Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh and his co-hosts for hosting this event every month. Today's co-hosts are: Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue, and Heather Gardner!
Here is this month's optional question: As you look back on 2017, with all its successes and/or failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?
My answer is: No regrets and no backtracking, only moving forward. I've taken it pretty slowly the last two years, and I haven't accomplished as much as I could have. It's because I took a step back in order to regroup and move forward again. I've been studying the craft. Again. Or still. Whatever. Although I know the rules intellectually, it seems like it takes a while to really sink in. That's why writers just have to keep writing. And I found that putting too much emphasis on word count and volume and pushing ahead to publish as quickly as possible simply does not work when you're still a newbie (after 8 years, I still feel like a newbie) learning the craft. I took a good long look at my published works and decided they were lacking--and unpublished my two novels and a 3-novella series on January 1st of this year.
My writing has improved, because I slowed down, took my time, and paid closer attention to the whole atmosphere of my work. And while I wish that time wasn't passing so quickly, this past year was totally worth it.
How was your year?
Any regrets?
What would you change if you could?
