Maren's 2016 Year in Review

This is a year in review post, which is mostly for me. I like to remind myself of how much I have accomplished over twelve months, and maybe compare the actual with what I hoped to accomplish. Last year I made a 100-day and year-long plan for 2016. I hit most of the goals. Here’s a summary:

Novels

• Did lot of promotion for Fuzzy Logic during the year 
• Finished the “Lilith” book in January. 
• Began edits on “Lilith” in late October 
• Wrote first draft of a Fuzzy Logic Prequel spring/summer 
• Finished my edits of the prequel in October 
• Designed a cover for the prequel in October
• Black Opal Books re-published Closing the Store
• Two rounds of edits 
• Helped design a cover 
• It was released on 10/22/16 

Scripts

• I wrote a screenplay with my brother about a drug that sends people to heaven after they die.

Plays

• Wrote adaptation of Arabian Nights for Apple box Children’s theater for performance in July 2017

Articles

• Started pitching articles in earnest this year. 
• Submitted an article on 12/28/16 to Alpacas Magazine about alpacas in fiction books 

Events:

• 3 live Readings 
• 2 book signings (apart from the readings) 
• 2 TV interviews on Polk Salad 
• 1 live podcast interview 
• Many guest blog posts. 

Also, I have become far more involved in Willamette Writers. Now I am co-chair of the Willamette Writers on the River chapter in Corvallis with Elizabeth Brookbank. It’s a fun, helpful organization.

And, here are books I’ve read (not in order of anything):

1. The Clasp by Sloane Crosley 
2. Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik 
3. Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau (in progress) 
4. Waypoint Kangaroo by Curtis Chen (in progress) 
5. Strange as This Weather Has Been: A Novel, by Anne Pancake 
6. Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang
7. Bossypants by Tina Fey 
8. Disgruntled: A Novel by Asali Solomon 
9. Super Guy by Kurt Clopton (TBR 2017) (in progress) 
10. Lots of writing craft and marketing books

So, a pretty productive year. 

I hope all of you have a wonderful 2017. Keep reading and writing. 

m