Ringing In the New, Tossing Out the Old
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| Every week there's a #bookqw tag on Twitter that I enjoy. This week I accidentally made Shark-man seem like a main character. OOPS. |
Hello!
Welcome to 2017 and whatever the hell all of this is.
It’s supposed to be a “new year, new you” sort of thing, but I’ve learned the dangers of posting resolutions online (I made some new year’s resolutions several years ago about finishing a story and then a reader called me on it later on that year. I understand their frustration, but…that story was free and my resolutions are for me, not for you, dude. It irked me, so I don’t do that anymore). And frankly, I don’t have any. There are some things that I want to happen in 2017 and several goals for my year, that’s for sure.
I could look back on 2016. I had a historically low word count (first time I haven’t cracked 150k since 2009) due to generalized anxiety. And I know that it’s natural, that we as writers have cycles and that a tree doesn’t produce fruit all year around, but I’m not proud.
But positively, some great things happened in 2016. Read some great books, saw some awesome movies. HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD came out…in the fall sometime? I want to say October and November.1 My awesome friend Sarah Kuhn blurbed it, which was the first time I’ve had a book blurbed. She said wonderful things about it, which was why I was happy to see her at NYCC (which I got to attend!). Getting to “hang out” with her in a Wired article was definitely a highlight. I have a new editor that I’m excited to work with, something really cool happened that I’m not allowed to share yet, I made some great bookish friends!
My niece was born in September and I got to meet her over Christmas and she’s this wild-haired, wide-eyed person I can’t wait to know. Any chance I get to see my nephews (and give them dragons) is treasured. My grandmother and uncle flew in to Phoenix to surprise me and they attended some of my panels, so now I can say I’ve talked about Superman’s uniform needing a chest- and butt-window in front of my grandmother, which not many people can say. I got to meet an online friend I’ve known since 2010! Personally it was a year of amazing occurrences.
2017 promises to bring some challenges, especially the first few months. While I’m working on a big project, I’m also house-hunting. I could tell you that I’m not doing this so Nikki, who is the biggest sun puppy ever, has a nice big yard to lie in and soak up the sun…but you know I’d be lying. That dog runs my life.2 Plus it’d be neat to have a dedicated office space. This is going to severely cut into my con-attending in 2017. I’ve budgeted out doing two, and those would both be done with the primary goal of visiting friends. Other goals involve sociability, some activism, and writing.
Other Things
My friend Liana Brooks does an amaaaaazing newsletter every week highlighting an impulse buy under $5. This month she’s giving away an e-copy of Chuck Wendig’s Invasive! You should sign up!
I’m going to announce my winner for my giveaway on Monday, so keep a close eye on my Facebook and Twitter!
Reading log has been updated to reflect 2016 and what I’m working on in 2017. It makes me laugh to see how few actual books I read, considering I read about 200-300k of fic every week. Also, if you haven’t watched Critical Role, I definitely recommend it. Matt Mercer is unparalleled as a storyteller, and it’s just genuinely fun to watch a group with such chemistry work together to solve all these in-great problems. It’s taught me quite a bit as a player.
Anyway, that’s what’s going on with me. How’s everybody else doing?
Stay sexy!
Lexie
1 I’m so good at this author gig, you guys.
2 I CAN say that one of my goals of 2016 was successful: make more money writing than I spent on my dog. In the year’s defense, Nikki didn’t need $7k in surgery in 2016, unlike 2015.
2016 was an interesting year in Superhero fiction in general {although you seem to be in the majority with your output slump) so no worries.
ReplyDeleteA lot of good books did make it including "How To Save The World."
One that I might recommend for actually being useful regarding the Gail Godwin stories was Marion G. Harmon's new book in his "Wearing The Cape" series: "Team-Ups & Crossovers."
This presented readers with the first major independent comic novel universe crossover stories I have read. I realize every comic book universe isn't compatible with every other comic book universe, but it can be done and this was fun.
Auralee Wallace has a superhero series that didn't didn't get a release this year because her mysteries are taking all her time, so you got more books out in my genres than she did. I mention her because the heroine in her books (Bremy St. James) also starts the series out as somewhat less than self sufficient. And in hopes you might like them.
Have a good time with your house moving, it doesn't have to all be a chore.
Thanks for the recs. I'll add them to the list. I'm pretty set on Gail stuff, though, I promise. :)
DeleteLoved all the Superheroes Anonymous books, can't wait for more! I've torn through all 3 in the last week.
ReplyDeleteLast year I discovered Drew Hayes and his incredible series Super Powereds. I can't recommend it enough! Your books have joined his in that special "heroes-but-with-lives" spot in my library.