2018 – End of year wrap up

Wow… where has the year gone? 31st of December already.  I’m currently sitting on the couch in my holiday home with a cup of coffee, reviewing what I achieved in the past year writing wise and what my goals are for the coming year.

2018 – the things I didn’t do

• Didn’t finish Danni, Alex & Wes’s story
• Didn’t finish StarDancer
• Didn’t win NANO

I may not have completed anything on my todo list for this year, but… I’m not disappointed, the things I did do were worth not finishing anything.

2018 – What I did do.

• Found a beta reader for StarDancer – she gave great feedback, got totally confused and confirmed that, yes I really do need to sit down and plot/outline this book and the rest of the series.  StarDancer is on hold until I can complete this.
• In April, I decided to try my hand at a fluffy little fanfic.  Just an idea that had been bouncing around in my head for a few weeks, and since I wasn’t working on anything at the time, I decided to give it a go.  The plan was to write about 10k worth of giggles and pure indulgence.  
  • *Once everyone stops laughing* Yes I am aware that I can’t write short… I tried ok??  The 10k fluffy fanfic is now… 114k dark, Adult fiction and definitely no longer a fanfic.
  • I am also 9 chapters away from the end … I may actually finish this one.  That has never happened either …
• Found a bunch of awesome writers to follow and form friendships with on twitter.  #WFGC, #writefightgifclub.  follow these guys for laughs, an overload of MCU gifs, encouragement, support when RL gets you down, arguments about whether dragons, puppies or kittens are better, coffee vs tea, all day writing sprints and lines that leave you wanting more.
  • a bunch of them met up in NYC for a conference and it looks like a great time was had by all :).  Hoping to get a few of them down to NZ in 2020 for a conference and a chance to meet them all in person, either that or win lotto and take a world trip LOL.
• Set up my own discord channel, a place where I discuss my stories … all of them, and bounce ideas off my friends … come and join me if you dare: Vlentary

So… my plans for 2019 I have a few things in the works.  I’d love to accomplish them all… but I’m not going to be disappointed if I don’t get to them. 

• Finish the last 9 Chapters of Desert Magpies … hoping to complete this by my birthday
• Pull StarDancer apart and plot/outline the book and the entire series – which is now a 7 book series… still not sure how that happened LOL
  • EarthDancer
  • CrystalDancer
  • Wind Dancer
  • WarDancer
  • SunDancer
  • StarDancer
  • FlameDancer
• Some of these will be novellas, but the plan is to leave Earth with EarthDancer and return in StarDancer… do they stay on Earth?  You’ll have to read the series to find out 😀
• I want to Plot/Outline my reverse TimeTravel story – Paragon’s Paradox.  Still not sure how well it is going to work… and having to come up with what happens in each time period is a little overwhelming but… oh well.
• Finish DG&OWIS – Danni &  Alex’s story.  I think I will be dusting this one off and attempting to complete it during NANO.
• Attempt to win NANO …  it will be my 7th attempt 😀

2018 was a year of growth and I hope to continue that in 2019.  I’ve signed up for a couple of free courses, gotten myself started with a bullet journal to try and keep my life in order and making a plan to get fit and spend more time with the family.  Will see how well that turns out 😀

So, however, 2018 turned out for you, good, bad, really ugly, its time to close the door behind you and face the new year with a smile.

I hope that 2019 brings everything you wish for and more.