Time to say farewell to 2015 and welcome in 2016.
I looked back at the ol’ blog and realized that I never actually posted any formal goals for this year but it was a pretty awesome and successful one as far as I am concerned. I made three sales this year, two of which have been published and the third will be coming out in the new year. I’m particularly proud of Soil of Truth. It was not an easy story to write and made me push myself much harder than anything before to, what I’d like to think great success. The story I worked on for the creative writing workshop with Amal also involved trying something very different for me, and I need to revise that and start submitting it in 2016. I haven’t talked much about it but it’s an idea that I’ve been toying with for a couple of years and made several attempts at writing, with the same plot at the core but each completely different narrative approaches.
At this time last year I would have pictured my big project for 2015 being editing the last nano-novel. It stayed on the back burner, needing some space from it, and there it shall remain for a while now that I have a different novel to write on contract. Making the pitch for that novel and having it accepted was a huge step and for that alone this year gets a big gold star from me. 🙂 That novel is due in April 2018 for publication at the end of that year, but my goal is to complete it in 2016. It’s a shorter novel, only about 50,000 words (a familiar goal from NaNoWriMo) so doable. Besides, I was always a keener in school and finished things early. As it’ll be my first I’d much rather have extra extra time to for review and edits. And in addition to the novel I have to write a couple of companion short stories to bookend it.
This year also marked my first year at a professional level convention, World Fantasy, which was fantastic. And Marie Bilodeau and I submitted our pitch for a storytelling show based on King Arthur and Merlin and blending older material (like Geoffrey of Monmouth) with some more familiar versions of the story (like Tennyson). We’ve been working on the show and will perform it January 21st at the NAC 4th Stage. 
It hasn’t quite all been cake and candy. Subluxated ribs, which I had back in the earlier part of the year, suck. Pro tip: avoid rib injuries. My knee also crashed, again, this summer. 3 cheers on both accounts for kick-ass chiropractors and physiotherapists, but I haven’t been spending enough time strengthening. That would be the other major goal for 2016: dedicate more time to exercise and strengthening so my joints function without so much pain. Hyperflexibility sounds like it should be a cool super power but in reality it just stinks.
So while there’s definitely a couple of areas where this year had room for improvement, great marks for the most part. Here’s to 2016 for a year of continuing growth and improvement!
Whatever your own 2015 as brought you, good or bad, may your 2016 be fantastic!
Obey the Captain. 😉
Nicole Lavigne 