In my second year of retirement, it was challenging to carve out writing time, but scheduling writing days with writer-friend Laura has helped a lot. I finished the first draft of Periphery, got it out and back from beta readers, and I am making great progress with the final draft. The sneak peak of the cover art came in just before the new year, and that is so exciting! Kudos to Erin Ruffino, and now it gets handed off to Aaron La Porta for cover design while Erin works on the map for the inside.
I had three very successful author signings, two with the Dollars for Scholars event at Sweet Home High School and one with the Buffalo Historical Society.
I joined Buffalo Niagara Children's Writers and Illustrators and have attended most of their meetings. I am still meeting monthly with my writer's group. And I attended an inspirational writers' retreat in Rochester this summer.
So, overall, I call it a successful year. Although the initial plan was to have Periphery out in 2023, I think it will be a better read for the time spent crafting it.
So, what are the goals for 2024? First and foremost, get Periphery into the hands of readers. After that, a sequel to Periphery might take over, although I did start working on a ballet story for middle grades while my manuscript was with beta readers. I also have a short story in the works, which I think I might try to get entered into some contests. I would also like to add a couple more signings to the schedule this year.
Here's to 2024 and staying focused!
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