"We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us." — Brandon Sanderson
I love reading year-in-review posts from authors. They give a glimpse into the creative process and the milestones that matter — not the headline-grabbing ones, but the real ones. The kind that shape you.
2022 was the most transformative year of my writing journey so far. It didn't look like much from the outside. I didn't publish a book. I didn't land an agent. But the craft work I did this year — and the community I found — changed what kind of writer I'm going to be.
January
I was accepted into John Brown's Novel Writers Academy, a month-long intensive focused on story conception, identifying the narrative heart of a story, and generating ideas with staying power. I came out with a clearer sense of what Shadows of Light needed to be, and with seeds for several future books.
February
I attended Life the Universe and Everything (LTUE), a writing conference in Utah. Two things came out of it: I learned about LDSPMA and their writing competitions, and I formed a new critique group with other attendees. (The weapons demonstration they did was also genuinely fascinating.)
March
My new LTUE critique group became the first outside audience — besides my kids, who are not reliable critics — to read chapters from Shadows of Light. Getting your work in front of real readers for the first time is terrifying and necessary.
April – July
I joined a local critique group that gave substantial, sustained feedback on the manuscript. This period marked a genuine turning point in my writing. The feedback was hard. The revisions were harder. But the quality of the characters and the story improved dramatically. I also submitted the first chapter to the LDSPMA Praiseworthy Awards for Emerging Authors in June — my first real risk as a writer.
September
I attended the LDSPMA conference. While I was there, I received my Emerging Author Award for Science Fiction/Fantasy. (I wrote more about that experience here.)
November
Dragonsteel Convention. Brandon Sanderson's event for fans and aspiring writers. Being surrounded by that community for a weekend was energizing in a way that's hard to describe.
December
I started working with editor Brittany Passmore on my sci-fi short story Blackout Day. What began as a 6,800-word story expanded to 8,300 words through the editing process — and became significantly better for it.
Looking back at a year's worth of work is one of the most useful things a writer can do. The wins feel earned. The hard stretches feel like something other than failure. And gratitude comes easier than it does in the middle of the slog.
Here's to 2023.