The arrival of the new year is a time to look ahead, to plan and dream. It’s also a good time to look back and reflect on the previous year, and to take a moment to celebrate the things you’ve accomplished—no matter how big or small. Last year, I wrote a month-by-month “this is what the past year had taught me” post that helped me realize I’d learned a lot more than I’d thought possible. Sooo, here’s to another year of (writerly) growth:

January

My orchestra started the new year with a concert called: “Metropolis: One Story at a Time”. Think: skyscrapers and neon billboards, cozy pubs, mysterious alleyways, hidden squares, and an eclectic cocktail of classical music, jazz, swing, funk, and soul. I had the honor of writing short stories to introduce the musical pieces—stories about love, pain, passion, sadness, and happiness. January taught me that I enjoy storytelling, no matter the format. Also: my stories resonate with people, and I’m good at what I do.

February

I started a blog series on how I outline my projects using my own version of the “Save the Cat” method. I introduced my blog-readers to my beat sheet (with a dash of romance) and laid out all my outlining quirks. I loved writing this series! Writing down my outlining process for other writers helped me to better understand my own thoughts and ideas. February taught me that explaining enhances learning, by helping me put my wicked ideas into words.

March

I went to a cute theater performance by a small (but ridiculously good) chamber orchestra. A storyteller conveyed the adventures of a young boy while the orchestra played the musical themes that fit perfectly with the characters and the events happening in the story. March taught me about character voice and the unique way in which each character in my stories can express their thoughts and personality.

April

Former U.S. President Barack Obama sat down in Amsterdam for an unscripted interview. April taught me that change (and progress) is often slow; one must draw hope from small steps—even though at times, things get frustrating. April also taught me to be proud of the small improvements I’ve achieved and to keep on writing.

May

I celebrated my birthday in May! I had a wonderful time, with wonderful weather and several wonderful events with my orchestra. I felt a bit guilty that I wasn’t writing but May taught me that allowing myself to sit back and relax is just as important as working hard.

June

In June, I visited an outdoor performance of the opera ORPHÉE AUX ENFERS—a maniacally absurd and wonderfully romantic production with imaginative stagecraft and references to modern times that had me laughing out loud throughout the night! June taught me that I should invest in more evenings like this one—it is a kindness to myself and an inspiration for my writing.

July

In July, I participated in Adrienne Young’s Query Camp—a weekend-long virtual event exclusively for alumni of the Writing with the Soul community. I had a wonderful time and learned sooo many valuable lessons: write the book you really want to write; you can do anything you want if you do it well; it only takes one “yes” in a multitude of “no”; the people who have success in traditional publishing are the ones who refuse to give up; be intentional.

August

I visited Tanglewood in The Berkshires with my friends: spread out across the Koussevitzky Music Shed and the Tanglewood lawn, 18,000 music lovers came together to enjoy a marvelous night filled with amazing music. August reaffirmed my belief in magic and gave me tons of new inspiration for my super-secret YA romance project!

September

I started a MAJOR round of structural revisions for my historical YA fantasy WIP. September taught me that the things that worked well for my previous WIP don’t have to work for my current project. Sometimes your story demands a reinvention of the wheel. Listen to your story’s demands. Always.

October

I devoured THE INHERITANCE GAMES trilogy in October, after I got stuck in my structural revisions. October taught me: “when you’re stuck, read a book.” I didn’t read much while writing my first draft; I couldn’t get my brain to focus on the words. However, reading a book during revisions—a book completely out of my WIP’s genre—was a super good way to get the ideas flowing again!

Also: October taught me that I am still a Hayden Christensen girl, and I WILL watch him do his Anakin Skywalker lightsaber twirl over and over and over…no regrets!

November

I did not participate in NaNoWriMo because I had to have surgery: all my wisdom teeth were removed, and recovery was a slow, unpleasant process. November taught me that healing takes a lot of work, and it requires time and sooo much patience. Letting your wounds settle properly is not an easy feat, but my body will tell me what it needs. There’s no shame in taking the extra time to listen and take good care of myself.

December

I failed to read 25 books in my genre this year, even though it was one of the goals I set at the beginning of the year. I did read almost 30 books, but over half of them were *not* YA fantasy. Still, I enjoyed all of them and they made me a better writer! December taught me not to feel shitty about this bookish semi-success.

To conclude: 2023 was another year of growth, and I’m excited to see where 2024 will take me! Hey ho, let’s go!