Angela Sylvaine

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (reread)

August proved a busy month. The gremlins went back to school, allowing me to write full time. I finished the first draft of Secrets of Annwyn and started another project while I let Annwyn sit for a while. Jagged Edges, a story I dug out of the vault, will be a horror fantasy full of creepy dolls, ancient curses, fun deaths, and appearances from Mordred and Merlin.

Finished project: Secrets of Annwyn

Current project: Jagged Edges

Monthly word count: 36,640

This year's word count, to date: 206,134

Tentative September TBR:

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

July has been a crazy month. I started an internship with an agent only to find that I no longer wanted to spend my days building a career I don't want. For years, I've dreamed of writing full time, and this month I resigned from the internship, shuttered my editing business, and created a two-year writing plan. Since 2018, my husband has urged me to follow my dream. I'm finally secure enough in myself to make that happen.

A brief overview of my two-year goals:

• write first two novels in Annwyn series
• write a vampire novel
• write a horror novel
• write a mystery novel inspired by the past sections of A Murder at the End of the World
• finish A Part of Me, my YA emo romance
• polish and query/publish After Wendy
• start working on a collaboration with Oliver Blakemore
• draft a TV script
• write three short stories
• get picked up by an agent OR publish with a small press OR self-publish at least one title

Current project: Secrets of Annwyn

Monthly word count: 34,239

Project's current word count: 90,203

This year's word count, to date: 169,494

Tentative August TBR (all horror or horror adjacent):

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Burn the Negative by Josh Winnings

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

This month was much more fruitful than I expected. With the gremlins home on summer break, I expected to get much less done. Instead, I finished Act I and II of Annwyn, started editing again, and even have a potential agency internship on the horizon.

Current project: Secrets of Annwyn

Monthly word count: 37,677

This year's word count, to date: 135,255

Tentative July TBR:

Out There Screaming, a horror anthology edited by Jordan Peele

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman (ARC)

May was full of work, from writing to keeping gremlins alive to ensuring the Colorado Gold Conference was updated and running smoothly. I even started going to a physical therapist for my jaw, neck, and shoulder pain, and it's all starting to improve.

I ended up tossing my last draft of Annwyn, after realizing I was following the wrong character. Since switching POVs and creating a scaffolding outline, it's been much more fulfilling. I'm nearly finished with Act I.

Current project: Secrets of Annwyn

Monthly word count: 30,486

Tentative June TBR:

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima (ARC)

The West Passage by Jared Pechaček (ARC)

Out There Screaming, a horror anthology edited by Jordan Peele

This month was a little crazy, with my TMJ recovery journey and all the volunteer work I've been doing for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer's Colorado Gold Conference. Despite my mountain of extra duties, I had a fruitful month. I finished Act I of Secrets of Annywn and have a solid outline in place for the rest of the novel. It's all coming together.

Current project: Secrets of Annwyn

Monthly word count: 23,528

Tentative May TBR:

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (a reread)

Three top-secret books for a contest I'm judging

This month was exhausting. While I was able to write every day, I was often distracted by a lot of personal growth that should ultimately make my prose stronger and my characters more nuanced and interesting.

Current project: Secrets of Annwyn

Monthly word count: 10,031

Tentative April TBR:

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin (ARC)

This month has brought forth many changes. I have pivoted from editing to writing full-time, and it's been quite liberating to give all my energy to a passionate project. Expect more news soon.

Current project: Secrets of Annwyn, draft one (officially)

Monthly word count: 22,796

March TBR:

Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Writing

• Revise and query After Wendy
• Get Annwyn's world and magic system into a workable state
• Start drafting the horror/mystery collaboration, title TBA
• Finish one manuscript
• Write every day

Career

• Finish all client edits by February 29
• Seek out agency internships

Reading

• Read 12 books for fun
• Read at least 24 books total, including ARCs, research, and work-related titles
• Put together buddy reads

Lifestyle

• Say "no" more
• Set boundaries
• Spend more time with the people I love
• Remove people from my life who either don't appreciate me or no longer bring me joy
• Treat myself to small adventures every two weeks
• Go on a date once a month
• Workout five times a week
• Reset my diet, paying particular attention to macros
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Minimize social media time
• Explore new music
• Go on more spur-of-the-moment adventures

Quick Recap

It's been a roller coaster of a year, but I have plenty to be thankful for and a hell of a lot to look back on. It's been a reflective year full of changes. While I didn't fulfill my writing goals, I grew a lot and found that I'm done catering to other people. This year was spent ruminating on the past, looking toward the future, being transparent and open, refusing to compromise who I am for someone else's comfort, and determining who and what is truly worthy of my time.

This year, I tackled a lot of trauma and self-doubt. I changed career paths (from editing to pursuing an internship at a literary agency). I said "no" more often, putting my needs above my desire to be liked and respected by those who hardly show gratitude for all I do. I also happened upon my best friend in a critique group. 2023 was a solid year—the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. I couldn't end on a better note, really.

Favorites of 2023

Reads published in 2023: Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney and Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

Read published before 2023: City Song by Oliver Blakemore

Indie read: Beyond the Bounds of Time by J.P. McDonald

Yet-to-be-released read: Eldritch Punks by Oliver Blakemore

TV drama: The Queen's Gambit

TV crime/thriller: Inside Man

Teen series: Heartstopper

TV comedy: The Office

Rewatches: The OA and Peep Show

Teen-centric movie: Metal Lords

R-rated movie: Nope

TV Special: A Whole Lifetime

Most played artist on Spotify: The Story So Far