Hello 2019! + 2018 Wrapped


January 5, 2019


In my opinion, 2019 swept in with less of a "I'M READY TO GO" feeling and more of a "oh look, Savannah is somersaulting into the New Year IS SHE ACTUALLY READY THOUGH, WHO CAN TELL?"

(hint: she wasn't ready)

But I'm super excited to get into the swing of 2019, with all it's bright and shiny new-ness. Which means new things will be happening on this blog! So I thought I would do a quick wrap-up of 2018 before waving hello to 2019 and getting your opinion on what's going to be going down here this year. Ready?

Let's do this.


2018 WRAPPED 


Bookishness

I read 85 books this year! Which is teensy compared to what I read in 2017, but this year was much busier, so I suppose it makes sense. Only 6 of them were five-stars reads (Circus Mirandus, Siren's Song, A Thousand Perfect Notes, Fawkes, The Dire King, and Reclaiming Shilo Snow) - but I'm SUPER picky about handing out five star ratings, so I'm pretty good with those 6 five star ratings. 67 of those books were new to me, which I'm super happy about - 2017 had a lot more rereads, so it was awesome to find some many new favorite authors and books in 2018. (was this possibly because I delved deeper into bookstagram and blogging? Perhaps. My TBR is suffering GREATLY ;D)




The Writing World

I was published six times in 2018 (seven, if you count the small piece that went up on Writer's Digest), and wrote WAY more short stories, novellas, and flash fiction than is good for anyone xD. I also delved deeper into the writing/publishing world by becoming the submissions manager for Illuminate YA, the creative writing columnist for Pursue magazine's website, and the associate editor for Havok Publishing (and part of the web content team for the same).  

I expanded my Snow White retelling novella, Forgotten, into a full novel, submitted it to an agent, and did too many rounds of editing on it to count. Still not done with it, either ;D. I did some work on a few other novels, too, but none so much as Forgotten. I co-wrote my first story with the ever-amazing Soleil Bourdon, which was so much fun. I did the Go Teen Writer's 100-for-100 challenge again, too...and it kind of turned into the 1,000-for100, but I mean, what can you do? xD I participated in and won Camp NaNoWriMo in April, which is always a ton of fun, and I also went to my first writing conference! Which was definitely the best experience of the year. Definitely.


On the blog (and other places)

The five most popular posts on Inspiring Writes posted in 2018 were the Silmaril Awards posts (that event is always so fun) the Get To Know Me Tag: Writer's Edition, and April's edition of Ask the Author. But my personal favorite posts that I did in 2018 were all the Featured Creator/Author posts - it was so awesome to get to chat with all the amazing authors and creators that were kind enough let me interview them. So much fun. 

I also started up on Instagram and YouTube toward the end of 2018. It's been so cool connecting with another side of the writing/bookish realm, and I've been having a blast! Definitely looking forward to expanding things over in both those places.  





How did I do on 2018's goals?


- comment on blogs more often + post more consistently  ✓ ❌  

So I did a good job with this at the beginning of the year? But then stuff started sliding towards the end of it. I honestly feel bad about how many comments have gone unanswered *hides under the smol rock of shame*. But I intend to do MUCH better on this in 2019!

- read 150 books

HAHAHA *dies*

- publishing something ✓✓✓✓✓✓

Kind of laughing at beginning-of-2018 Savannah right now, who had no idea that she wouldn't only have something published, she would have six somethings published. That was really cool.

- pitch a project at Realm Makers

I did it! I did it, and I didn't die! xD It wasn't the best pitch ever, but it was a pitch, so I'm proud that I accomplished this one (and didn't chicken out xD).

http://savannahgracewrites.blogspot.com/2018/08/realm-makers-2018.html
 2018 In Overview

- January: rewrote some of Killing Snow and buckled down hard on schoolwork (not that I can remember how much I actually got done because that was LAST YEAR)  
- February: lots of card games (I think my sisters and I were going through a phase?) and started writing The Chained Circus
- March: finally saw Fantastic Beasts and got published for the first time (in Splickety's Dystopian Disasters issue) and read my first Stiefvater book
- April: went to an orchestra concert and got to meet up with a writing friend. Was published in Havok (the Extraordinary Exploits issue) , and worked on some novellas for a SpringSong Press contest
- May: lots of driving practice, got a beautiful bookish gift from one of my dearest internet friends (Legendary!), worked a ton on the expansion of Forgotten
- June: visited with relatives, celebrated some birthdays, submitted The Genie Bone to the SpringSong contest and Forgotten to an agent, was published in Splickety (the Heirs and Spares issue).
- July and August: I. WENT. TO. REALM. MAKERS, dove deeper into my sketching hobby, became the creative writing columnist for Pursue and the submissions manager for Illuminate YA, got my first reply email from an agent, and finished the first round of edits on Forgotten.
- September: celebrated my birthday (and my parents gave me the gift of RM 2019!!!), did more edits, and the illustrated version of Uncharted went up.
- October: finally saw Infinity War, took a chill from writing
- November: went to a Rend Collective concert, started bullet journaling, had a small piece of mine posted on Writer's Digest, and was published in the Project Canvas book
- December: visited with relatives, was published in Splickety (the Christmas abroad issue), became an associate editor for Havok, and sent off more submissions and did some editing    




2018 was seriously a GREAT year. So much happened that I never thought would (or could!) happen for me at this age, and if I could sum up 2018 in one year it would probably be "growth". But I'm also totally ready to bring in 2019 and see what surprises are hiding up its sleeves. So I guess it's probably time I say...   

HELLO 2019!


 Goals for 2019

- comment more consistently

Because you guys always make me grin when you leave your lovely comments on my posts (like clockwork!), and so I'm making it a goal to reply back (and comment on other blogs) more consistently. This will happen. xD I miss connecting with y'all as much as I used to! 

- read 80 books

2019 is gearing up to be a VERY busy year, so I bumped my reading goal down a little bit. But I've found that my writing suffers when I don't read enough, so I'm not bumping it down too much. And I mean, my TBR is so high right now that if my goal is anything below 80... *sounds of Savannah being drowned by books can be heard*  

- attend Realm Makers 2019 

I get excited just looking at that goal ;D. Realm Makers 2019 is in only 7 months, and it both feels REALLY far away and way close? I'm INSANELY STOKED to go back and get to learn more and see more people. It's going to be a blast!


- publish more stuff 

Six pieces published in 2018, and I really want to beat that in 2019. We'll see what happens!   

- bullet journal consistently

I think bullet journaling is really going to help me stay organized and juggle life + writing stuff. It's a new thing I'm trying in 2019, but I'm hoping to keep up with it and do it consistently. 

- start college (and not die)

It's insane to type out (or even think) that I'll be starting college this year, but there it is. Hopefully I won't die in the process, yes?

- query agents

This one is slightly more tentative, but I'm hoping to be able to start querying more agents for Forgotten in 2019. Forgotten still has a ways to go, but I'm ready to take it there.

- start a newsletter 

Because apparently these are important for aspiring authors seeking publication xD. Even though this year will be busy, I'm going to try and carve out the time to do this.  



What's coming in 2019? 

Well, I have a LOT planned. Tons of fun stuff coming. But before I make anything set in stone, I want to get your opinion on what should go down here on Inspiring Writes in 2019. So I put together a quick survey (am I the only one who loves filling out beginning-of-the-year blog surveys? Yes? No?) that you can take RIGHT HERE. I'd appreciate it greatly if you would! Your feedback is always super important to me and helps me make the blog what you guys want it to be.







THANK YOU guys for helping to make 2018 the epic year that it was, and thank you for sticking around even when life gets busy and I can't be here as much as I'd like to be. I'm looking forward to sharing more posts with y'all in 2019!

Keep being epic, my friends! <3

~ Savannah Grace 

what was your biggest accomplishment in 2018?
what's your biggest goal for 2019?
 

26 comments :

  1. Ooo, you bullet journal? I just started one three days ago, and I already love it!

    YOU WERE PUBLISHED SIX TIMES??? CONGRATULATIONS!! That’s so awesome!

    Have a great 2019, Savannah! <3

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    1. Yup, it's a new thing I decided to try out this year! And it's SO EPIC that you do it, too - isn't it so helpful for staying organized? I'M IN LOVE. ;D

      THANK YOU SO MUCH, GIRL <3 <3 <3. I hope you have a stellar 2019, too, Nicole! (SEE YOU IN JULY! <3)

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  2. aaaaaAAHHHH YOU DID SO MUCH IN 2018! I'm in awe you wrote so much. <3 Go you!

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    1. YEAH, AND I'M STARTING TO FEEL IT *is tired* ;D. Thank you, Lilian! I hope 2019 is super amazing for you, my friend <3.

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  3. *collapses at all the amazingness you did in 2018* Published SIX times, an immense amount of editing and writing, working for Illuminate YA, Pursue, and Havok, pitching your novel, starting a YouTube channel, just SLKDJFLJSL:DKJF. YOU. ARE. A. NINJA! I don't know how you keep up with it all, but I'm so proud!

    Your goals for 2019 look perfect! Like ATTENDING RM! *SQUEALS* So hope I get to go because I NEED TO SEE YOU AGAIN! And oh my gracious, you're gonna start a newsletter? THAT IS SO EXCITING!!! Alsoooo...you're starting college this year. :O My Savannah's growing up. :') Oh my goodness, you're doing so many brave things. Pursuing publishing and querying and going to college and just ALL THE THINGS! SO IN AWE!

    I do hope 2019 will be the year dreams come true, and an utterly blessed one! Praying for you! <333

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    1. *collapses from the level of your epicness* THANK YOU, CHRISTINE <3 <3 <3. Seriously, you and all the rest of the inspiring blogosphere people are a massive part of how I'm able to keep up with it - y'all push and inspire me to keep going! (*cough* I might also be partially insane, and I mean, that helps with everything *cough*)

      IT WILL LITERALLY MAKE ME SO HAPPY IF YOU'RE ABLE TO COME AGAIN <3. I miss you! This time we should all go a little early so we can storm Fuzzy Tacos and then spend forever just sitting and talking. And yes, I'm hoping to! No idea when they will happen, but hopefully this year xD. And ACK, YES, COLLEGE. Everything's pretty up in the air with that, but I do know that's it's happening, so *tries to be prepared* ;D. AAAHHH, THANK YOU, LAURI <3.

      Praying for you, too, Christine! I can't wait to see what God does for you (and for Burning Thorns!) this year. 2019 is going to be a great one! <3

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  4. Oh my goodness, congratulations on all you accomplished this year! And best of luck with college -- I'm starting this year as well. Currently, I'm extremely stressed about it because I'm one of the few people I know who didn't apply to any rolling admissions schools . . . so while the majority of my friends know where they're going, I won't get any responses back until April. *biting of nails, gnashing of teeth* Due to all the college + senior year busyness, I'm setting my GR goal for 80 as well :) Best of luck with all your 2019 goals! I also want to do more journaling, though mine is a weird mix of artsy stuff and bookish lists. Not very neat and clean and bulleted, but it's still fun :)

    Eleanor | On the Other Side of Reality

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    1. THANK YOU SO MUCH, Eleanor! I was honestly super surprised looking back to see all that had happened in 2018 - I guess that's half the blessing of a blog, you never forget anything! xD And THANK YOU, I'm gonna need all the luck I can get, ha! You're starting this year, too? Good, then we can stumble through this together ;D. And I don't know where I'm going yet, either, so you're totally still fine!

      Thank ya muchly, Eleanor - best of luck with your goals, as well! And artsy journals are THE BEST, I'm super jealous that you have one ;D. I hope 2019 is a stellar year for you, my friend! <3

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  5. I'm kind of a newb to your blog, here, but ACK!!! You accomplished SO MUCH in 2018!! I cannot even imagine getting published six times. That is CRAZY. And YESSS to the newsletter thing! This is something I've been considering, as well, but I'm not exactly sure where to even begin with that. XD I guess that's something to worry about later, right??? *laughs nervously*

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    1. IT STILL FEELS KINDA CRAZY ;D. And it's so cool that you're thinking about starting up a newsletter too - yeah, I also have no idea where to begin xD. But I mean, one has to start somewhere, right? :D You'll have to let me know when you start yours so I can subscribe to it!

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  6. YOU'RE GONNA ROCK COLLEGE!!! And oh my goodness, you've been published six times and are a submissions manager???? girl you're living the dream.

    Happy 2019!!!

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    1. AAAAHH, THANKS FOR THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, MY FRIEND! *hugs* and thank yoooou, ack <3 <3 <3. I'm so blessed to get more insight into the publishing world, it's so fun!

      Happy 2019 to you too, Evangeline!!

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  7. Happy New Year, Savvy! :D

    I guess my biggest accomplishment of 2018 might've been just writing and finishing stories. Most of them were short stories for my blog, but I've been posting them pretty regularly, and I'm not the greatest with deadlines. Or, um, finishing. But I'm getting much better, I think!

    Biggest goal? I plan to actually finish at least the first draft of my first novel. The poor book's been waiting ever so long, and I keep getting distracted by other projects. But I think I'm going to finish at least a draft this year, maybe more. Also, I plan to do NaNo for the first time, and maybe the shorter version that happens sometime in the summer (don't remember what it's called). That'll probably help me finish my novel.

    Also, HOW THE HEY did you read 85 books? AND manage to do allllll the other things? You must have reading superpowers or something. I only read *starts coughing uncontrollably to avoid stating the tiny number of books, looks around casually and hopes you forgot I said anything* But anyway, congratulations on all the amazing things you did last year (especially getting published SIX TIMES :O )!

    Good luck with college, too, and with all your 2019 goals! And again, Happy New Year! :D

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    1. Oh my gracious, that TOTALLY counts as a massive accomplishment - I am THE LITERAL WORST at actually finishing things, so the fact that you've done all that is HUGE to me. Epic job, Grace! *much applause* I'll have to hop on over to your blog and read your work!

      GOOD LUCK with that draft, girl! First drafts are so so fun, I absolutely love them <3. What genre is your novel? (ooh, you mean Camp NaNoWriMo? GRACE THAT'S MY FAVORITE WRITING EVENT /EVER/. I hope you enjoy it, it's so much fun!)

      I DON'T EVEN KNOW *flops over with exhaustion*. I think I must have read half of them through osmosis or something xD

      THANK YOU SO MUCH, my friend! <3 <3 <3 Here's wishing you the most amazing year!

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  8. Fun post, Sav!!
    Biggest accomplishment? Mmm....a few of them are getting a channel and playing in a concert- AND WATCHING ALL DA MARVEL THINGS. <3
    Biggest goal for 2019?? Hmmm.....there's too many, LOL xD
    Thanks for posting again!

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    1. Thank ya, Jai! And YES, weren't the Marvel watch-throughs fun? I can't wait to show you Age of Ultron!

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    2. ME TOO!!!! Especially watch the Party Scene again because that part was hilarious. xD

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  9. HOLY COW SAVANNAH!! You accomplished so much in 2018!! Best of luck in 2019: you're gonna kILL it. Happy New Year!!

    (also!! I'd love to see a bullet journal post from you!!! I always love seeing what other peoples' look like!

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    1. AHH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, HANNE!!! <3 <3 <3 I can't wait to see what YOU accomplish this year, too, my friend!

      (I'm planning to do a post AND a YouTube video, which I'm hoping to tape today - I'm excited for you to be able to see it! Do you bullet journal?)

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  10. Sounds like you had an amazing year! Getting published 6-7 times is amazing!
    Best of luck with all your 2019 goals! :D

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    1. I most certainly did - thank you, Skye! Best of luck with your goals, too! <3 I hope you have a wonderful 2019!

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  11. *almost faints* You. Read. 85. Books. What, are you like a reading Avenger now? That's incredible, girl, even if you didn't make 150. You quadrupled my goal. XD

    And wow 2018 sounds like it was such a wonderful year for you. Congrats on all your published pieces and everything that's going on in your writing life. *nods* And good luck with college. :/

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    1. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. I just counted my book list for this year and realized I'd hit 85 and kinda went "whut???" xD.

      Aw, thank you!!! And YES, I'm going to need all the luck I can get ;D. I have a feeling I'm going to think I'm prepared when in reality I'm not prepared O.O. xD We shall see!

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  12. HOLY COW you did a lot last year!!! Sounds like you have great goals for this year too! Congrats on getting published! :D

    My biggest accomplishment last year was finishing a book I've been trying to write for three years (we're talking finishing a first draft here. that was a HUGE accomplishment, because usually I can churn out first drafts at NaNoWriMo speed.) So that was pretty exciting!

    And my biggest goal for this year is to PUBLISH A NOVEL. I've been saying that for the past, oh, I don't know how many years in a row now xD But it's GONNA HAPPEN THIS YEAR. Maybe. And yes, college, that's definitely a big one! I also need to read more books. I miss the days where I could just curl up and read all day. :( Good luck with all your goals this year!!

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  13. That is so awesome to be published! I am hopping to get a poem published. I would really like to go to ream makers but it is at fair time when I show my horse.

    astorydetective.blogspot.com

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  14. Oh my WORD, Savannah darling, you did SO MUCH in 2018 and I'm so proud of you! <3

    It was incredible getting to meet you at RM and I'm so hoping I can make it back there again this year! *fingers crossed*

    I kinda did a post about my accomplishments of 2018 so I suddenly don't remember it. XD But going to RM and finishing The Siren and the Skyship's first draft, as well as placing in two flash fiction contests, are definitely some of my highlights!

    Best of luck on all your 2019 goals! You're going to do amazing! ^_^

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