So! Once again, we find ourselves at the top of a new year – and, like last year, it really doesn’t feel that way. But hey, onwards and upwards.

To get this out of the way, how did I do with my 2021 writing goals? Let’s have a look:

– Upload two chapters a month on Argentum in Aqua for the entire year (barring a planned break between Blood on the Snow and Silver in the Ashes). Didn’t manage this one, but I’m not beating myself up too badly about it – between work stuff, LARP stuff, health stuff, and, y’know, the current pandemic fuckery, this one was always going to be a stretch.

– Write, edit, and submit at least one new short story. DONE. Also a couple of pieces of flash fiction in the bargain.

– Make at least ten story submissions. DONE. I am legitimately really bloody happy with my submissions for this year – haven’t sold a story yet, but multiple personal rejections (including from pro-rate magazines) tells me that I’m on the right track.

– Add at least one chapter to Seventh Son. Nope. Still working on this, I swear.

– Win NaNoWriMo 2021. I tried, but it turns out running a LARP (including writing 5k of downtimes a week) plus dealing with a pandemic plus disability fuckery kinda eats up all the spoons I need for doing a proper run at NaNo.

– Write at least one new poem. Nope.

– exist, survive, do not have a mental breakdown. Unofficial goal, but probably the most important one – and hey, managed that one! (Wee bit shaky on the last bit, but starting this year with actual meds for anxiety and in a role at work which doesn’t eat quite so much of my sanity, so on balance that’s a win)

So in summary: didn’t quite manage a lot of my personal stuff, but did surprisingly well on the short story/submissions side of things and kept my head above water (which is probably the most important bit given everything right now).

Also managed to (virtually) attend the Nebulas, WorldCon, and Flights of Foundry, which were really bloody helpful for both boosting my creative brain and also just allowing me to feel more connected to the wider writing community.

And, with that out of the way, onward to the new year:

2022 WRITING GOALS

– Finish the current draft of Silver in the Ashes (Argentum in Aqua #2).

– If I manage the above, post at least one chapter of Fire in the Sky (Argentum in Aqua #3) before the start of 2023.

– Make at least ten story submissions.

– Finish and post the next chapter of Seventh Son.

– Get at least 25,000 words done for NaNoWriMo 2022.

– Finish, edit, and submit another short story.

Like last year, this is a fairly small list, but… *broad gesture at the whole pandemic/UK government situation*