2016 was an awesome year for writing! What have I been doing? What am I going to do in 2017? This is the post that will tell all!

(Well, no, not all. But it will give enough details to tantalize.)

I give you: A review of my 2016 writing journey!

Recently, an author in a writers' group I am part of asked (in so many words), "What authors makes you feel like you have nothing left to offer? For me, it's Tolkien. I feel like there's no way I can possibly measure up to him, and that he's already written what I am trying to write and written it better."

​Others chimed in. For some, it was a specific author. For others (me), it was any author who wasn't themselves. ​

Books are an obvious choice for book-lovers, but when you want something a little different (or you're pretty sure your intended recipient has read every book on the planet), here are seven unique ideas.

Last year was the first year that I participated in National Novel Writing Month and the experience totally changed my writing life.

Prior to NaNoWriMo 2015, I had done a lot of writing--even published an inspirational book and four speculative fiction novelettes--but I felt completely isolated. Sure, there was the occasional friend who actually wanted to hear about my latest work-in-progress, but I had given up on the idea that I would really be a "somebody" until that "someday" magical moment when the world realized that I had a meaningful story to offer.

I think I signed up for NaNoWriMo 2015 partly out of desperation; I needed to prove to myself that I could do it.

​What NaNoWriMo gave me was so much more.