I’m not sure what to make of my writing in 2023. I had many days and weeks with no progress and then others with unusually productive hours. I woke at 5 AM for three weeks straight during the early fall (I have never been a morning writer but I aspire to be) and hand wrote thousands of words. And then I just couldn’t. I firmly believe in the power of writing every day, but it has been many years since I came close to that ideal and 2023 was no exception. But, it is dangerous driving forward while looking in the rearview mirror. It is a great way to crash and destroy the future. So, let’s get on with it. After a few highlights of course.

I got to spend a lot of time with my favorite person on the planet this year (my wonderful wife), so I can’t be anything but grateful. I also had the privilege of watching my kids try and succeed at old and new endeavors and grow in many ways. They are growing too fast!

I had two short stories published this year, which provided a great boost for me as a writer. The first story, Communal Fire, was published by Every Day Fiction and is a short ghost story. The second story, The Wicker Demon, was published by Eastern Iowa Review and was my first fantasy story published for the adult market. 

My current project continues to progress and I am hopeful to share it with you sometime in 2024. I had hoped to have the final edit done before writing this post, but I am not quite there yet. Cheers to a new year and I hope we can all block out the noise 2024 is sure to bring and focus on the things we can control and the people we are blessed to have in our lives.

Happy New Year!