A Writer's Journey
I have only had one book published in fifteen years of writing. To some that may sound like a success, to others a mild failure. To me, it's neither, because the reward for writing is the writing, not the end product. But how can I feel that way (most days) without external “publishing news” validation? Without being able to stack up my books and take aesthetic photos of them?
Only having one book doesn’t mean I haven’t had success in crafting a writer’s life.
The truth is, writers, even very successful ones, aren’t signing new contracts monthly (except maybe Brandon Sanderson). So, I'm going to share my personal successes, the times I do a writing happy dance, in hopes that if you’re a writer, you'll connect with those successes, too, or if you're interested in why I've written so many books, but you can't read them yet, you might understand why that doesn’t bother me too much. I'll share three ways that I feel accomplishment: community, writing process, and reading.
I’ll also list my favorite reads of the year in multiple genres at the end.
Writing Community
I have an amazing writing community. But let's break down how that happens and how it translates into "success." First, I run one-to-two writing retreats a year. They offer space and quiet to write. Every time writers email me to tell me how productive they were at the retreat, or let me know they can't wait until the next one, it's a success. It is mine, and it is theirs, to share in community. I love these times and look forward to the retreat and the successes that come from the retreat. I also regularly am accepted or invited to professional writing retreats that are funded or partially funded. Allowing myself to accept these opportunities to write without parenting or working allows for a big, joyful happy dance of success.
Second, until recently, I ran a very successful ten-year critique group with a group of eight amazing writers. Over the years I was revising my first novel and writing my second then third, I met once a month with a group of kid-lit authors who have become dear friends (success!) and have had success of their own in their writing endeavors (more happy dance!) Out of the original group, five of us have attempted to traditionally publish books and all five have been successful. If you are struggling as a writer, take note that each of our stories is different and worth exploring in another post, but that persistence and informed, reliable feedback has been essential for all of us.
Writing Books
Writing books is a joy for me, more often than not, and so I make sure to let myself feel accomplished at as many turns as I can. In the past six years, I have written four more full length young adult novels and two picture books. I have also drafted an almost complete adult novel, and planned out three more adult novels in synopsis and chapter-to-chapter outline. Here's the hard part: three of those novels have gone on submission to editors and have not yet been purchased. The fourth book is awaiting a revision. One of the books has gone to acquisitions and wasn't chosen, one has been shelved, and one just went out, so that one is a live wire. All in all? It's hard to celebrate something that is in someone else's control. So, I don't get my hopes too high (except at acquisitions, that's okay).
Instead, I celebrate my successes as I make them. During the idea generation phase, I celebrate the gift of my overactive imagination. Most book ideas I have don't go anywhere, even outlined ones--but they might someday! So I celebrate that. During the drafting phase, every hundred pages I celebrate. A finished draft gets a big happy dance. And after, each round of revision I celebrate the page counts and the endings. To reflect on what society says we should celebrate (with an unboxing video on Insta or TikTok) I actually had very little sense of accomplishment holding my first published novel. I felt detached from it by then, already invested in the next book, called SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS. SIX is being read by editors, so I may do an unboxing video someday. But until then, I celebrated when it was ready to go to my agent, when it was ready for submission, and the day we sent it out. After that, it's not work I'm doing anymore. It's up to others. And this is the crux of the thing, folks. We can celebrate the success of our work in the moment, as it's happening, rather than wait for someone else to acknowledge it.
Reading Books
Reading is why most writers become writers, and so I often find myself feeling successful through my reading accomplishments. Annually, I read about 150 books, and each time I finish another, I feel a zing of accomplishment. If the book was written by a friend, make that many many happy zings. Those of you on Booktok with me already know the joy of reading and bragging about books we love, but reading a great way to feel a sense of success in writing even when you're just reading--because reading a lot is what makes writers better, more savvy writers. Reading is research for writing, it is a game of can-my-writer-brain-predict the twists, it is a study of the new trends in your genre. It's all part of the larger writing journey.
So on that note, I'm going to end by offering you a few of the double-happy zing books I've read this year in list format. Happy everyday writing and reading successes to all of you.
Books I loved this year in order of wanting to re-read them, followed by genre in parentheses.
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer (Adult)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue byV.E. Schwab (Adult)
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (Adult)
Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave (Adult)
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (Adult)
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Adult/ middle grade crossover)
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Adult)
The Totally Tru Story of Gracie Bryne by Shannon Takaoka (YA)
Compass & Blade by Rachel Greenlaw (YA crossovoer)
Wordslut by Amanda Montell (NF/Adult)
Cultish by Amanda Montell (NF/Adult)
One Dark Window series by Rachel Gillig (YA crossover)
The Winterhouse Trilogy by Ben Guterson (MG)
We All Want Impossible Things by Catheriine Newman (Adult)
Book of Night by Holly Black (YA/Adult crossover)
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundall (MG/YA)Ninth House and the sequel Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (Adult)
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan (Adult)All Adults Here by Emma Straub (Adult)
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland (YA crossover)
Why Has Nobody Told me This Before by Dr. Julie Smith (NF /Adult)
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (Adult)
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (Adult)
The Switch by Beth O'Leary (Adult)Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center (Adult)
Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter (Adult)
Spare by Prince Harry (NF/Adult)
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