But the biggest reason I am aware of the date is that today is a milestone for my writing career. Today marks a year and a day from when I became a full time writer.
In many cultures, especially the Celtic ones, a year and a day was an important length of time. Sometimes, handfastings would be sealed for a year and a day. In other places, initiation was considered complete into a school or way of worship. In many fairy stories, people find themselves held prisoner in the land of the Fey for, you guessed it, a year and a day (at minimum: the fairies don't let people go too readily once they have stumbled through.)
A year and a day ago, I dedicated myself fully to my word craft. I left a full-time teaching job with no plan other than to write...a lot. In that time, I have acquired a few part-time teaching gigs at the college level, but my full-time focus continues to be my writing.
This is a good time for me to look back and see if the risk I took a year and a day ago has paid off.
- In this time, I have completed four novels. I've polished three, and started another.
- I have attended two major writing conferences and one intensive workshop, and been accepted into another writing workshop in the coming months.
- I have participated in NaNoWriMo and "won" for the second time.
- I started querying in earnest and found a delightful agent to help me along on my journey.
- I have had four more poems published, and five more accepted for publication.
- I had my first nonfiction piece published in Sagewoman, my favorite spiritual magazine, and had a second piece accepted for an upcoming issue.
- I completed the drafts of all three books in my YA fantasy trilogy. (I never imagined I could write a series!)
This is one fairy hole I don't want to climb out of.
How about you? What have you done in the last year that amazes you?
Oh wow! Congrats on the many successes, Jen! It was definitely worth it to go full-time by the looks of it. Wish you many more great milestones you can scribble your name into!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! It really has been an amazing year: I can't wait to see what the future holds.
DeleteThis is fantastic... and look at all you accomplished when you prioritized your writing and your self. I expect even more good things to come!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bluestocking. I like the way you put that: it really was about more than my writing, I've realized. :)
DeleteI survived an entire year of teaching high-school (and kind of loved it!). I survived getting an agent and losing an agent. I wrote a new novel. Pshew. Tired just writing it! Oh yeah. I met YOU! In real life!
ReplyDeleteYou've had a crazy year!! (I think meeting me was the best part ;))
DeleteYou are amazing: I can't tell you how much you inspire me, especially with your positive spin on the lemons life doles out. <3
Congratulations! What a productive and inspiring year you've had!
ReplyDeleteYou put me to shame--but inspire me (and so many others) nonetheless!
Way to go!
You have a lot to be proud of, too, lady! So glad you are getting some writing time in this weekend. Can't wait for the results :)
DeleteCongratulations! What a productive and inspiring year you've had!
ReplyDeleteYou put me to shame--but inspire me (and so many others) nonetheless!
Way to go!