I'M BACK! 2012 in Writerly Review

I'M BACK! WOOO! I took a two week break from blogging, for those that don't know. I had a TON of fun and I relaxed a lot as well. I'm finishing the first edits of my... sigh, first draft of my... sigh, first part of my novel.

But let's talk about 2012. The year changed my life. Truly.

Around December of 2011, I finished my first full-length novel. Of course, I was ecstatic, overjoyed, and confident that the agents would come running, because I had such a fantastic novel that NO ONE could hate. Who cares that I didn't edit the book? Who cares that it was 136K? My idea was awesome, of course.

So I sent out a (for the most part) first draft query to my top ten agents. The rejections came rolling and I, in my JK Rowling craze, was overjoyed. "I'm becoming like Rowling! I'm a true writer! I'm getting rejection letters like the best of them! I'm going to be famous!"

Then, of course, after a while, the rejection letters (around 67 in a row) did not feel so good. Neither did the contest snubs. Or some feedback from critique partners.

2012 changed my life because it was that year I truly realized what it means to be a writer. It was when I met so many critique partners, learned a LOT, and edited the HECK out of my novel (shrunk it to 84K before I scrapped it and began a rewrite). I grew to love writing as it truly is.

2012 made me feel like a real writer, even without any agent or publication deal. It was a great year (partially because the world didn't end).

Here's hoping 2013 will be just as good. I hope that I'll grow as a writer and that I'll improve my craft. That's all I have under my control,.

I am happy to be back! (Except now I'll have to think up ideas for blog posts. Grr.)


Hope you had an amazing year! Why (or why not, maybe? *sadface*) did you like 2012?