Greatest Hits from 2013

I've been mulling over what my writing goals will be for 2014, as I'm well aware that I need accountability in order to do what I actually say I'm going to do. I've read a lot of great posts lately regarding the best way to set up those goals, but while I get organized I thought it might be fun to look back at some of my "greatest hits" from 2013 to get me motivated! Here's a peek at what I was up to:

Magazines

I'm continuing to work as editor of Little Ones, a bi-monthly parenting magazine based in Charlotte, NC. We put out some great issues this past year and I was blessed to make the acquaintance of many  area families and businesses, as well as work on some great human-interest and travel stories. Here's one of my recent articles.

Fiction

I worked on polishing up a flash fiction piece, In the Depths, for the WOW! Women on Writing Fall 2012 Flash Fiction contest and found out my entry placed in the top ten stories in March 2013. I was so excited to actually get recognition for a piece of fiction and it gave me a boost of self confidence that I needed to keep writing. You can read my finalist interview here.

Not long after that, I answered an ad for a blog tour manager with WOW! Women on Writing and got the job! I now work with two other lovely ladies, Jodi and Crystal, helping authors promote their books via virtual blog tours. It is such a joy meeting and working with authors from different genres and learning more about the publishing industry. It's been a win-win situation for me!

I finished writing and editing my middle-grade novel, Camp Big and Bright, and am now querying agents and publishing houses. I also turned the first novel I wrote several years ago into a YA for National Novel Writing Month, and am now ready to begin editing!

Conferences

In April I traveled to Raleigh, NC to attend the Write Now! Conference and had a great time meeting other North Carolina writers and getting new ideas for the non-fiction writing side of my business. At the end of September I was fortunate enough to attend the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Conference here in Charlotte, where I spent two and half days immersed in everything agents, authors, queries, and writing for children. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go back in 2014.

And a few of my favorite posts from The Muffin, the WOW! Women on Writing blog:

Dear Manuscript: It's Not You, It's Me

A Fictional Finale

What 80s Movies Have Taught Me About Writing

The Hunt for a Great Human-Interest Story

What are some of your "greatest hits" from the past year?

My First Conference Experience

This year, I've decided to try and get out of my comfort zone more often when it pertains to my writing career. The first step I took was to join Twitter. Yes, I know that sounds silly, but I've been stuck in Facebook Land for so long that I wasn't even sure how to get started. (Micro blogging? What the heck is that?) But I actually had to get on Twitter for one of my clients, and I found I really enjoy it. It's a fabulous networking tool, I get to stay on top of my love of celebrity gossip, get expert writing advice and see which agents are looking for new material. Score!

Next, I decided to attend my very first writing conference. I've been freelancing for years now and have attended a few workshops here and there, but have never braved a conference. I vowed to stick to my new resolution of advancing my career so I registered for the Write Now! Conference put on by the Triangle Area Freelancers in Raleigh, N.C. It was extremely affordable and my family and I had an excuse to take a fun weekend trip. The husband and kids dropped me off at the conference bright and early this past Saturday morning and then hit the museums. Here's what my schedule looked like:

8:00 to 9:00 a.m. - Registration and breakfast
9:00 to 9:50 a.m. - Keynote address, "Santa Claus, Small-Town Murder and $10,000 Restaurant Tab: 10 Stories that Taught Me (Almost) Everything I Know About Writing Non-Fiction," given by Zac Petit, managing editor of Writer's Digest.
10:00-10:50 a.m. - Freelance Writing for Beginners
11:00-11:50 a.m. - The Good, The Bad and the Nightmare Query
12:00-12:50 p.m. - Lunch
1:00-1:50 p.m. - Strategies for Simplifying Your Writing
2:00-2:50 p.m. - Write Like a Renegade: Breaking the Rules for Freelance Success
3:00-4:00 p.m. - Ask the Freelancers Roundtable

As you can see, it was an action-packed day. I was hesitant to attend the Freelance Writing for Beginners session, but I'm glad I did. Don Vaughan gave an excellent talk and I picked up a few ideas for developing stories. Conference attendees chose from two tracks during each hour and I opted not to attend sessions on taxes, memoir writing, copyright and legal questions and writing for religious and spiritual markets. However, each attendee received a CD with handouts from every single session, which I found to be a great bonus! My packet also included a list of tips for making the most of the conference, which I thought was a nice addition.

I also groaned when I walked into the "Strategies for Simplifying Your Writing" seminar and received a handout with grammar exercises, but as it turns out, I needed a refresher in active and static verbs, intensifiers, adverbs and the like. My writing definitely needs to be freshened up from time to time. One of the highlights of the conference was the chance to play "fan girl" and introduce myself to Linda Formichelli, co-author of The Renegade Writer. She gave a great presentation and I'm glad I got the chance to let her know how much I love her book.

All in all, I had a great time geeking out at my first conference. I passed out a few business cards, chatted with some fellow writers, picked up a horror novel from a local author, took away some valuable tips and scribbled pages and pages of article and blog post ideas throughout the course of the day. I didn't let myself drown in fear.

What have you done lately to get out of your writer comfort zone?