Woes of Winter

Oof. Looking back at my 2023 goals is a little disheartening, so we'll start with the best.

Fantasy Heist Novel

My main accomplishment was to submit my sword and sorcery novel to agents. Querying etiquette is to send your manuscript (MS) to one agent at a time, wait for a response (or no response at all), and then try again. Although I received a partial request right away from my first choice, who quickly replied with a rejection, the second agent took five months to reject the MS, while the third didn't respond. Three agents, eight months. Granted, these are the top agents in the biz, with thousands in their inboxes, but at this rate, it may take years to find an agent. Years! I plan to change my strategy in 2024. I love this book, this world, and I can't wait to share it.

Midnight Agency

I should have completed a draft by Dec. What really happened: I started the draft of Season Three, scrapped that and started over again, scrapped that hot mess, and now I'm on the right track. I’ve completed the first episode, and I'm a halfway through the second episode now. Six or seven more to go. My goal is to complete a draft by June.

What's it about, you ask? Here's a hint:

Short Stories

Although I submitted several stories throughout the year, none of them found a home yet. I'm proud of them, so I will keep submitting until they land somewhere. In addition, I’ll aim to write one new story this year.

Socials

I burnt out on social media in the second half of 2023 and didn’t post much of anything, including this here blog. I’ll strive to do better.

Reading

Although I read several great books in 2023 (see previous post HERE), I fell short of my Goodreads Reading Challenge and barely managed to hit 20. This year, I’m aiming for 25. So far, so good. Follow me on Goodreads for more.

Reviews

If you enjoyed the Midnight Agency books, dear reader, please rate them or even give them a review. Such kindness really helps your friendly neighborhood authors.

That's it for now. I'll update you on the progress of Season Three throughout the year.