June 2021 Update

It’s been a hot minute, huh?

2020 took its toll on me pretty hard. I ended up going into a bit of an extended depressive episode where I couldn’t read or write or really do anything I loved for a very long time.

In the middle of it all, I was also let go from my day job because of budget cuts, but I was thankfully hired in a different department before my last day so I was able to keep working and keep up with the bills.

At least now I’m 100% remote working, so I’ll be working from home indefinitely. This Day Job department is a little more focused on how we spend our time, so no more sneaking writing sprints in the middle of the work day. Oh well.

I’ve been taking part in #write2021 over on Instagram where the challenge is to set aside 20 minutes a day to dedicate to writing. There was only one day where I missed my 20 minutes–and that was Thursday the 3rd, since that was the day the finale of Critical Role Campaign 2 aired and I was beside myself all day long.

In early 2021, I finished my revision of Book 1 of my YA queer high fantasy series and started querying that out. I’ve gotten mostly rejections, but I did get a full request! Very excited for that!

I also started working on Book 2, but man, I’ve been beset with not just Imposter Syndrome but also realizing how hard sequels are. I worked on Book 1 for over 15 years. It’s gone through so many revisions and rewrites, trashed drafts and new concepts, that it’s a totally different book from when I first started it at the ripe age of eleven. I had a lot of trouble outlining and figuring out where I wanted the series to go. I had the broad strokes, but now it was time to figure out the details.

I was never very good at the details.

I’ve slowly been drafting it for the last month or so and I plan on using Camp NaNo this July to bolster my word count, but honestly, if I can get about 500 words a day, I’ll be fine with it. I set a temporary deadline for October 2021 to finish this draft, but I honestly have no idea how fast I could draft it, especially since Book 1’s timeline is so skewed.

I’m going to be out at the Highlights Foundation this weekend for an extended writing retreat with my good pal JM Tuckerman and another good friend of mine, and I’m so excited to see them all and spend that time working on our craft.

And also having Chef Amanda’s AMAZING food every day. I’ve been dreaming of her cooking since my last Highlights trip. I’m very excited.