Someone (Mina) commented that it had been a great year for me, and it was only then I realized that Yes, you're right. Sometimes I get caught up in the requirements of day-to-day living, and I forget to pause and take stock of recent events--and forget to be grateful for them.
So, this year, I'd like to give a shout-out to the universe, and announce that I'm grateful for the following writerly things:
Releasing two novellas this year. I have to confess; writing This Side of Sunny felt like I was pulling teeth most of the time. But I really wanted to be done with it, and release it to the world ASAP. Never mind if it wasn't the best work that I've done--especially after so many people told me how much they liked my previous thing (Choco Chip Hips). But like Liz Gilbert said in Big Magic, SO WHAT? The world is not holding its breath for my next release. The world won't stop turning if I create something that people won't rave about. What matters is that I continue to write because I enjoy doing it.
Being traditionally published. Someone once said (I can't remember who) that the worst and best thing that can happen to a writer is being published. I get why it's great. It's always been my dream to be picked up by a publisher, to see my book in all NBS nationwide, and attend book signings. Also, I've gained readers, who are more into print books than the e-books that I usually release. But I must remind myself that though this is a constant goal (I'd love for all my books to be picked up by publishers), it is not my end goal. And for this, I am forever grateful for self-publication because people will still be able to read my work even if the trad way doesn't happen.
Gaining bookish friends. When you're writing in your own little cave, and barely go out of the house to socialize (like me), being part of a community of writers, readers and bloggers is a great way to de-stress. A simple retweet, FB msg, review or post like can go a long way in giving you that writing boost that you need. Also, since I'm foremost a reader, reading my fellow writers' work inspires me and pushes me to do better. But the best part about this is being read by people who care about the same things that I do.
So, thank you, dudes and dudettes (apologies for the 90s reference--I seem to have gotten stuck in that era) for making this year an awesome one. On to the next year (and works-in-progress)!
