The Story of my 2016

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!

I started Caffeinated bibliophiles.

When my friend said she was opening a local coffee shop, I told her I had been mulling over an idea for a writers/readers group called Caffeinated Bibliophiles. She was ecstatic. "You can have your meetings at my shop!"

Yes, ma'am!

Caffeinated Bibliophiles quickly attracted over a dozen semi-regular attendees, who would talk books for hours without losing an ounce of enthusiasm. All of our To-Be-Read book lists got longer, but so did our list of friends. If you don't know of a local group of such literary lunatics, I suggest you start one. It's worth it!

The places that inspire me

Hiking never fails to inspire me. I love the quiet of the mountains, the freshness of the air, and the unbroken time to walk and think. I've had some of my best ideas while hiking. Plus, no writer can simply write all the time. You've got to recharge.

In May, I had the opportunity to visit Boldt Castle, a real-life fairytale castle! Click on the image below to read the post that tells all about my adventures there.

I wrote stories. A lot.

In April, I wrote The Dying Prince (Book 2 of the Firewing Chronicles) for Camp NaNoWriMo, completing it in June at just over 100,000 words. It's an epic fantasy involving magic, gods, political intrigue, prophecies, mythical beasts, ancient ruins, and all that fun stuff. Learn more about it here. 

​For November's NaNoWriMo 2016, I wrote 50,000 words of The Seeing Queen (Book 3 of the Firewing Chronicles), but I haven't finished it yet. I'm tired.
​:-P More writing to be done in 2017!

I also began revising and expanding Azinae, the first interactive story I shared on this blog. It's all about a group of young adults who end up in a land where every person exhibits animal powers--and where the Half-Tree is the only safety against the Healing. Learn more about it here.

In the months of June, July, and August, I hosted a quirky interactive story, in which every episode offered three options to continue the story and readers picked their favorite option. If you  missed the story, you can read the whole thing here.

Do I plan another interactive story for this year? Why yes, yes I do. And this one is going to be awesome! It will have mystery, action, suspense, and a few plot twists. Look forward to an announcement in 2017!

Finally, I started Rafe and the Ria Gate, a story about a Vermont-based family of telepaths, in which I have woven stories of my own childhood in a large family. It's sort of like a sci-fi memoir. It's still a work in progress, but it's one of the most fun stories I've ever had the pleasure to write. Learn more about it here.

What's next for 2017?

In 2015, my short story Wings Beneath Water earned Silver Honorable Mention in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest. This year, I expanded and deepened the plot for publication in 2017 and I'm currently working with a cover artist. Learn more about it here.

In addition to publishing Wings Beneath Water, I plan to complete all five books of my Firewing Chronicles this year. I look forward to sharing more with you as they move toward publication!

There will probably be more coffee shops, more meetings with fellow writers, more trips to fun and fascinating places. I'll chronicle my adventures as they happen. I can't wait for all the awesomeness of a new year to begin!

What did you accomplish in 2016? What are you looking forward to for 2017? Share your story!