Two things I’m genuinely allergic to are (1) honey and (2) change.
The first absolutely ruins my life because I can’t make November cakes from The Scorpio Races and am I even a real Stiefvater fan without having tried them??? Life is so sad. The second, however, is the truest cause for existential crisis because when it comes to writing –> how can you tell if you’ve changed for the better or just changed to be different?? HMMM??? Help.
But what’s a blog for if not to share and compare crises, right?!? And it’s actually kind of interesting to analyse how your habits in writing or reading or blogging change as the years go by and you turn into that old gnarly witch from the gingerbread house! I mean, that’s obviously where we’re all headed, right? I thought so!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…
1. OBVIOUSLY (FINNNNNALLY!) MY WRITING IS AN ACTUAL CAREER.
Just in case you haven’t heard me hollering about it the other 178 times, I announced my debut novel, A Thousand Perfect Notes, is being published in June 2018 (Hachette / Orchard UK) so ISN’T THE SKY SO BEAUTIFUL TODAY. This is honestly my life dream of actually working towards writing being my career. This is still so freaking surreal I sometimes run and happily pet my dog and tell him how good this is and he gives me a sour look and leave the room because he hates me. BUT THAT’S OKAY! NOTHING DESTROYS THIS GOOD FEELING!
There’s a huge mental shift that happens when you go from “trying to be published” to “being published.” The biggest difference, for me, is knowing that I actually do write good stuff. I think we all suffer from self-inflicted artistry self doubt right?! So actually making it through the million hurdles to be traditionally published is an exceptional confidence boost. 10/10 recommend.
2. I’VE WRITTEN MORE THIS YEAR THAN ANY OTHER YEAR OF MY LIFE.
There’s two reasons for this and they are (1) I actually moved states and ergo left relatives and babysitting jobs behind so I decided to fill that loneliness with more writing, and (2) I am heckin’ competitive and Slytherin and just enjoy winning against myself.
THIS YEAR I WROTE:
- 7 completely new first drafts
- 3 completely rewritten (every single word) second drafts
- 11 outlines (averaged at 20K each)
- And I came up with a total of 1,195,000-words.
- Also I did edits and copy-edits for A Thousand Perfect Notes AS YOU DO.
- For the first time in like 5 years…I actually wrote some sequels!!
- One of these books I developed in 1 week, wrote the outline in 1 week, and then wrote the book in 4 days and I’m a little bit proud ok.
- And in the last 7 years, I have now officially written 29 books.
- (Also FUN FACT: A Thousand Perfect Notes is the 16th book I ever wrote.)
- (Go add it on Goodreads I’m exhausted omg.)
For some perspective, usually I write 2 books and edit 2 books per year.
I love writing!! There are so many stories to tell! I’M SO ENTHUSIASTIC I COULD SHOUT. WOW.
3. I ACTUALLY REREAD (FOR FUN?!???!) SOME OF MY OWN BOOKS.
I feel like we writers are notorious for hating our own work. And trust me, I still do sometimes. Haha, let me tell you about my November NaNo novel…except no. No I will not speak of it.
But 2017 is the year I finally actually started writing 1st drafts I truly love. It’s actually ridiculously relieving to enjoy all the parts of the writing journey. I only set my own hair on fire 7 times instead of 700 which I think is a life improvement for sure.
I still occasionally want to murder something with a spork. Me, usually. My characters, more often.
4. I DO ADMIT I KILLED QUITE A FEW CHARACTERS THIS YEAR.
Still permanently confused that “kill your darlings” doesn’t actually mean kill your characters (apparently it’s about trimming unnecessary prose, pfft) but I prefer to, you know — kill my character darlings. And contrary to popular belief I dO NOT ALWAYS KILL MY CHARACTERS. I prefer to torture them.
Excuse me.
Obviously killing all my characters + trying to write sequels = a lot of life problems. The “life problems” are there is no life left for the sequel. But that shouldn’t stop a writer who is keen on ghosts. I am keen on ghosts!
5. I’VE STARTED PUTTING A BIT OF UNIQUE FORMATTING AND POETRY INTO MY BOOKS.
I really really love doing this. Unique formatting is something I’ve always been obsessed with and so like, why can’t I do that?!? You will see a tiny bit in A Thousand Perfect Notes too.
But I honestly didn’t think this would ever happen. I never considered myself either poetic or into pretty writing, but I am?!
ACTUAL GIF IF ME AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE I KILL MY CHARACTERS…BUT PRETTILY.
6. I WROTE 3 OF THESE BOOKS MOSTLY SITTING AT A DESK.
My mind boggles too, wow. It’s like I was a responsible adult for 3 minutes. I know it’s horribly frowned upon to write on your bed…but I’ve never had any problems with bones or wrists or backs or my brain rolling out my ears. But anyway.
My little sister left home and I stole all her furniture…well, her desk and bookshelf. And let me tell you this is the FIRST TIME I’VE EVER HAD A BEAUTIFUL DESK. #SecondYoungestOfSixChildrenProblems It’s still 2nd hand, but at least it was 2nd hand and not like 4th hand!! I’ve moved up in the world!!
I was so wildly enthused to sit at a desk and type that it’s actually pathetic.
Anyway THAT ship sailed haha. (That crying puddle is me.) After we moved house in June, we went into a significantly smaller house and I lost my desk and am back to my bed. 3 out of 7 books with good posture at a desk is nice right?!
Also I am currently sitting on the floor writing this blog post.
I’m professional. Buy my book.
7. I ALSO STARTED WRITING 30K IN A DAY.
It used to be only 20,000-words per day was my record! NOW LOOK AT ME, SPEEDING THROUGH LIFE. I get asked a lot “how do you do that?!!?” and honestly it’s super boring but…practise.
Coinciding with writing 30K a day (hey I only keep this up for 5 days maximum!), I also started writing those wickedly long outlines…so I never get stuck!
8. MY HANDWRITING IS OFFICIALLY AT THE PLACE WHERE I CAN’T EVEN READ IT.
It’s always been bad but now it’s graduated to crayon scribbles. Graduated??? Declined?? What are words.
I could work on it but also…ugh. So I no longer take ANY notes by hand for my books. This has the bonus affect of me not finding sticky notes stuck to my socks that say “WHAT IF THE KILLER WAS UNDERGROUND” and me then going “What the heck” because I remember nothing about that “genius” revelation.
Also FUN FACT: Still slightly disappointed that I didn’t have to sign my book deal contract in blood.
9. I STARTED WRITING MORE #OWNVOICES THINGS AND DISCOVERED IT’S FRIKKIN’ HARD.
“Write what you know!” they say. “It’ll be great because you know what you’re talking about!”
Now just quickly, in case you didn’t know, the “ownvoices” hashtag is basically just a way to say you are writing about part of a minority that you personally belong to! I’ve mentioned my anxiety and autism briefly on the blog, but only recently did I decide to actively write about them. AND LET ME TELL YOU…WOW I WANT TO MOVE TO THE ARCTIC.
WHY WRITING #OWNVOICES IS HARD:
- It’s kind of personal?! And even if you’re not putting YOURSELF into the book, you are putting experiences and that is honestly really difficult to sum up.
- You often know SO MUCH about it (hey you live it!) that it’s hard to condense into a small squish of a book.
- Self doubt!! YAY. Are your experiences marred by something? Are you interpreting things right? Are you writing it badly?? There is an actual minefield of concerns about writing diversity, even when it’s your own.
- There is not enough ice cream in the world to help out holy heck I need a nap.
Also while we’re here: I don’t believe any minority author is required to write #ownvoices material. And I don’t think non-minority authors can’t write diversity. For me, personally, I wanted to try it but not everything I write will have autism or anxiety in it. Although 10/10 plan to write about an anxious sentient library someday.
10. MY BRAIN HAS BEEN ON OVERDRIVE AND SORT OF COMBUSTED AND, TRUTHFULLY, I HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS TO WRITE BUT I’M TIRED.
You’re probably rolling your eyes at this stage and shouting, “DIDN’T YOU JUST WRITE A MILLION WORDS THIS YEAR?!??!” I know! My problem is I have no off-switch! I am on speed 500 at all times. Taking holidays is stressful wow. Currently I’m caught in this weird cereal bowl of froot loops where I want to write all the things but I also need to chill out.
Anyway. Haha. Just shove that aside.
Before you dash away in confused terror is as your general method of exiting my blog leave, I wanted to just quickly throw some aesthetics and some projects at you that I’d love to work on in 2018. I’m so excited. There are sparkles in my hair.
WRITING WISHLIST FOR 2018
(But seriously who KNOWS what I’ll write. Also: I write a lot “just for fun” to improve myself! So who knows where these projects will go or if they’ll just stay in a drawer.)
THE MISERY RULES
Peter Pan x Alice In Wonderland retelling where a boy falls through a pond where his brother drowned to an alternate world where he has to play a game of who can survive the most pain without dying to get free. I write nice stuff. — Pinterest
THE SKIN LIBRARY
Basically a sentient and anxious library!!! I REALLY LOVE THIS IDEA. Fantasy world where the people take after different species of birds which is hilarious because I hate birds but here we are. — Pinterest
SCORPION DEEP
My Davy Jones retelling about a boy thief who steals the spell to get a wish from Davy Jones but ends up IN SO MUCH TROUBLE WOW. — Pinterest
HE IS NOT MADE OF PAPER
A boy nearly dies but when he comes home he finds his (ex) best friend wrote a book about him which got kind of famous and…she killed him off at the end. Ahhh. Good times and good friends. — Pinterest
So overall? Mostly GOOD changes for me this year with my writing.
And am I tired? WELL. Just a little. And yet I’m absolutely desperate to start writing next year (IT’S OK I’LL HOLD OFF) and even more excited because 2018 is going to be a massive year for me. My debut comes out in June and hopefully I’ll be able to spill all the proverbial beans on what my 2019 novel will be (I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT) really soon.
In the mean time, I keep writing. Nonsense and fun things and serious projects — because everything you write makes you better and gives you so many more excuses to eat chocolate.
#SolidLifeAdviceFromAProfessional
OMG AM I REALLY THE FIRST PERSON TO COMMENT?????? #DayMade Also you used #Sherlock gifs!! Epicness abounds in this post! *hugs* UGGGHHHH, writing stories is so hard. 90000% harder when you have to write outside of your comfort zone. I feel you. I am doing that now. Also, like, writing ADULT stories instead of YA. I don’t even KNOW what happened. One minute YA fantasy and the next minute BOOM! contemporary adult. *scratches frizzed head* I find I am at a loss. Anyway, Wow your novel sounds good! Also I understand the #OwnVoices thing. I have depression. . . However, I’ve found it cathartic to write about characters with depression, as sharing about this illness can help people understand it, especially if written in a way MADE for them to understand. So I wish you luck and encourage you in it! #CaitForTheWin! Also your novel sounds great and I REALLY HOPE I might be able to find it somewhere when it comes out. Hopefully it comes to the Americas.
Also: you write 30k in a day??? I have a writing friend who is SO SIMILAR. She writes like that too. Me and my friends call her the #FlashFloodTypist.. He name’s Rebekah DeVall (if you were curious or what-not). Gret blog post, loved it lotzzz! 🙂 .
Haha you are the first comment! Although I can never understand why that’s a good thing, BUT I’M HAPPY THAT YOU’RE HAPPY SO ALL THE CAKE FOR YOU. AT LEAST 2 CAKE CRUMBS ANYWAY. Also writing IS hard and hey that’s cool you’ve branched out to adult!! I wrote a few adult books this year and that was terrifying. Totally changing most of them back to YA though.😂
And agreed! It is cathartic to write about things we deal with…I’ve definitely found that too. But it’s also scary?!😂 But agreed it’s important for us to talk about our experiences and like actually give accurate recounts.
Also my book is on bookdepository.com so that ships internationally for free!
That’s so awesome there are more people who write 30K in a day! I don’t feel so weird now.😂
oh hi I’m back I MISS THIS BLOG SO MUCH
I LOVE ALL OF YOUR POTENTIAL PROJECTS and if you don’t ask me to beta read at least one of them, I will base a fictional character off you and kill them. As you know that is step 1 of any good witchery.
This year I was in Pitch Wars! (As I have screamed at you before!) Which was an exciting milestone! Trying to adjust my writing routine from writing a bit each day to writing a lot over whatever holidays I have, because college life.
I absolutely adore writing #ownvoices and don’t find it particularly hard? I’m drafting a new thing though and really need to think about how this is different from the last book because IT ALL SEEMS TO BE THE EXACT SAME THING. help. Queen of the Nine-and-twenty Drafts, share your wisdom.
OH HI STRANGER!!😂 Also omg did I ever mention you are far too kind to me?!? I would definitely love for you to beta again sometime! I mean, I need to write them yet but pfft, that’ll only take me a few days. (KIDDING. I plan not to write so wildly next year.) AND I’M STILL SO FREAKING EXCITED ABOUT PITCH WARS AND I HOPE IT’S GOING SUPER WELL FOR YOU!! Balancing writing and college is like…amazing. You deserve all the cake clearly.
(And I totally get the fear of writing things that sound too similar.😂My NaNo book literally stole an entire plot twist out of another novel of mine and I’m so mad.😂)
You never cease to amaze me with your incredible writing habits 😍 As for me .I kind of wrote the wrong draft of my WIP until I realized that I was writing in the wrong genre … that actually happened. But now I am writing the right story for NaNo & I am so excited because I am actually liking what I write 😄 I’ll gladly call that a milestone.
I am really loving your 2018 projects, especially The Misery Rules & The Skin Library 😄 Hopefully next year will be a great writing year for you as well! 🙂
Omg I totally understand writing in the wrong genre!! I wrote half a book as YA before realising it was adult (not that that’s a genre, but I still get the frustration!!) Anyway SO happy you’re loving what you write!! Isn’t that the best feeling!? Makes all the hair pulling worth it. 😂
Squeee so glad you like my upcoming ideas!!
Your 2018 projects all sounds great, but if I had to pick one, I’d say THE SKIN LIBRARY, that sounds like an awesome idea I would be pay money to read in book format.
As for my own writing progress… yeah, well, about that… I’ve been trying to work on my Pushing Boundaries project all year and it turns out I have developed a serious case of “cannotwrite-itus” (I’m fairly certain that’s the technical name for it). While I can sit down and do some outlining, I just have very little motivation or ability to write the damn thing down. Oh well.
In the meantime, I’ll work on something else, however, I’m looking forward to reading this novel of yours next year, it’s all super exciting 😀 I’m glad this new writing method is working for you.
Awww thanks so much! That’s SO encouraging!! And I’ve had The Skin Library on my to-write list for a year now and I’m still so freaking excited about it so ahh!!
Nooo I’m sorry about your writing block though. I hope you crack through it soon?!
Being excited about a writing project is pretty important. The Skin Library has a lot going for it and there’s more than one way of going about it,
As for my writing block, well, I figured that I’ve been doing the same thing all year but expecting a different result, which just doesn’t lead to good things.
So, I decided I should give myself permission to give up (temporarily) and work on something else. I’ll figure it out, or never write a novel again, either way 😀
I’ve actually trunked projects that have been killing me and gone to write something else and then come back to the original…and it REALLY helps.😂 Sometimes a book just isn’t read yet, right?!
Completely agreed, sometimes a book just isn’t ready, this makes me feel a lot better about the situation. Thank you ♡
OVER A MILLION WORDS THIS YEAR WHAT???? How are you so incredible? I know everybody writes at their own paces and such, but I really, really respect the self discipline/organised outlines/amazingness that requires. Has having a book that is going to be published and needs to be as good as it can be changed your writing priorities. And now you have a deal, has how you go about writing book 2 changed? What about having a professional editor (I mean, I assume you do).
CAIT YOU ARE INCREDIBLE I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THESE CHANGES ARE GOOD. (except a lack of desk and fewer small children around–that might be annoying I guess. I’ve never done NaNo, but I wrote quite a few short stories this year for fun and not for an assignment. And I got a writing award at school but that mainly motivated me (because I wanted it? idk man). Right now I’m partway into a short story about a muslim girl in delhi who lives in a slum (this is own voices because I lived in a slum in delhi once ) and makes money for a crime lord by conning middle class women who are travelling alone and have been told not to trust any men. But she doesn’t want to con people, she just wants to finish school. Also, I have no idea how this story will end. It’s fun though 😀
shar@Virtually Read recently posted…Review: Saints and Misfits
I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW I WROTE SO MUCH. I’M A LITTLE TIRED. 😂😂 And honestly I think I do a bit of hyper focus where I basically just write and nothing else matters…which can be a problem but at least I’m productive?!😂
So the funny thing about book 2 is that I wrote it even before I announced book 1.😂 So I actually didn’t have a lot of pressure on or nervousness and I’m REALLY glad I did because it did take some of the panic away. And omg yes I have many editors with my publishing house. They are pure wonders and it’s really exciting to actually talk with people who understand your book so well?! It’s so freaking awesome.
ALSO SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR WRITING AWARD!! THAT’S AMAZING. CAKE FOR US ALL. And your short story sounds amazing and also pretty downright heartbreaking. <3
I mainly wrote more this year. Mainly because of NaNoWriMo (though I didn’t do it officially). It’s so weird but good to be finally writing again. Haven’t written much since I was 15… I’m 18 this year (but turning 19 in three months… what the heck…)
Congrats on writing so many words in days! I hope you get to write published books of your dreams. <3 2018 is definitely going to be an intriguing year for books.
Ahhh last year of being a teen! NO PANIC OR PRESSURE.😂😂 And also congrats on all your writing and doing NaNo! NaNo is such a good motivator honestly.😂
First off, congratulations on all accounts!
2017 marked my first completed Novel and was the highest volume year for productivity EVER for me. I’ve hit a slump on my blog, but I’m trying to focus on the good.
I’m at the point where I only hate most of my stuff but I’m also having trouble finding things that I like more than my own work.
Your 2018 projects sound fantastic, I’m looking forward to reading more of your work. Do you have a Patreon account?
It’s harder to write my own experiences. I get lost in the minutiae. What shirt was I wearing? Was it Tuesday or Wednesday? Was she wearing the red dress or the black one? Are there too many examples in this list?
I’ve also decided to only mark success by my own metrics. If I use anyone else’s metrics for success, I’ll start to think I’ve failed, and I can’t stomach that thought.
Again congratulations, I’m looking forward to seeing the fruits of your Herculean efforts. Stay awesome
Aww thank you!! It has been a most crazy writing year BUT VERY FUN AND SATISFYING.😂 And eep so much congrats to you for finishing your novel! THAT IS AMAZING AND I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU.
I don’t actually know what a Patreon account is…I’m terrible.😂 I should look it up sometime because I hear them mentioned? Is it like wattpad?
And honestly success can’t really be measured or anything. I think it’s a personal thing. I think 2017 was a successful writing year for me, but 2015 is the year I wrote my first book that sold, so like?!? That was also very very successful even though I didn’t know at the time? LIFE IS WEIRD.😂
wooooooow you wrote a lot. O.O as for the other projects, that last one seems….interesting. even though I would only be slightly insulted if somebody wrote a book about me and then killed me off. but hey, in harry potter there is this character that died and SHE WAS NAMED AFTER ME HOW INSULTING. she just left a letter out. I also cant tell you which character since I’m not supposed to use my real name online. 🙁
Most crazily, ~Olive
I wrote way way too much, let’s be real.😂 BUT IT WAS FUN. And here’s to a slightly calmer new year?!
I’m one of six, too! Except I’m the oldest, so I’m often the one who gets the new stuff…!
All your book ideas sound amazing, I want to read them all, and I can’t wait to hear more about your 2019 novel! (And I want to read A Thousand Perfect Notes like… now! Right now!!!)
Bethany 🙂
Ahh so many siblings.😂😂 I’m second to last so like what does “new” mean haha.😂 I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE EXCITED FOR MY BOOK THAT MAKES MY DAY HONESTLY. <3
Yeah, I think own voices is really HARD. Partly because we can’t sum up EVERYone’s experiences in our own; also there are instances where we may come from the same minority as somebody else, but have had totally DIFFERENT lives (social class/economically/education).
I think my almost failed/switched over NaNo project is my first and LAST attempt at writing truly “own voices.” Haha. 😛
Absolutely! And I think people/readers often forget to account for that. Like NO two minorities are going to experience life the same way, right? Hence I should stop freaking out that my writing is going to be “wrong”.😂 I think we writers are probably too tough on ourselves a lot.
This was so much fun to read! Also I’m super impressed that you write SO MUCH, but honestly it’s kinda refreshing to hear. Sometimes it feels like writers only complain about how hard writing is, or how it’s okay to take days off, or how much writer’s block sucks, yadda yadda. Which is true. BUT ALSO, WE ARE WRITERS. LET’S BRAG ABOUT HOW MUCH AWESOME WRITING WE ARE DOING!
Aww, thank you, Beth! That makes me so happy AHH! And omg I know right? I think we writers need to spend more time celebrating the good parts! Sure writing sucks a lot but we have a lot of fun too.😂 Being proud shouldn’t be a bad thing!
You have such great writing ideas! Right now, I’m kind of trying to find one… my plan for next year mostly consists of rewriting current novels I have? 😂
That sounds like an excellent idea to me!! I have SO much rewriting to do next year too.😂
Whoooo! I’m still so excited about your book coming out but my mind LITERALLY BOGGLES at the amount of words you have written. Unfortunately now the bar is set so high, that next time I read a thing saying ‘Cait wrote 12 books in four minutes’ I’ll think PAH, PATHETIC, THAT’S A MINUTE WORSE THAN LAST YEAR!!! It’s like my brain is developing ‘shock-at-Cait’s-writing-fatigued syndrome’ so that I can’t even register amazement any more as a self defence against my brain just fully exploding from shock. But also go you, it’s AWESOME.
My writing habits… actually changed this year?? Which is amazing and makes me so happy?? Because before…my writing ‘habit’ was just ‘I don’t even have a habit lol I don’t actually regularly write’. For one thing I actually reviewed every book I read which has been a goal for YEARS I’ve never stuck to… AND I actually began blogging and (sort of) keeping to a weekly schedule (some of the time) which makes me happy. On the down side all the time I used to spend reading and commenting on other people’s blogs has been absorbed into my blog instead, which is NOT OKAY and also NOT HOW TO GET ANYONE TO READ YOUR BLOG. Hence why I am commenting on this post sooooo late…. woe is meeeeee!
I also am doing Nano and so far IT LOOKS LIKE I’M GOING TO WIN *screeching* which will make me sooo happy because it proves that I am not actually a “someday writer” and can actually be an actual “writer” who has a daily goal and keeps to it. Here’s hoping Christmas doesn’t turn me into a lazy blob.
Looking forward to the 2019 book reveal! 😀
Maddy @PaperTigerTale recently posted…Why Yes Karen, The Cover IS A Vagina // Maestra by L. S. Hilton
Eeep, MADDY. YOU’RE SO LOVELY. <3 I'm so excited for my book still haha.😂 And bahah, I mean, I know I can be a bit daunting with my goals BUT DON'T BE TOO DAUNTED. I swear most of the words were rubbish. I have a lot of editing/rewriting to do for SURE.
And oh that's amazing you've been on top of reviewing! I need to learn from you hahah. *dies at all the unread books I have* And honestly all these achievements are just AMAZING and I'm so proud of you!! also totally cheering for you to finish NaNo! *SENDS ALL THE CAKE*
WELL THIS POST JUST MOTIVATED ME TO GO WRITE A MILLION WORDS. How does it feel to know that you’re #goals for so many writers?
IT’S JUST MY MIND CONTROL POWERS AT WORK HONESTLY. AREN’T I GREAT?
So happy about your book coming out next year, that’s awesome! Your hard work has paid off.
My milestone this year was to get another novel out, and it came out on November 24th, Heir Force, my military inspy romance. So now the hard work begins–marketing! And you thought writing was hard??? Ha ha.
For me it’s easier to put in stuff I’ve experienced so I have the feels, the atmosphere, whatever. But, that’s what fiction is for, if you make it up!
Eeep, thank you, Michelle! It’s so surreal to soon be able to share what I’ve worked on so long with all of you ahhh!!! And oh congrats on your new novel too THAT’S AMAZING! Best of luck with the marketing…that sounds so daunting honestly. *sends cake*
LOVE this post. Now… I just need to copy you so I can be as productive.
Bahaha, thanks, Zara!!😂😂
Oh my gosh, yes, I made HUGE changes to my writing this year-namely that I actually got back to writing, and with a serious mindset. I’ve been talking about being an author since freaking GRADESCHOOL, and last year when I realized I was old it sort of hit me-Why haven’t I DONE it yet? Honestly, I’m so happy with how 2017 turned out for me. 2 completed first drafts, I’m on my way to hit 50k on a 3rd (omg, and I almost never win NaNo!), and 2 other first drafts in various stages of completion with a million more outlines just waiting to be next.
And I hear you on how difficult #OwnVoices is!! You would THINK it’s the easiest thing in the world, but no. Hahaha. No. Because what if your experiences are WRONG? What if people think you’re lying or making it up? What if you’re actually a fish and none of this is even real???
AHH THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY THAT YOU’RE WRITING NOW!! Honestly it’s a long road for writing, most of the time, and the best way to get better is to just write your heart out! I’m cheering for you and your first two drafts! THAT’S AMAZING. YOU ARE ON FIRE!!
And I TOTALLY relate to all those #ownvoices fears. *cries* I also end up feeling like the impostor syndrome. Or like someone else could tell this experience MUCH better than me and what if I’m being accidentally offensive?! So hard ahg.
I took on too much this November and now I’ve crashed. I have two days left after today and 20K to go. I mean, it should be feasible. I can do 10K in a day. But that was one day. And, to be perfectly honest, the way I did it wasn’t exactly healthy.
Me: I can’t fail NaNo!
Ivy: Know when to quit.
Me: NEVER.
The Skin Library sounds fun! I am here for all the fictional libraries!
Ivyclad Ideas recently posted…What Do You Believe? (His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet)
Eeep, I hope you did okay with NaNo!? AND I HOPE YOU DIDN’T GET TOO EXHAUSTED! Although I mean, I can’t talk, because I totally exhausted myself.😂 But sometimes writing crappy stuff is worth it just to have something to clean up later.😂
CAIT the first thing I want to say is that I can feel your Slytherin roots showing, you over achiever you. The second thing I want to say is CONGRATULATIONS on all of your hard work and dedication, I’m so glad to see it pay off! IT was always going to. And the last thing I want to say, is make sure to take care of yourself and don’t work yourself to the bone! (easier said than done). It’s okay to not operate at 1000 miles per hour cos you’ll wear yourself out.
Jeann @ Happy Indulgence recently posted…Nyxia Review: An Intense Competition With Vibrant Characters Set Among the Stars
Amen to the not overworking part! Sometimes a hard lesson but necessary!
I KNOW RIGHT!?? I just Slytherin’d all over this post.😂 Sometimes I’m like “yeah I’m not THAT much of a Slytherin” and then I remember I dedicate 90% of my life to beating my own goals so…I think I’m Slytherin.😂 BUT THANKS, JEANN. YOU’RE SO LOVELY. And it is so so ridiculously nice to see things actually happening after working secretly on things for so long!! I will try to go at like 999 miles per hour next year.😂
Oh my goodness I cannot get over how much of a machine you are! You’re honestly amazing I bow at your feet!! Congrats on the novel news I can’t wait to read it. Reading your posts really inspires me to work so much harder on my own writing – also….there can never be too much Martin Freeman for my eyes in my opinion.
I’M A BIT FLOORED TOO TBH. I don’t even know how I kept all this up.😂 I’m definitely looking forward to the next 2 months off haha. And aww, I’m so pleased to hear my posts are a bit encouraging! I just feel like a massive fangirling dork, which is fun.😂😂
One of major writing changes this year was doing some branching out in the POV department, because for my entire life I’ve only written in first person (Because I like to ACTUALLY BECOME THE CHARACTER WHO EVENTUALLY DIES) and now for Duct-Tape Heroes I’m doing a mix of first person and third person and this is pain? My entire internal monologue is first person and sarcastic af and writing in third person, the amount of times I’ve forgotten what POV I’m using and accidentally switched back to first has MADE MY ENTIRE WRITING PROCESS TOO LONG FOR UNDER 5k WORDS!
This year I did hit a milestone by ACTUALLY WRITING A LOT OF WORDIES! Even though I’ve had hundreds of ideas, my most prominent WiP, Stars, is definitely a record-breaker. So far, I’ve gotten to nearly 45k and I haven’t even finished a full draft so THIS IS GONNA BE FUN.
All of your projects sound amazing! I especially love The Misery Rules, because I’m a sucker for fairytales that DON’T have happy endings (but some happiness is great, it’s just, that one character can’t still be alive at end, capiche?).The Skin Library reminds me of Ink and Bone (which I got for my bday after reading your review and telling my fam about because “MOM LOOK IT’S A MAGICAL LIBRARY GIMME!”), but it still sounds different and interesting. Scorpion Deep sounds like Pirates of the Caribbean meets The False Prince SO SIGN ME UP MY HOMIE (ick, did i actually just say homie… and fam… what is happening to me). He Is Not Made Of Paper sounds like the problems I’m gonna have because ALL OF MY CHARACTERS ARE EITHER ME OR MY FRIENDOS but at least friendos know which characters are based on them and agree wholeheartedly so like, they love it and are extremely flattered.
*sigh* So, I honestly think that’s entirely on the mindset you have at the beginning of the process and all that jazz. See, all my characters are certain aspects of my personality and just MAGNIFIED BY A BILLION, so it’s like I’m technically bearing my soul for all to read, but it’s not really because I only take one of my own traits and then made and entire personality based off of that. I don’t have a #ownvoices story to tell (at least not that I know of), so I wouldn’t be sure how to advise you on that per se, but I do have a funny story. Last year I entered a writing contest where the prompt was “My Story” and it had to be, like, under 2k (PAIN). I got to the next level of judging by basically saying “HAH! Why would you wanna read my story? I’m not interesting. Here, have a list of stories I’ve written that are much more interesting.”
My mother was not amused.
But anyway! Congrats on your book deal (again, lmao) and good luck on all your writing projects for next year (although I bet that, 10 to 1, you’ll write something completely different, because that is my number one issue right there).
J.P. Ergott recently posted…The Writer’s Book Tag
That’s so cool you’ve been experimenting with POV!! I usually write 3rd/present, but this year I’ve also tried multiple POV which has been fun.😂 And hard.😂
Also that’s great about your word count!! *cheers for you*
Hahah who needs happy endings right?!😂 And omg YES I love Ink & Bone! I promise my idea is very different, but I still adore INk & Bone an astronomical amount.😂 All the magical library books are needed, yes please and thank you.
Haha yes. Ownvoices is different to just writing aspects of ourselves in books, it’s more like incorporating a minority experience. But it’s harder when things are personal right?!
Aww you’re so nice! THANK YOU.
First of all, your books are going to be so good! I’m so excited. I actually started doing a detailed outline for nanowrimo which was a change in my routine of just writing whatever scene in the very loose timeline and thinking I’d have a goal by the end. It’s been good! I don’t think I will be done with it yet but I’ve written more this year than ever before.
SQUEEE, LEAH, YOU ARE TOO NICE TO ME. <3 *squishes you* And also outlines are so helpful right?! I actually find they really cut out that moment of sitting at a blank screen and being stuck.😂
SO YOU KNOW HOW I ALWAYS SAY THAT I NEVER WRITE AN OUTLINE??? Well, I wrote one, for my NaNo novel, (actually, I wrote a Plan of Attack, but *shush* it was basically an outline. AKA a table of contents.) And then I’ve followed about 90% accurately. Now I think I’m going to write up Plans of Attack for every book that I write.
Milestones? Not sure that I’ve hit any, beyond the fact that this month has been my best for book sales since September 2015 – if not in my whole writing career. I also upgraded all of my books with shiny new content, so that was exciting. I also hosted Indie e-Con this year and had my all-time record for pageviews in a month on my blog. I need to start gearing up for Indie e-Con 2018.
I think all four of your story ideas sound fabulous and I’m ready to read every single one of them.
I just write whatever I feel like writing … so I’ve never really thought about it. But I do tend to put my characters’ home base in my neck of the woods (when anything resembling contemporary happens), and most of them end up homeschooled, so … there you go?
Kendra E. Ardnek recently posted…IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN!!
AHHH KENDRA!! I’M SO PROUD OF YOU FOR TRYING IT!! I mean, outlines are definitely not for everyone, but I always feel like we should try ALL the writing methods and see what works, right?! And 90% is great!😂 I totally burned my outline for a book I wrote earlier this year….I have no idea how I even finished haha.
And so much congrats for the book sales!! That’s so exciting!!
I really want to read The Misery Rules….. it sounds like a very disturbing and creepy fairytale.
Yes please!!!!
OMG THAT MAKES ME HAPPY! I promise it is sufficiently creepy.😂😂
You always knock poetry and pretty writing until you actually do it, and then you’re always like OH MY GOD THIS IS SO FUN. I took a poetry workshop a few weeks ago because I had a free voucher thing and I actually really enjoyed it. Honestly I think all the haikus and whatever we had to write for sixth grade English really turned us off it.
I totally adore all your book ideas. Especially sentient libraries and bird people. And ex best friends killing off ex best friends in books. If you ever need a beta reader come and yell at me because I would beta read SO HARD. (and also be mildly more articulate than I am currently coming off as)
And I TOTALLY AGREE ABOUT THE OWNVOICES THING. It’s so terrifying. Yes, I’m gay, yes, I’m Native Hawaiian, but putting those things in my books is mildly terrifying. Not the gay part so much, but the whole writing race thing because I’m constantly worrying I’m getting it wrong, and what if it doesn’t actually count because my mom’s white, and I don’t know the Native Hawaiian culture because my dad’s parents were never really taught about it so he wasn’t taught it and googling isn’t the same, but if it’s ownvoices then shouldn’t I be writing what I know? And people seem to put so much pressure on ownvoices, which seems conterintuitutive to the whole movement.
IT’S SO TRUE RIGHT?!? Like I’m pretty sure school killed poetry for me (I would literally cry because I didn’t understand it😂) and then I start messing about with it and I actually REALLY like it. I also read a Rupi Kaur book and absolutely loved it. 😍
Also thank you so so much about my ideas. <3 It's so encouraging to hear honestly!! And omg I would absolutely love to do a manuscript-swap with you maybe sometime?! Let me know if you'd be up for that? (Your books sound INCREDIBLE.)
AGH YES SEE THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FEEL TOO. I mean I've been autistic my whole life but I've only been diagnosed and actually learning actively about it for 3 years. So I hardly feel like I'm able to write about it sometimes? And yet I shouldn't feel that way (and neither should you!!) because our experiences ARE valid. No matter what kind of life we've lead. I do think people put a lot of pressure on ownvoices authors...it feels like we have to meet a lot of criteria but shouldn't we just be writing books true to ourselves? IDK. Perfect time for a life crisis.
Rupi Kaur is amazing, but I really love Amanda Lovelace. She’s my favorite.
I’d be totally up for that! At least, as soon as I actually get something in a reasonable shape to be read by actual other people. Right now The Skeleton Queen (my NaNo project) is currently missing a middle. And character names. And a main character with a personality beyond anxious and gay, honestly.
I’ve been seeing a lot of stuff lately about how #ownvoices is starting to get kind of mangled from its original purpose. People are starting to see it as #ownvoices must cover ALL POSSIBLE EXPERIENCES ABOUT THIS ONE SPECIFIC THING even though it was originally just supposed to be a way of saying “this author, who’s not white/cis/allo/het/christian is writing a mc who has dealt with some of their own experiences, or they’re coming at it with a knowledge that someone outside this specific group might not” but people put SO MUCH PRESSURE on #ownvoices books, now. Did you see the whole thing with When Dimple Met Rishi?
Haha character names are HARD. I have written an entire series outline and still not named characters.😂 But anyway whenever you’re ready!! That would be amazing. 😊😊
And agreed about the #ownvoices leaving its original intention. Seeing people police it is really crushing. I didn’t hear about what happened with Dimple & Rishi though?? I did hear about Tara Sim’s Timekeeper series getting a professional reviewer call it “not authentic biracial experiences” when Tara Sim IS biracial. It’s so disgusting how people think that some experiences are more valued than others. Diversity is supposed to be about celebrating differences?!?
Yes, hi, I would like to be reading “Scorpion Deep” and “He Is Not Made of Paper” right now, please?
And I feel the pain of losing your new-used desk, for I am likewise about to move house and lose my new-used desk. Life is a tragedy song.
*FLAILS WILDLY FOR 900 YEARS* THIS MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY THANK YOU!!! And omg so much pain for losing our desks agh. I guess we know we’re true writer nerds when we just want nice desks.😂
Wow, Cait, you’ve had an amazing year, you’ve been so productive. If everything goes according to plan, I’ll finish the second first draft I’ve written this year tomorrow, and my hope is that I can edit in 2018 as well las write at least one first draft. Your 2018 projects souch marvellous. Also, terrifying and hart-shattering. I like you a lot, Cait, but I don’t know what your choice of what to write says about you…
Shanti recently posted…Beautiful Books: Writing progress
That’s such an awesome goal!! I WILL BE CHEERING FOR YOU SO MUCH. And omg I don’t think I’d be able to write a book that isn’t somewhat heart shattering.😂😂
Next year is going to be the year of writing for me… hopefully! I felt like I was in a little bit of a slump this year with both reading and writing so I’m hoping to pick it all up again next year!! Sounds like you achieved some amazing goals this year, waaahoooooo, go you!!!
Eeep, I’m wishing you ALL the luck for your writing year next year!! Not every year is great for writing, I totally agree, and I’m hoping I have a goodly productive writing year in 2018 too.😂
The main change I’ve made in my habits this year is that I’ve actually put a lot of effort into improving my writing, my techniques and starting a platform. I’ve also set goals, which I’ve never done before, and because I’m a super competitive person, that’s really helped .
BUT CAIT you are AMAZING. ONE MILLION words!!! I’ve been showing off because I’ve written 75k in November, but 1MILLLION WORDS!!!!!! I can’t even comprehend.
Also, eagerly awaiting A Thousand Perfect Notes. June seems like such a long way away though!
Those are such good goals, I so love what you’re doing! And omg I hear you being super competitive.😂 I think that can work well for us though, right? We competitive types tend to get stuff done haha.😂
HEY 75K IN NOVEMBER IS AMAZING I’M CHEERING FOR YOU!!
‘I’m professional. Buy my book.’ should be at the cover of A Thousand Perfect Notes.
Oh I definitely feel you on writing #ownvoices being hard! The first time I wrote a character having a panic attack WAS NOT FUN. My current WIP also has a lot of my own experiences in it and at one point I actually burst into tears even though I thought I was fine?? Basically let me move to the Arctic with you
All of your 2018 projects look so interesting! Hope it will be a good year for you Cait, both writing wise and in other aspects 🙂
Honestly I’m so good at marketing already, it’s amazing. *awards self a sticker*
Ugh I hear you so much. I wrote about a depersonalisation / anxiety scene and it was like…so hard?!? I mean, I think it’s good that we are actually putting real experiences out there BUT IT’S HARD AND I THINK WE DESERVES SO MANY COOKIES.
OMG!! How did I miss that you have a book deal?!? I feel like a terrible follower!!! So many enormous congratulations!!!! Can’t wait to read it!
AHH THANK YOU!! You’re not terrible haha.😂 It’s only a recent announcement. <3 But thank yooooou! I hope you like it.😂
I’m so happy that you’re finally going to be published! I have been waiting to see your work in print ^_^ Congrats!
Also, how did I miss that you moved to the States? Where to? Does this mean we actually have a chance to meet now?!
Great post as always!
~Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
I’M SO FREAKING EXCITED I CAN’T EVEN.😂
And omg haha no no! I moved states in Australia.😂 I used to live in NSW and now I’m in QLD. 😉
Okay…I need you to drink a pot of coffee, get another desk and start writing some of those books that you’ve started because they sound AMAZING!!!! DO NOT keep them in a drawer.
Except the bird book-that one kind of freaks me out…but seriously…YOU GO GIRL!!! (High Five)
Aww THANK YOU.😂 <3 You're too nice honestly haha. And it would be lovely if they all end up working, so fingers crossed, right?!😂
That’s actually amazing that you’ve written 1,000,000+ words! I can’t wait to read your book as well.
I reached 50,000 words this NaNoWriMo! I’m actually kind of proud of reaching 5ok 😌
Congrats on all your achievements! You’ve done amazing this year.
Eeep thank you!😂 It was definitely a LOT compared to what I usually write, but I had a lot of fun sot hat was great. ALSO SO SO MUCH CONGRATS FOR REACHING 50K!! I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!!
I FINISHED A FIRST DRAFT OF A BOOK THIS SUMMER. By hand. All of it. And now I need to type it up. Heh. Heh. NO THERE’S NO REASON WHY I’M WRITING A BUNCH OF FANFICTION NOPE.
I would LOVE to read the anxious library book! Everything about it sounds amazing!
I think it’s harder to write things I have experience in, because they end up becoming me.
I also love to torture my characters, EMOTIONS. THEY ARE AMAZING.
I have written a lot this year for my standards, but nowhere near a million words. How much sleep do you get? And talking about sleep, almost everything I’ve written was in bed, on a couch, in a hammock, in a car, on the floor, on a train, or walking around. Everywhere except at a desk or table. Comfort over health! My motto for writing and dessert.
OMG BY HAND?!?! That’s SO incredible! I’m in complete awe of you since I can barely write these days hha haha. Ahem.
Oh torturing characters is so much fun. :’) I mean why kill them when you can just ruin their lives? FUN.
Pfft what is sleep. 😂
Honesty time! I didn’t officially get into blogging/reading blogs/reviewing books until a few months ago, and you were the very first blog I dubbed my favorite. Although I haven’t read all of your posts, I have followed them religiously since initially stalking–ahem, discovering you. You keep me excited about your work, and my own, and you keep me excited about reading at all times. I don’t mean to place all this responsibility of a stranger on you, but whatever you call your job, you do it well. You’re so inspiring and I’m so excited for you. I can only hope I get to the same level of achievements you’ve reached. Thank you! P.S. HE IS NOT MADE OF PAPER??? GREAT. I WANT IT NOW. IN MY HANDS IMMEDIATELY. No pressure though.
Awww I’M SO HONOURED, ERICKA. I MAY JUST GIVE YOU ALL THE CAKE NOW, YOU FABULOUS BEING. <3 Also I'm super pleased that I can be a bit encouraging. I mean, I'm just a huge fangirling dork.😂 But it's fun, right?!
(I NEED TO WRITE SO MUCH NEXT YEAR IT'S GONNA BE GREAT.)
I am so excited for you! I have officially added your book to my Goodreads list. Yesssss! I love reading about your writing process. It gives me hope.
AHHH THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY THANK YOU!! I hope you like it!!😂
My goodness Cait, you are some kind of a writing machine, I swear! Also, you do need to get working on ALL those books because they sound great- except maybe the one with bird people, you KNOW how I feel about bird people. Also, you write from your bed!? That has to be so hard, I can barely blog from my bed!
Oh I totally made changes to my writing this year! In that… I didn’t. At all. Not one freaking word all year. That’s sad, no? Honestly this year was just such garbage, I didn’t have any motivation. Hopefully I will get some next year. And to answer your question about whether #ownvoices is harder or easier… it’s both. I mean, I have only written two partial things, one of which is and one of which isn’t. And like- the thing with writing what you know is that you DO have the experience to work from, which makes it a bit easier, but then it’s also kind of emotionally draining, too. So.. yeah, I am sticking with both 😀
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted…Some Books I’ll Get to This Winter (And Some I Really Won’t)
SHANNON. YOU ARE LOVELY. And yes I think I really outdid my own machine status this year.😂 Also I’m reeeally glad you like my book ideas and also omg, I SWEAR I THOUGHT OF YOU with my bird people book.😂 If it ever becomes a real book, I will excuse you from reading it forever, do not fear. 😉
(Honestly someone needs to award me for not napping while I blog/write/read. That’s the true power I hold.)
And like it’s totally fine that not every year is a productive writing year for us!! I think this year has been a bit of garbage, but I also like to ignore it + fight back a bit by writing so much. But omg @ this world. What even is it doing.
And EXACTLY. Ownvoices writing is emotionally draining! And there’s so much pressure too…plus I never want to self-insert, but also I want to write my experiences?! It’s so hard.😂
Honestly I’m just stupidly happy to see you used the right “cue” in your title?? because people mixing up “cue” and “queue” – well, I think I’m allergic. And I actually once had a heated discussion with a relative about whether “que” was a word in the English language.
And I would LOVE to read a story about an anxious sentient library!! *thumbs up*
Jem Jones recently posted…Weak excuses + The Writer’s Book Tag
Aww I DID ENGLISH RIGHT!! And this is coming from someone who knows no grammar ever and at all.😂
I made a big change in that I actually … wrote something. A 60K NaNo novel, the only complete thing I’ve written since my HSC major work, the only complete novel that I’ve written since I was 11 or 12 (I’m 23 now). I used to dream of being a writer in my childhood but at about 16 or so I suddenly realised I was SHIT at plots/etc. (now I’m realising maybe I wasn’t, it just didn’t come naturally and so I didn’t try…?) and wrote basically nothing, until now.
So that’s cool.
I think there are challenges to writing #ownvoices … I did it for my NaNo story, writing Chinese diaspora girls who like girls. Things that feel like challenges for me:
1. “what if this is too self-insert-y? what if other people think my characters are just self-insert-y and they’re Mary Sue-ish in a bad way? do i seem narcissistic for writing characters who have things in common with me?” and then I remind myself that straight white writers write characters with the same gender/ethnicity/orientation as them ALL THE TIME so my worries can just fuck off
2. “what if someone reads this and thinks it’s written badly/offensively?” and then I think, well, whatever. I am part of the minority I’m representing, if someone wants to nitpick/misinterpret something non-major then whatever, there’ll always be people like that. and I have enough faith in myself not to fuck up something major. also, not all experiences are universal etc.
Gosh this got long. Your writing style must be contagious (: //runs away
AHHHH CONGRATS, RAIN, I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!! THIS IS A DAY OF GLORIOUSNESS!!! (Also I’m also 23 so *hi fives* for our writing achievements at our old age😂) And honestly I think every writer is horrible when they start. It’s truly something you have to practice obsessively until you get to a point where you’re proud of what you’re doing. (At least it definitely took me a long time.😂)
Omg the self-insert thing is TERRIFYING to me too. I really don’t want to do that. How do we write experiences like ourselves but not BE ourselves?! *has existential crisis*
I also fully and entirely agree that if we are part of a minority then WHATEVER our experience in it, it’s valid! I guess anxiety is telling us lies, but we gotta punch it back.
(This was the best comment, thank you so much!!)
You are just the loveliest most encouraging and verbally energetic person, your posts and replies are a pleasure to read ^_^ thank you for the reply!
Also, congratulations on your book deal and I think your story ideas in this post all sound pretty cool!
I saw on blog that you’re Australian? High five for that too! Thought I’m living in the UK at the moment and December is now the monthly of freezing my tits off instead of impending heatwaves 🙂
Aww seriously I can’t even express how happy that makes me!!❤️❤️ And thank you so so much about my book deal. I’m so excited to finally be able to share a full novel with everyone. (Aaaand freaking out nervous of course.😂Such is the writers life, right?!)
Yes, Australian! *Aussie hi five* I honestly can’t imagine having a cold Christmas so good luck.😂 I’m in Far North QLD so currently melting with the humidity.😂
Oh my god “He is Not Made of Paper” is SUCH A PERFECT TITLE FOR THAT STORY, and MAKES SUCH A GOOD POINT OMG I WANT THIS BOOK NOW i need all the books Cait I was under the impression that you were a superhero!?!
I mean you are but omg reading that book title and description made me feel all funny inside and wow.
*squeaks happily* I’m so glad you like it!! I still have some knots to uncrinkle but I’m so excited to read it!! And hey I am Paper Fury so surely that means I am the long lost child of Nick Fury right?! *dons superhero cape*
PLEASE WRITE THE SKIN LIBRARY BECAUSE I’VE STALKED ALL YOUR WIP PINTEREST BOARDS AND THAT IS THE ONE I WANT THE MOST SO WRITE IT PLEASE.
That is all.
I WANT TO SO BADLY YOU HAVE NO IDEA. ALL I’M GOING TO DO IS WRITE NEXT YEAR APPARENTLY.
I just have to say I’m so glad I found you on twitter and started reading your blog. You talk like I think and it’s nice to know there are others whose brains never turn off and constantly interrupt themselves. I can’t wait to see what’s to come from you!
I’m closing in on finishing my second first draft this year (first time ever!!) and plan to publish two novels in 2018 (hooray for self-publishing!!), which will be my 5th and 6th novels respectively. And then I will write my very first sex scene. I’m scared.
Aww this makes my DAY!! I’m also super glad you’re reading my blog. I will give you all the cake. <3 (And equally glad we both have overactive minds.😂 It's exhausting but also exciting!?)
And omg congrats and good luck with publishing!!
YOU WRITE SO MUCH CAIT!!! I’m in awe. I’ve never seen anyone pump out books like you do. I’m so glad you’re finally being rewarded with a published novel next year!!!!
Your project wishlist for next year sounds AMAZING btw. I love all those concepts.
THANKS BEC. <3 I'm seriously so excited and it's nice to be able to like finally TALK about all the things too!! <3
I genuinely get exhausted just looking at how much you write! I’ve written just over 44k of my newest WIP this year, didn’t win NaNoWriMo, but was very happy with the progress I made, so I’m calling it a success anyway! I’m not sure what I’ve written total this year, if I counted blog posts, articles for The National Student, essays, plus my novel, probably quite a lot, but nowhere near as much as you! I did actually change my writing routine a tiny bit this year, in that when I did NaNoWriMo, I wrote out of order this time as I had a better idea of the beginning and the end than the middle-though now I’m realising that I actually have to write the middle section and it’s giving me the fear! Your writing projects for 2018 sound so great, I haven’t even thought about mine yet, I still have to finish my current project! I don’t know if I’ve really written stuff I have experience in? It’s hard to say when you’re writing fantasy! My MC for my current project is English, so she’s like me in that respect. I wrote my first story with a single MC specifically because I wanted to explore a YA project without any romance in as I was never in a relationship in my teens, so I thought that was something which would be cool to explore. I think my MCs naturally end up having a lot of me in them because I write in first person, so it’s a natural side effect of that!
Jo recently posted…NaNoWriMo 2017 Wrap Up Post
EEEP, I’M CHEERING FOR YOU TOO, JO!! YOU’VE DONE AMAZINGLY!! Also changing things up and finding out what works better for us with writing is REALLY good and important. I shouldn’t be so scared to try new things.😂
Also I’m super keen that you’re writing a non-romance book. That is really needed.😂I mean I do enjoy reading romance, but sometimes it’s nice not to have it in a book!?
Ahhhh, Cait you had such a fabulous year!! I’m so excited for your debut next year. ☺️ And omg the sentient library sounds so amazing. Please make that happen. XD
Amy recently posted…December TBR: Christmas books, catch-up, and more!
AWW THANKS, AMY!! I’M SO EXCITED ABOUT SO MANY THINGS THAT’S FOR SURE.
THIS IS IT!!!!! I’LL BE SCREAMING UNTIL JUNE 2018!!!! I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU! CONGRATULATIONS CAIT!
I’M SCREAMING TOO LET’S JUST ALL SCREAM TOGETHER.
I don’t see a like button so I’m going to assume there isn’t one?? But this post was great and it got me thinking about my own writing. In terms of blogging I think I’ve gotten better but in terms of story writing I feel like I move farther and farther away from it which makes me sad bc I really do want to write more but I always get stuck in the middle and interactions what is that?! For 2018 I’m going to try getting more writing out even if it never goes anywhere, practice as you mentioned 😀 also MAJOR CONGRATS I did see that you’ll be debuting your novel next year so need to add it to my TBR :3 also this was a blast to read so if you’re writing is anything like this I’m going to have so much fun 🙂 and thank you for explaining ownvoice!! I keep hearing about it but ppl never say what it is…and huh I guess I’ve always written some sort of ownvoice since a lot of my characters have some anxiety (and I use this loosely, I know ppl don’t like other using this term if it’s not officially given to you by a doctor but I’ve not been to a doctor in like 10 yrs so yeah lol) but I’ve never thought of this trait as something of notice, it just happened and LOL I kill of characters in my short stories a lot 😌👀 but only in originals. I write fanfiction too and I can never manage to kill any of them off (I’d cry lol) ahhh i feel like I had more to say but I’m at work now and ppl coming up to me to buy tickets to star wars distracted me 😣
Aww thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
And honestly practise IS the biggest way to get better at writing.😭😂It’s sometimes annoying to say!? But I’ve been writing like a wild mad fiend for years, and only now really feel comfortable. I mean, I hope it doesn’t take that long for you! But the more you write, the better it gets. (Maybe not easier?! Although I do find it a little easier tbh.)
That’s awesome that you’re writing characters with anxiety! It’s definitely something that needs to be talked about in books, because so so many of us struggle with it!
I really wanted to leave a comment because I’ve hella admired you from afar for a while. I am kind of dazzled by your writing speed. I am a mom of two kids on the spectrum and most days, I consider it lucky to manage 500 words. (Got to find the pace that works for you, right?) This is the year I changed my entire writing style. For most of my life, I’ve been a dedicated panster and story juggler, writing many different projects, finishing none. This year I gave up chasing plot bunnies, did some hardcore outlining (the most metal thing I’ve ever done) and turned some heavy focus onto finishing one project at a time. And found I really enjoy outlining. Like disgustingly enjoy it. Cheers to writing in 2018!
Aww thank you for this comment!! It’s SO lovely and encouraging! And actually I think you’re incredible for balancing being a mum + fitting in any writing at all, so I completely applaud your management skills there! Also so glad you discovered plotting. 🎉🎉 Plotting honestly saves my life because otherwise I’d forget my entire story before I started. 😂😂