2024 Year in Review
I love doing reflections. Sometimes, I get caught up in the next thing and if I don’t reflect, I miss paying attention to the good stuff.
In the week between Christmas and New Year’s I always do my yearly reflections and make plans for the year ahead.
Hard Things First
Before I start posting all of the good stuff that happened this year, I think it might come off as a little Pollyanna-ish. This year has been tough. It’s been tough professionally and it’s been tough personally.
I had both of my forthcoming books lose their editors and have their publication dates get bumped. I know this happens a lot, but it shifted how my year would look. I have new editors who have done an amazing job shepherding my books to the next step along the way, and I’m grateful.
I had three books that seemed to be getting contract offers, then the editors are no longer with their respective houses. This was hard because I feel like I’m so close. But then something happens. In this case, I know my close call meant that the editors are also looking for new jobs, so that makes my near-miss kind of small.
We also had major health things that took up our time. My husband had emergency surgery in the summer, two days before our vacation. We had to cancel vacation. Then when he was better, he tore up his ankle at my son’s Eagle Scout project. Then my son got injured in football practice. Our fall involved a lot of PT sessions.
Just when they were feeling better, I got a shocking melanoma diagnosis. I say shocking because I have a history of breast cancer in my family and have no history of melanoma. While I’ve been diligent about skin checks, this was not what I was expecting. I had a mole (previously benign) that grew back. Even though it had been checked again in April, my husband, thankfully, insisted that I go back again. It was cancer–at that point we were concerned it was stage 3. After various tests, and a surgery that involved pretty big incisions along my neckline and removing lymph nodes, it’s not as bad as we originally thought–though still invasive. I will still require active surveillance. Since November, I didn’t know what the next year would look like (do we ever, really?).
Then at the end of the year, I found out my agent is leaving the business. I support her decision and know it’s the best thing for her personally. It also introduced something new for 2025—trying to reconfigure how I want to approach my writing from a business angle. I will soon be in the query trenches again.
I’m grateful that despite a hard year, things are stable now. I’m healing. I feel supported. I also know I’m never promised tomorrow—regardless of my health today. I’m grateful to be going into 2025 with health I wasn’t sure about a few weeks ago.
Now for the things I want to celebrate!!!
Poetry Successes
- 2 poems published in Clara’s Kooky Compendium of Thimbelthoughts and Wonderfuzz
- 3 poems and photographs published in Picture Perfect Poetry Anthology
- 3 poems published in adult poetry journals
- Winner of the adult rhyming category of Fairfax County Public Library’s poetry contest
- 1 haiku in Haiku Society of America poetry anthology
- 1 poem featured on Poetry on the Trail
- 52 poems written for The Nevermores weekly poetry prompts
- 181 haiku written (daily practice—though this year I skipped some days)
- 48 Poetry Friday posts written
- 30 Poems written for my April Poetry Challenge
- A book or magazine of poetry read everyday for the Sealey Challenge
- I created a Haiku Calendar for 2025.
- I created a Haiku Zine this year! You can download here.
- I did the summer of Naomi Shihab Nye as a Poetry Deep Dive.
- 33 Poems as Picture Books featured on the blog
Challenges
I’m a big fan of personal challenges, learning challenges, writing challenges. Here are the ones I completed this year.
- 24 Bookstores in 2024 (I visited 40 bookstores!)
- Sealey Challenge
- April Poetry Month Challenge
- Summer of Naomi Shihab Nye
- 60 Miles to Creativity
- Daily Haiku Practice–see video of highlights here
- Nevermores Weekly Prompt
Learnings
- 5 poetry classes taken online
- 4 writing webinars taken online
- 2 gardening/nature workshops taken
- 1 research class at my local library
- 3 photography classes
- 3 Inked Voices workshops with editors
- Highlights Poetry Retreat with Irene Latham and Charles Waters
- SCBWI NYC Conference
- SCBWI Mid-Atlantic workshop
- Author’s Guild Marketing webinar series
- 2 classes online with Julie Falatko
Presentations
I’m so thrilled to have done 5 presentations in 2024. Click here for the list of events and presentations.
New Book Writing
I revised one novel, three picture books, one poetry collection, and one nonfiction MG project.
I wrote two new picture books and one novel.
Success for One Step Forward
While this book is forthcoming next year, I have started receiving some lovely accolades. I’m just thrilled that response so far has been so positive.
- Gorgeous cover
- Lovely blurbs from Irene Latham, Kip Wilson, and Janet Wong
- Kirkus starred review
- JLG Gold Standard Selection
Success for Wait, Rest, Pause
- Came out in paperback in August
Reading Stats
Join me on Friday when I reveal some good stuff–my challenges I’m looking forward to in 2025.
3 Comments
Tabatha
Your reflections really demonstrate the mixed bag that a year can be. Very impressive accomplishments on one hand and frightening/exasperating struggles on the other. I’m glad your husband insisted you get checked out again. I’ll wish you the Scottish Hogmanay greeting “Lang may yer lum reek!” (Long may your chimney smoke!”)
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Tabatha! Feeling very grateful this New Year’s Eve!
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