2024 Recap
2024 was a mixed bag for writing. On the one hand, I am officially in print! Seeing “The Argus” alongside so many great short stories was a big moment and being able to physically hand my book to people was a priceless feeling.
I also read the most books I have ever read in a year this year.
And! I took the plunge into the world of Dungeons and Dragons—more on this in future blogs.
On the other hand, I spun my wheels a lot this year. I started drafting a novel-length project, only to get stuck, so I moved on to outlining a novella-length project only to hit a block on that as well. So, rather than beat my head against my keyboard, I circled back to the short novel I've been calling The Crypt Inspector. I knew when I finished it in 2024, it would need to be overhauled, but I didn’t think it would need to be overhauled so much, and now it just feels like a massive mess.
Now, is it frustrating to be consistently putting in work and having little to show for it? Yes. However, I’m trying to stay positive and focus on the fact that I consistently showed up at my writing desk throughout the year. At the end of the day, it’s consistency that wins—anyone who is telling you differently is selling something.
Looking ahead to 2025, my writing goals are to:
Finish 1 short work
Finish 1 longer work
Find a community to connect with again.
Of these three goals, finding a creative community is probably the most important to me. Now, I know what people are going to say, “Join this Facebook group or this Discord! They’re awesome and welcoming and amazing!” And to this, I would say, “Yes, those groups and channels are great.” In fact, I’m part of a few. But the problem, I keep running into is always the way: Being part of large Facebook and Discord communities is overwhelming to me. There are so many notifications to read (no matter how many notification settings you change) and unless you’re plugged 24/7 (which is impossible) I always feel like I’m playing catch up. It’s like a mini version of social media where everyone is shouting into the void.
Now, before you go and bite your head off, I do think these types of online communities are great places to go if you have specific questions. So, where does this leave me in my quest for community? This is an excellent question that I do not yet have an answer for. But! I will not rest until I find a solution.
