The totally not late 2016 review

Let’s all pretend it’s January 1st for a moment, and I’m about to go over how the past year went. Though, I suppose, the fact that this post comes in mid-February might be a good indication.

Let’s just say things didn’t go according to plan. The v.2.0 plan that is. It was big, it was awesome, it was a hill I simply couldn’t climb. Not everything went horribly wrong though.

First off, let’s review those goals shall we:

1. TAO: Finish that third draft. All of it!
2. TAO: “The Sequel”: Plot this out, and finish the first draft. You’ve got a lot of fix, as it went off the deep end last time you Nano-ed it. That whole revolution thing needs to die. Also, decide on a new title, as the new plot ideas don’t work with the old one.
3. Remnants: Finish the first draft. You’ve got a great start last year, now is the time finish it.
4. Remnants: Share on Wattpad! Finish the second draft, third draft, and fourth, if that is what it takes to get it to a point where you want to share it with the world. Remember, this is still a writing and editing exercise, so it doesn’t need to be perfect. Any feedback, good or bad, will help you become a better writer.
5. Worldbuilding: Finish the worldbuilding for the fantasy-series, to the point where you have what you need for the first books. You’ll never be completely finished, but get through what you need for the first two books. That includes getting a good grip on geography, history, and the majic systems. And yes, that is how you spell magic in the book. Cause you’re cool!
6. Second draft of “needs working title”: Get that second draft for the first fantasy book written. Also, get a working title for it. Seriously! Then get through it at least once, mostly for plot and continuity this time. Third draft will be language and even more plot, but the second is where you fix the stuff that’s broken, plot-wise. And remember, it was in the second book you forgot a character for half a Nano, not this one, but there might (definitely will) be inconsistencies hiding in the shrubbery.
7. Win Nanowrimo: You’ll win Nano again this year. Shoot for 75k, but anything over 50k is acceptable. Consider using TAO: the second, if you can fix the plot issues before November. If you can’t, write something else. Maybe something completely new?
8. Bookbinding: You love this, but haven’t had much time for it in 2015. So for 2016, get better at it! Make at least one book a month, at least 12 during the year.
9. Blogging: Blog often, both here and on your book blog. In fact, aim for once a week. You may not manage it, but try. And remember what Yoda says; there is no try. Or spoon for that matter.
10. Read Catrine’s manuscript: Because you made a deal, and it deserves to be a goal. Also, you like even numbers. You had a specific date set, but you can’t remember what it was, so lets pretend it was February 1st and stick with it. So, read her manuscript by the end of January.

At first glance, 2016 wasn’t a good year for me. I’ve had some health issues (mostly resolved, in the I-got-better way. The what-the-hell-happened is still very much unresolved), during which I couldn’t focus om much of anything. Which sucked, but nothing to be done about that now. With that in mind, and looking at the things I did do, 2016 wasn’t all that bad after all.

First off, I finished the third draft of TAO! One big massive goal right there, smashed to bits. It’s off with Catrine right now, and hopefully once she get’s around to reading it, it will make a lot more sense than it did the first time around.

For TAO: The Sequel, I didn’t get much done. With the exception of picking a title! I don’t wanna share it just yet, in fear it might actually be spoilery. So I’ll need some second opinions on that before I reveal it. It’s a bit of a mouthful though, I can tell you that.

Remnants is still only about halfway done (I think). I ran out of time during Nano, and it’s been a struggle to get started on since then. I’m back into it now, plotting out that world, trying not to let my brain come up with even more stories to tell from that universe, and failing miserably. I have decided I may not want to go the Wattpad route with it after all, and instead focus on traditional publishing. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how I feel about it once it’s finished.

Worldbuilding (what worldbuilding?). Yeah, I suck. I know. I’ll get there though, I promise.

The second draft of Need-Working-Title has not been started. My brain wants more worldbuilding finished, except when I worldbuild my brain remembers there might be good stuff in the first draft that I’ve forgotten, so I need to find that before I can worldbuild. Yeah, it’s a fun little dance I do with my brain. It keeps jumping on my toes. In heels.

As for Nanowrimo last year. I nailed it! Oh yeah! Go me!

I didn’t get any bookbinding done, which is sad. I moved to my new apartment in March last year, and it’s taken me a while to get fully organised. Still not completely where I want to be, but for that to happen I need like four more rooms. I have too much stuff.

You all know I didn’t blog very often. I’ll do better this year, I promise? I’ll at the very least try my best!

Last item on the list was also the one I finished first. Reading Catrine’s first draft of RS. I read it, gave feedback, and am eagerly awaiting the complete next draft!

So, there you have it. 2016 in review. Well, at least the 2016 goals in review. It may not have been my best year, but I did hit some pretty big milestones. I moved into the first apartment that I own, which is awesome. I got my first dog, Moya, whom I love. I finished a second draft of a novel for the very first time, and realised just how badly I want to do this writing thing for a living.

I guess I’ll just have to start working twice as hard to make that happen!