With today being 12/31/23 (123123), at least in the way we write dates in the U.S., I invite you to waltz with me into 2024, as I look back on what this past year has brought, and what’s on the docket for the new year (but not, as Mr. Potter might hope, will I be spending it in jail).
(Also, a special shout-out to my dog, Ryder, on his Gotcha Day. He’s been a part of our family for 7 years now.)
I know I’ve said this before, but this is a year-end summary, so I’ll say it again: 12 Months, 12 Genres 2: Electric Novel-oo ended up a flop, with only 3 completed drafts of novels in the erotica (though not very erotic, really), romance (that went from what was supposed to be a story about 2 roommates who realize they’re attracted to each other after sharing a sexual experience with their female partners to something more heteronormative), and a historical fiction piece (my favorite, but more on that later).
While I also started my mystery (with a poor idea for what the overall mystery should be, and likely a problem with writing a sequel to a previous mystery, but switching the POV character), mech anime (yes, really), choose-your-own adventure: heist (which had the most promise until I let it lapse), and memoir (which certainly got the farthest along for not getting finished), there has been no new progress on any of them, and I’m not sure at this time what that might entail. I had thought about taking a few months in 2024 on each of the unfinished pieces as a way to slowly make up for what I didn’t finish, and maybe I still will. I’d certainly like to at the very least finish writing my romantic history in my memoir, something I hinted at in my last post that I might complete before the end of the year, but that didn’t happen. (For that matter, I also suggested I might finish my Nano draft by the end of the year, but I haven’t touched it since I got to the stopping point mentioned before. I think the theory of Camp Nano was wise, but depending on what my literary plans for 2024 end up being, there might be another project taking up that time.)
I had mentioned some transformation in terms of writing groups on the horizon, and while that isn’t finalized yet (though the hope is this week will see a meeting to figure it all out), it should lead to bigger and better things for not only my immediate cohort of writers, but the larger group from which we sprung, and that’s exciting. I think it will help us to be better, with greater transparency and accountability to one another. But a new year is also a good time to reset and renew the tenets of what a writing group is about.
I’ve also joined a more casual writing group that meets every other Saturday, with the weeks in between seeing me part of a Spanish group to learn/review/practice. I might not have studied the language since high school, but already lots of words have come flooding back just from some exposure. Since I was going to be watching Christmas movies this month anyway, I watched some with subtitles and others with Spanish dubbing, and while I’m not sure which helped me process better (as both hearing and reading the words help me in different ways), it’s been fun. Plus, I feel studying another language is beneficial to writing in English, because it gets you thinking more about your word choices. (Plus, there’s something to be said for playing the game Clue in Spanish.)
I promised more about the historical fiction novel later, and so here I am with that later. More than anything I’ve written lately, I feel that’s one of my strongest pieces. I also recognize that the central conflict as drafted isn’t as strong. I need to tie more of the subplots to the main one in a tighter way. I also need to overhaul the ending, as it uses some elements from already famous works, and I don’t want to be accused of copying or outright stealing them.
Why would that be so important? Because when it comes down to it, I’d like to do a rewrite (or two, or however many times it takes) and get it ready for publication. Maybe another novel set in the 1980s would just be white noise, but I’d also like to think it presents some unique elements that would help it to shine through. I just have to get it there.
And that’s the main reason why I’m not sure what my main focus for 2024 will be. Finish what I started? Rewrite something I completed to make it better? I think overall I’ll do much like we’re doing with my critique group: going through January as we figure stuff out. It helps that there will be literary salons to attend, and other writing events to put things into focus. By February, things should be in better focus. And if not, I may have to hire someone to nag me into making a decision, though I think I may know enough people who’d likely do it for free anyway.
However your 2023 turned out, my wish for anyone out there reading this is that 2024 is filled with happiness, peace, love, and blessings. And lots of reading and writing, while you’re at it. May the same be said for me, too.