I’ve been away for quite a while. I didn’t want to be, but grieving for more than a dozen people since the beginning of 2022 took its toll. And my sweet kitty cat died, too. I wasn’t inclined to write although that would have been the very thing to bring healing. I needed a break to allow myself some self-care. The losses continued into 2023, but after attending a grieving class (which I highly recommend), my disposition began to improve. Gradually, I eased back into the rhythm of planning a return to my writing projects. It’s interesting that even though I didn’t progress with the WIPs I had in 2021, I faithfully submitted work to a monthly critique group.
So, what happens now in 2025?
I am focusing on my poetry while I attempt to incorporate all the feedback I received from my critique partners. I am grateful for their patience as I take the time to recalibrate. I am encouraged that they enjoyed one of my short stories so much that they suggested I expand it into a novel or at least a novella. Time will tell, but I can already visualize a bit of what they said.
I am also waiting to hear about the results of my very first song submission to a publisher. How exciting! The process is a bit different than for a manuscript. A recording of the song is also required. It was so cool being present for the recording over two evenings. As usual, I had to wait a few weeks for news of whether the work will receive a contract. Since that didn’t pan out, the song was submitted to another publisher.
In November 2023 and 2024, I jumped back into writing during National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short, where the goal is to write 50K words in thirty days. I’d been gentle with myself both times. If I only managed one word, I was happy with that. At least I started writing again, which is more important.
