Your 2018 Writing Accomplishments
Posted by David Duhr in 
I was planning on doing our annual writing goals post for this week, but I think I want to push that off to next week and instead allow us all a minute to acknowledge the great things we did in 2018.
If you set a 2018 literary resolution, did you hit it, or at least make good progress toward it?
(Maybe you announced it in the comments of 2018’s goals post?)
Did you grow and improve as a writer? As a reader?
What was your greatest literary achievement in 2018? The thing you’re most proud of as a writer and/or a reader?
Let us know in the comments. Bragging is allowed! Even humblebragging. There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself a compliment in public every now and then.
And make sure to include all relevant links!
As for me… I’m happy with my 2018 writing output. I wrote more fiction this year than I ever have, and although I didn’t finish my nonfiction book (which was my resolution), I made good progress on it.
As a reader, I could’ve done better. My volume was down a bit, which is no big deal, but the major disappointment was that I read only one new book in 2018 that moved me in any significant way. I’d like that to change next year. And although it’s mostly out of my hands, reading more books increases my odds, and being more selective will help. But I’ll talk more about that next week in the goals post.
Now it’s your turn!
My biggest accomplishment for the year has been working with WBN and having my three books picked up by a traditional publisher. Couldn’t have done it without WBN.
Mike McGee
Amazing. Well done.
It’s been a hell of a year, Mike. We’re very happy for you, and glad to have been able to help!
My greatest literary achievement in 2018 was to continue being able to write a book. I was promised publiation due to the content of my story. I had a bad experience with a man who claimed he was a modeling agent. And instead of being offered a job…well, I am not going to get into this much. But the good part of it, is I was given the gift to be able to write about my experience. AND I survived. A I was blessed with two beautiful children too. I am a survivor and grateful for the blessings in my… Read more »
Thank you for sharing, Brigitte. And I’m sure your story will reach, and help, many people. I know you’ll keep at it into 2019 and beyond.
I finished the first draft of my novel and had a story published at The Rumpus. https://therumpus.net/2018/11/between-floors/
I worked on the story with Steve Adams. Thanks to WBN for referring him to me years ago when I was looking for a writing coach.
Way to go, Stefani! Publishing something after years of working on it always tastes extra sweet.
Okay, you asked for it:
– Participated in the Sun Magazine “Into the Fire” writing retreat.
– Published short stories in three online journals (http://thescriblerus.com/2018/12/donna-swift-charles-odonnell/ , https://www.estheticapostle.com/sport-trim-package-in-ingot-silver , https://www.dreamerswriting.com/stories-poems/moon-window/)
– Published short stories in two print anthologies (https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Fiction-Anthology-Katherine-Anderson-ebook/dp/B07K1KF9JL/ , http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D5NMY4L)
– Released my fourth novel, “Shade” (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KNGXJQL)
Shooting for an even *better* 2019! Keep writing!
Congratulations, Charles! That’s a busy and successful year. Inspiration for us all.
My third novel, Drone Strike, a thriller, will be published by Rogue Phoenix Press, in May 2019. Drone Strike: Karim’s family is killed by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq, collateral damage. The Islamic State in the Levant exploits his rage, recruiting him for a terrorist attack on the U.S., and only Anthony Provati, can stop him. Drone Strike takes you on a fast-paced adventure across the Mediterranean, into Mexico, finally arriving in the States. Drone Strike explores the psychological realities that seduce Karim to commit an act of terror, includes a love story between Moslem Karim and Miriam, a… Read more »
Excellent news, Joe! I’ll keep an eye out for it, and for even more Provati adventures in the future.
Great post , I didn’t have any writing accomplishments this year but I hope to next year!
That’s the spirit, Lydia! Next week we’ll do a post asking about your 2019 writing goals, so I hope to hear from you again.
Different works were accepted into two print anthologies: Hay(na)ku 15 and Minnie’s Diary. I read and wrote more poetry . Submitted online and had several accepted. Enjoyed rejections by several top tier print journals. Did not get a writer’s site activated. Must do!
Websites and other self-promo stuff often seems the hardest part. It is for me. But hey, kudos on all of the writing successes and the great feedback!
My greatest accomplishment this year is (self) publishing my first science fiction novel, “Another’s Place, Another’s Time.” https://www.amazon.com/Anothers-Place-Time-experience-Changeling-ebook/dp/B07JM1VFQS/ref=pd_ybh_a_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7MGKZEJFAKBCSCXHY38F This has been many years in the making and thanks to a group of other aspiring authors that gave me valuable feedback, so far it’s got a 4.6 rating on Amazon. Woot! I’ve had a FB page for years leading up to this, and started a blog. https://hansdeleo.wordpress.com/ More than that, when other family members read it, they didn’t go “Oh, that’s nice.” They got excited. They said it was better than a lot of the best selling sci-fi out there. They… Read more »
Great work, Hans! Many congrats on the debut. And the quality reactions from friends and family. I feel like that’s something writers don’t often talk about, but is often on our minds. It’s daunting. But it sounds like you’ve won ’em over.
After self publishing several poetry e-books with environmental themes I published a near future Earth based science fiction novel.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/826686
Good work, Robert. We’ll look forward to checking it out. (After Smashwords decides to function again. I’m not sure what’s going on. Maybe it’s me.)
I finished the first draft of my memoir, something I never thought I could do. And I had an essay published in the New York Times, something I would never have thought would happen.
Way to go, Mike! That’s a hell of an accomplishment, and then a hell of a clip on top of it. Good work.
I didn’t get my book(s) published as planned. But that is okay. The Prequel for my second book, I just received back from my copy editor and the other is with an editor and I waiting on the cover for the prequel book. What I have accomplished is completing a marketing course which me a direction in marketing (without spending a ton of money I don’t have). I’ve started my plan for the marketing and have been working on the implementation for the last month. I began a course for a 5 year plan to success. I love it as… Read more »
Always keeping busy, Barbara. I love to hear it. Kudos on all the hard work and dedication.
I love that Stephen King book, too. To me, that’s one of the top writing guides out there. It’s been a few years since I’ve read it, so maybe one of my 2019 goals is to make my way through it again.
Fortunate to have been partnered with Nick Courtright to get the fist six books of the Girls Can Do Anything series ready to publish. Book 1 (Gone Fishing) is scheduled to be out on January 15th though Atmosphere Press. I’m looking at the proof copy as I write this. While I wrote these stories a number of years ago when my daughter was only about 7 or 8, I never in a million years thought I would have them refined and ready to publish. Looking to have all six published in 2019 while writing at least six more. My daughter,… Read more »
Sounds like 2018 was a year of hard work that will reap rewards in 2019. And 2019 will be a year of hard work that will reap rewards in 2020. And so on! We’re so happy you’re so happy about all of this success. If you’re not both excited and nervous, you’re not doing it right!
Hi David and Justine. Your old pal Steve Adams here. As sad as I was to hear about the lit journal, Glimmer Train, closing, I was thrilled to have my essay about it and my relationship with Linda and Susan, its editors, published at The Millions last month. I wanted so badly to let people know GT was shuttering while it was still being published and to help give those two wonderful women a bit of a victory lap. Happy New Year and best of look to you and all WriteByNighters! https://themillions.com/2018/11/beautiful-living-things-a-farewell-to-glimmer-train.html
Thanks for sharing this great piece, Steve! Hopefully this new version of Story mag can fill some of the void GT will leave? Guess we’ll find out next month. Happy 2019!
Thanks, David! Yes I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the folks at the new Story.