With the year drawing to a close tonight, here are my thoughts on the end of 2023 and looking forward into 2024.
This year was a cluster for a number of reasons, most of which are not something I want to get into here. Suffice to say, the last quarter of 2023 was unreasonably difficult and there’s been a lot of trying to adjust to a ‘new normal.’ However, beyond challenging me in ways I never, ever wanted to be challenged, 2023 did have a few positives.
I’m extremely pleased with the progress I made on my series in 2023. A few highlights:
- REVISIONS! I completed drafts 5 and 6 of book 1, which included getting lots of great beta feedback in between. I also changed the name of the series, moving away from the book 1 nod of “Fate’s Heart series” and into the more encompassing “Five Fates series.”
- ART! I commissioned a map for the series, and character art and cover art for book 1.
- DRAFTING! I completed the first draft of book 2, and made significant progress on the first draft of the prequel novella.
- PLANNING! Now, when I’m writing, I definitely lean more toward the “pantsing” side of things (writing without a plan), but I did take the time to make some very helpful plans in 2023. These include a rough outline for the whole series, a publication schedule for the whole series, and a vague idea of how I want to handle social media going forward. I also have plans for maintaining this blog, starting a newsletter, and maybe even a Patreon.
While I had originally hoped to publish book 1 in 2023, I realized early in the year that it simply wouldn’t be feasible given the rounds of edits I knew I still needed to do, including copyediting and proofreading. I want to make sure that this series is the best I can possibly make it, and that means taking the time needed for each step in the process.
Thank you for reading this far. As we move into next year, I’ll leave you with the book 1 aesthetic (all images from Pinterest and are not my own; credit to the original creators). Here’s to a better (and calmer) 2024. 🤞
Lindsey Brounstein - Author 