2016: Writer's Year in Review

Gonk the Insane

Gonk the Insane

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As we're fast approaching the end of the year I thought it might be nice to share the mischief we've been up to this year, for good or ill. So, I'll kick things off...

2016 has been a mixed bag for me. Life interfered in writing (drat!) and having a tough year (though it got better towards the end:)) affected my writing, at least in terms of output. I've managed only 60k words this year - probably a little more than half the usual.

It was also a year of experimenting: after writing pretty much only novels for 10+ years, I tried doing some interrelated shorter novellas (I'm finishing up the second now) intended as a prequel to my next big project. While I much prefer long fiction as both a reader and writer, it's been a useful exercise to attempt* brevity and write something tighter and more focused.

My self-publishing plan fell apart (originally intended to publish this year), but I have a new plan now, and am resolved to publish next year. Still fine-tuning the plan, but hopefully around the middle of next year Gonk's First Book of Words may be unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

EDIT: While organising my old manuscripts the other day, I went full-geek and counted words. I'm quite pleased that this year I've now passed a million words of fiction. Not necessarily the right words, nor even in the right order, but I'm still quite chuffed.:D

Doing Beta and ARC reviews of other members' work this year, alongside reading several published books by Chronners has highlighted the high standard of writing by folks here, and has inspired/shamed me into aiming higher and trying to raise my own game in this regard, which I see as a good thing.

Despite these setbacks, the year has also turned out good in many ways. While struggling personally and unable to concentrate on writing (unusual as it's usually what balances me out) I got more involved on Chrons, and it's one of the best things I've done for a long time. Folks were really supportive when things were bad, and by interacting with people more I learned lots of things, had fun, hopefully gave back a bit to the community, got to know some lovely people better, and even stuck a toe outside of my comfort zone, culminating in two great trips to meet Chronners in Manchester and London. While I won't be able to afford to do this often, I intend to fit in a meet-up or two next year. Plus, I think FantasyCon is near enough to me in 2017 to be drivable each day, so I might even attend my first Con.

I suspect that if this year hadn't been so challenging, I would have missed out on many of these opportunities, so I don't regret how the year unfolded - far from it:)

How's 2016 been for everyone else?

*The shortest fiction I've managed is 20k so totally arguable that I failed! Turns out I'm not a short fiction kind of guy:)
 
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Good thread, Gonk! I enjoyed reading your philosophical reflection upon the year. Often good things comes from bad, as Owl says.

Personally, it's very much been a year of soaring peaks and deep troughs. We've had two deaths in the close family this year, and another family member has suffered with mental illness to the extent that we almost suffered a third tragedy. I was made redundant in June but, after my secondment contract was extended, my notice was revoked and I wasn't made redundant after all.

But, as a wonderful counterbalance to these things, our second daughter Penelope joined us in July, like a beacon of light, and my brother and sister-in-law also brought my second nephew, baby Luca, into the world in September. Lovely babies.

With respect to the writing, his year I don't think I can figure out how many words in total I've managed, but it's been a memorable year nonetheless. The big ticket item this year was getting a publishing contract with Snowbooks, which was a joyous and wonderful experience, and I look forward to seeing Man O'War in print next year. Apart from completing MOW and selling it successfully, I have completed a short novella which I may self-publish next year as a slim paperback, and I've started my next novel, which I hope to complete at some point in 2017. Next year I hope to have MOW, at least one novella, and perhaps even an anthology of short stories published. No challenge victories this year, but I've written some pieces I really enjoyed.

Chrons has continued to be influential, useful, enjoyable and an invaluable resource as a writer, and also a place where I've made some great mates, so for that I'm very grateful, and I'm looking to meeting more Chronners next year. I also, like Gonk, would like to shed my convention virgin status and get to my first Con.

Merry Christmas, everyone!
 
I've had a productive year in some ways, but in terms of raw output, no. Work on my sequel novel to The Goddess Project stalled in March at the time of my mum's passing away, and I couldn't get it started again until fairly recently. But in the meantime I workshopped some earlier chapters and kept things ticking over, and there was work to do on TGP itself for publication in January. And I think I might have won a 75-work challenge, but that might have been last year.

Chrons and Chronnites have, as ever, been a great source of wisdom, amusement and occasional bewilderment.
 
I've had a good year. I finished the Abendau books which was fantastic, to finish such a big first project, and they - and Inish Carraig - continue to get great reviews (thanks @DGJones for a lovely one last night). I've had two audio books released. And I've had, for the first time, a grant to support my writing. It was tiny but it shows the arts council are willing to support my genre work (so much of it is Irish-based, I think that helps) and gives me hope for the future. And, for the first time, I'm in profit for my writing! Hooray! Partly through extending the business end of writing into coaching and workshops - which I hope continues into next year and beyond, and which shows every chance of doing so.

The first part of the year was mostly working on old stuff - the big push was on Sunset over Abendau, the Abendau's Legacy, then Waters and the Wild, my first fantasy, which comes out from Inspired Quill in July.

But the work on Waters and the Wild is largely done and, betweeen now and July, the focus is on building the promotion for it. A lot of people seem to be looking forward to it and I hope it does well. I also hope to bring out a novella and collection of short stories in the tail end of the year, time permitting.

But now I'm writing something new and that feels good, too, to be able to be moving forward with a project. This one is a paranormal based in Donegal featuring a psychic artist, who I hope proves popular enough to build a series around. I have a publisher lined up to look at it and will have to decide at some point if an agent might be worth approaching, too (if so, I'll only approach a couple I like the look of, but at this stage I might wait and see what happens more organically.)

So, I expect a busy year with two writing programmes lined up to deliver, a couple of projects on the go, a couple of local cons on the radar - I hope - and my ongoing commitments!
 
I've had 'a quiet year', but then I have the excuse of being in and out of hospital and recovering from illness since August (all better now, thank goodness). I've only managed to get three short stories published, all oddly enough themed on AI one way or another.

The novel front continues as planned. I've almost got the middle third of the C.A.T. novel finished, and will have it finished in time for the New Year. Due to the structure of the novel, I've been able to send in entries to the Writers of the Future contest for each major chapter. So far they've gained two (out of two submissions) Honourable Mentions - which is quite achievement when you consider there were lose ends at the end of each 'short story'.

As for the future - I'm hoping to finish my C.A.T. novel next year (C.A.T.'s already itching to have a sequel, but I sure as heck don't know how I'm going to top the current WIP - at least not yet!). Then it's back to my other novel set in a couple of differential universes (O.K. so I like interesting big ideas). On the short story front, I've a couple of interesting quirks of the laws of physics I'm developing into readable fiction.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year to you all!
 
In a way, this is my first year of being a real writer. I mean, yes, I've got files for aborted ideas going back ten years and more and the WIP getting seen to today goes back to early 2014, but this is the first year I've reached out to other writers and made a real effort to learn how to be a better author. Prior to this I laboured under the illusion that it would just happen and maybe I'd have continued under it if I hadn't found Chrons. I haven't just improved as a writer for finding here though, I've also started some friendships that feel like they'll keep growing stronger and stronger for a long time to come, and done some fair damage to my liver in the process. And while like a lot of people here, 2016 has sucked so hard at times that it resembles Michael Bay doing French Arthouse, there's been a lot of good too and this place has been part of it all.

I digress though. 2016 has seen me finish one re-draft, do an entire first draft, start a re-draft of the re-draft that's neeeaaarly finished, and started foundation work on 3 other projects (focus issues, what focus issues?) The total comes to about 120k words written and about 200k words edited (with a lot of rewriting in it). I'd hoped to self-publish this year but there's still a lot to be proud of there.

More importantly though I no longer do screenplay dialogue. My use of the passive tense has diminished. I have come to a journeyman understanding of third close. I've improved my use of dialogue tags. I've done a lot of work on story structure. I use less telling words. There's still plenty of things left to work on - better use of the five senses for one - but being able to see concrete improvements in my writing style is a great thing.

And most important of all, I learnt all reviews are better with reaction gifs :cool:

So a good year. Good enough that I needed some triumphant music for writing this post to. I think I'll now take thirty minutes off of the editing to reflect what needs to happen next because you can be sure I want to keep chasing this good feeling.
 
2016 is the first year I guess I could consider myself an actual "writer", and not just a dabbler in those mysterious wordsmithing arts. I began a new career in January which has consumed a great deal of my time and energy, but after settling into graveyard shift I finally picked up the kernel of an idea I had come up with ~6 months prior. That idea is now my WIP, currently sitting at around 23k words. I've still got a very long road ahead, but the path is steady and the skies are clear, so onward I travel.

I also discovered this lovely place! It has been an irreplaceable source of information and resources, as well as great conversation with people from across the world. While I haven't had the pleasure of meeting any of you wonderful Chronners in person (stemming partly from being across the pond from many of you), I still feel as though I have made many friendships that I hope last for many years to come.

Viva La Chrons!
 
2016 will be marked forever in my head as 'The Year My First Novel Was Published' and I graduated (in my head) from being a writer, to being an author. To me, thats the difference, I know other people have different definitions.
I was relieved and incredibly happy that Liberator met with approval and superb reviews, and it looks like we will end 2016 with around a thousand readers of the novel.

I have finished a novelette - Primordial, which I will publish at the start of January '17, and I hope people enjoy it. It is more of a sci-fi horror tale.

I was incredibly pleased to have a short story accepted for publication in Woodbridge Press' next anthology First Contact and am very proud that my story will sit almgside work from authors such as @ralphkern and Robert M Campbell. Thank you @ratsy

All in all, a fantastic year for my burgeoning writing career. Next year will be better!

And thank you @TheDustyZebra for being an awesome editor.
 
Yeah, I guess I've done alright. Two books out and a short in Nathan's anthology. These days when someone asks me what I do, instead of saying 'nothing much' I can now say I'm a published author. After all the years of struggle, beat ups, knock backs and general disappointments, I'm content with my lot. Now, what time is it? Oh yes, beer time. Happy holidays you crazy kids.
 
A good year in all. Learning from the mistakes of my first novel, then making new ones with the second :) My first novel was too long, this one ended up too short. I've written a thriller and thought it too convoluted, so I took out a sub-plot and removed a character. I'm now threading it all back in again.

I think I can look back on 2016 and say that it is the first time I've been comfortable with telling people I'm a writer. After all, that is all I do! My tasks for next year: find a publisher, start a blog, win the Booker Prize, land a film deal, peel an orange with one hand and buy a new submarine – this one leaks like a sieve!
 
My year has been dominated by working away from home (with no internet!!!!) and not getting much writing done:cry:. Right at the end of last year I did a big push and submitted to the Hodderscape Open Door, then the Biskitetta kept me updated by phone on what was happening until my last three fell in the final week or so before they called in full MSs - not an entirely happy time.

Then, just when it felt like it was all over at the end of the summer, and we pushed ahead self-publishing Demonyka, the working away kicked in again...

The main writing I seem to have done is blogging on the catalogue of cat/chicken/sheep/other crises that chose this year to gang-up on us.

I'm looking forward to a brighter and better 2017:).
 
I began the year not as a writer, but as a band director that was being forced to face his mediocrity. Thirteen years into my teaching career, and I was starting to feel that life had nothing more to give.

So I started writing. So far there is one completed novel that is not very good, another almost complete but not much better than the first. Several shorts, some good, some not and two rejection letters that feel like badges of honor.

Best yet is my new sense of self. I do ok in the challenges (except that darn 75.) My shorts are way better than my long form and I am trying to build on that. Chrons is a fun place with great people and great advice.

206,000 words since I started in March. Most of it is bad. Some of it is really good. I guess I'd like to get published eventually. No rush. To a certain extent, I'm enjoying where I'm at and want to continue to learn and develop for a while before anything big happens. I do feel like this will be a life long obsession. I've got the bug bad.
 
Not too much writing for me this year. :( I've managed to squeak a 75 in every month and keep my record there intact, and I did get back in the saddle with the last 300, so that's something. I think Lake Manor came out this year, and it seems like I did most of the writing of my story in January. I can't really count my story for Journeys, because I wrote it before this year and it doesn't come out until next year.

So I suppose all I can really lay claim to is a small part in a number of people's joy, as I've spent most of my spare time this year on editing. :D
 
TheDustyZebra said:
So I suppose all I can really lay claim to is a small part in a number of people's joy, as I've spent most of my spare time this year on editing. :D
Click to expand...
All? That's a major part in bringing out a book, so I do not think a self-deprecatory 'all' is appropriate in this case, TDZ.
And, having read a couple of books you've edited, I'd like to say thank you. I know the authors put in the story, but you helped get those stories into print.

*mutters* 'All,' she says! *mutter, mutter*
 
A hugely busy year - although the total number of NEW words written is probably just about 100k. It has been a year of firsts - my first novel was published by Matt Sylvester at Alternative Realities (second published today!) and I edited AR's first anthology which has done ok (well for an anthology anyway).

It's been a year of learning lessons about marketing, building audiences, wasting time on stuff that doesn't work and finding things that do. I joined this forum which has been a brilliant move if only to see other people working through their own processes on the same issues. It's been very encouraging.

To cap it off though, @Gary Compton and crew at TicketyBoo Press loved my first fantasy novel, Dreams of Darkness and over Christmas I'll be doing the deep planning for the that novel's sequel (and starting work on the concluding part of my first trilogy, The Oligarchy, which I now want to get out to clear the decks so I can concentrate on giving it my all for TicketyBoo over the next while).

All in all a manic year and that's outside of the day job!
 
Thank Stewart, Jo and all the Tickety Boo crew. Been a great year, in profit every month, a decent profit as well, several #1's and best sellers.

Yes that meant I got to employ more editors, cover artists etc. Only downside was the death of my much loved and now much missed brother.

But us Compton's are fighters so onwards to 2017. Got 35 books being published next year with the help of Teresa, Sam Primeau, Siobhan Marshall-Jones, Paul Corcoran, Dave de Burgh, Andy Angel and all the fabulous authors new and old! Oh and not to mention the reviewers and proof-readers and most importantly the readers.

We also continue with our promotional activities which are bearing fruit already and will grow.!

Spectral was the most demanding for me but proof of the pudding tends to shut the doubters up. Come the spring everyone will have been paid back, a press will have been saved and a the owner can rebuild their life with pride! And Tickety Boo gets to keep it. (definitely worth doing).

Happy dance!
 
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