The final item that needs to be ticked off on my Google Keep List for 2018 is to update my blog with an end-of-year, self reflective post about writing stuff that happened to me throughout the year. Wins. Losses. Learning experiences.

Ngggggghhh. While I’ll happily procrasti-read blog posts on creative journeys, I’m no good at documenting my own. I’ve made plenty of personal insights into my practice but it’s not something that I think other people would find relevant until they see the final work so often my blog falls to the wayside.

But I do believe that acknowledging milestones is important, especially for artists where every step forward is hard won and marred by half a dozen rejections. Little victories are the things that keep me going.

So, my wins of 2018 are :

  • winning Nanowrimo in November and also Camp Nano back in May. That brings my total writing word count this year to approximately 130 000. I’m pretty pleased with this considering I work part time and I still do most of the caring for my toddler.
  • As a result of the Nanowrimos, I have a completed first draft of my YA time travelling romance,  Love in the Age of Time Travel ready for editing in the new year. I also completed a fourth edit on my middle grade Choose your own fairytale adventure.
  • I was shortlisted for the Deborah Cass writing prize in November. Even though I didn’t win, attending the ceremony and meeting some wonderfully, talented writers has re-fuelled my creative well. I’m itching to start writing again.
  • My picture book The Stolen Button was launched at the Australian Fairytale Society Conference in July. Leila (my illustrator) and I met such lovely artists and writers that make all the hard work worth it.

And that’s all, folks! I’m happy with what I’ve achieved this year, tired as hell, wish I’d taken more days off. If there is one thing I’ve learnt from writing, working and living this year is to embrace mental health days. What about you? Any lessons in writing or life? Give me your humble brags.

And happy new year, y’all. Hope it’s filled with wins, wins and the sort of fails that you learn profound things from so it’s really a win in disguise.