It has been an exhausting year.
My biggest project, which I think, if memory serves, I announced all the way back in January of 2016(?) was to publish The Castle in the Story. I swear, I thought I would just have to rewrite a bit here and there, tighten things up, etc.
Nope. Not even close.
This one project pushed all the others aside, except for one that I was creating for a pen name.
That one project has now been rewritten and is late enough in its editing saga that I think, think, it will be ready for publishing by February. Maybe. *fingers crossed*
I’ve also begun work on The Curator’s Song, the long-promised sequel to The Castle in the Story. And I like what I’m seeing, which is good.
Once The Castle in the Story is complete and published, I’ve decided to take down the FictionPress version. I’m concerned that leaving it up will only cause confusion, especially considering the enormous changes I’ve made to certain plot points. And when I say enormous, I mean ENORMOUS. There’s a number of things that were toned down, others that were strengthened, and a couple of points that I should have seen in the first draft but didn’t for whatever reason that now occupy a much needed space in the novel.
Not to mention, whole swaths of characters just GONE. Anyone picking up the Kindle version expecting to see any of the Ranger boys is going to be sorely disappointed.
So, if you want a copy of what’s essentially the raw draft of this story, better get it now before the definitive version is published.
There’s a few other projects I have in mind for the coming year, but given how awful last year was, I think I’ll wait until I’m more certain of what’s finished and what isn’t before I commit to any dates.
One last thing. I am going to try writing a short story a month, in addition to my novel-writing. My goal is to get thirteen stories submitted by the end of the year. This blog, if nothing else, will be my means of staying accountable.
What are your goals for 2017? (Doesn’t have to be about writing.)
Amy Keeley 