Heyo my fellow writers!

If you’re like me, you’re reflecting on everything you’ve done this past year.

For me, I think this is my biggest year of accomplishment yet. I hope it sets a precedent for a super successful 2016!

This past year, I discovered what I really want to do with myself. For years I’ve dabbled in many different arts. Here are just a few of my hobbies over the past few years:

• Kick boxing, soccer, softball, archery (got pretty good at getting a bull’s eye!)
• Painting giant murals, sculpting horses, high-fashion photography with amateur models from Model Mayhem
• I produced three Short films, and created over 50 stop motion animation
• Plus, I took up calligraphy and I’m half way through a writing a Tome of Wizard Spells

But, after all these activities, meeting new people, learning new skills, and trying different things, only one thing has stuck with me: writing.

Writing! I didn’t think I’d ever be a writer, especially after spending years perfecting my craft with Stop Motion Animation. But writing it is.

After writing crept up to my window at night, snuck through the crack and slipped into my head unnoticed, I’ve taken it up as more than a passion.

And this is the year that I really kicked off my writing career. Here just some of my accomplishments (even meagre as they seem, they’re baby steps to something greater!)

• I finally took the novel I’d be casually working on over the past 10 years more seriously and finished it
• I wrote nearly 50 short stories and flash fiction pieces and sold 4 of them (not to mention that I’ve been rejected dozens of times!)
• I self-published my own book, got it to the top seller in its category while it was free, and then sold nearly a dozen copies
• I started a patreon and have $23 of support for each of my flash fiction pieces I post
• I created my first course on how to get an agent
• I got over 300 followers on my Twitter account
• I joined a writing group that meets every two weeks to critique each other’s work
• I also started this blog!
• And last, but not least, I’ve improved my writing GREATLY

My gosh, I’m certain there’s even more. But what I’ve learned is that you don’t get anywhere without hard work and persistence. I hope I can keep up in 2016!

Let me know what accomplishments you’ve made this past year too!

Happy Writing!

Octotea