Tag: resolutions

Change is Scary…but Important

January is a season of changes. We may want to change our lifestyle to be healthier or find tools to be more productive. Perhaps we want to try something new or improve something we used to do. But no matter what goals you may (or may not) be setting this year, one thing holds them together: they all involve change.

And that’s good! Change is important to life. If there is no change, we can’t advance in our career and personal goals. If we stay in our safe little boxes, we’ll never see anything new or discover all there is that life has to offer. Change is critical.

Change allows us to become the people we want to be. Without it, we are stuck. But with it, we grow in who we are, in what we were meant to do. We learn about ourselves and the world we live in.

But change is also terrifying. If you choose to change or make a change, then the results can be uncertain, and uncertainty can be scary. Many (I daresay most) people crave stability. And changing yourself or your world always involves leaving that safe stability, at least for a time. And if you don’t choose it, you have the added bonus of coping with the change, figuring out how it fits into your life, and then figuring out how to move forward.

But you know what? I’m glad of change. Terrified, but glad.

Because of change, I’ve begun doing the scariest things I’ve ever done. I started sharing my work with the world.

Because of change, I’m a better person. I learned many of the ways I can be unfair to the people around me and the ways I have been biased. And I am learning every day to be better, to change my attitudes and behaviors.

Because of change, I’m finding the life I feel I was meant to live. Because of one of the greatest upheavals of my life less than 5 years ago, I was able to meet my husband, which led to my writing career (at least off of my hard drive) and two trips to foreign countries that taught me SO MUCH. And I know there is so much more coming. And I’m both scared and excited. And I think that’s good.

So yeah, change is different. Change is scary.

But change is vital to keep us growing and learning and living life to the fullest.

So let’s embrace it together and find out what good things change will bring our way in 2020. ❤

~~~

What about you? What do you think about change? Does it scare you as much as it scares me? Excite you? What big changes have happened in your life, and what good things have they brought you?

Let’s chat in the comments!

What I Accomplished in 2019

2019 was a big year for me! I had a lot going on both personally and professionally in my writing life and science career. So today, I’d like to look back at what I hoped to accomplish this year as well as what I actually did accomplish.

Personal Stuff in 2019

So this year I did a bunch of pretty awesome things and/or had some awesome things happen:

  • Had my 1 year anniversary ❤
  • Visited Peru
  • Visited Minnesota
  • Met Nichelle Nichols
  • Earned a promotion to Senior Scientist at my day job
  • Gained a nephew!

Writing Accomplishments in 2019

Guess what? This was also a HUGE year for my writing career. All of these were resolutions last year, and guess what? I did them! Check it out!

  • Published my first novel ever!
  • Published another 2 novellas
  • Queried Sea of Broken Glass…and got a revise & resubmit!
  • Learned So. Much. Marketing.

Looking back on a decade

Yeah, so turns out we’re closing out the 2010s, and a lot of people are talking about what they did over the last 10 years. So let me outline my decade for you:

  • Graduated with my BA in Biology in 2011
  • Attended grad school and obtained my MS in Neuroscience in 2015
  • Learned how much I love to write…and that I wanted to publish
  • Began a job in biology where I get to work on the cutting edge of drug development
  • Earned an award at the day job for key work on a big project
  • Advanced from Scientist to Senior Scientist
  • Made huge strides in learning the industry of publishing and books
  • Became an indie author
  • Had my heart broken, then found the love of my life
  • Lost two grandparents and several pets
  • Fell in love with new pets
  • Married the love of my life
  • Started my own business
  • Visited Iceland and Peru
  • Went to my first conventions: Katsucon, Wizard World, Galaxy Con, and Book Con
  • Got a Revise & Resubmit on a book close to my heart
  • Learned who I want to be 🙂

I have come a long way over the last ten years, including a lot of heartache and struggle that helped me become a better, more compassionate person. I learned who I really am and who I want to be. I found the place in life that makes me happy, and I’m looking forward more than ever to what the next decade will bring us.

Final Thoughts on 2019

I don’t have as many things to list as last year, but I love my accomplishments all the same! I made some huge strides in my career, both writing and science, and I took some big steps in creating the writing life I want, including publishing and writing the stories I love and readers are loving, as well. I also had a great time with my husband on several trips, big and small, learned more about our big, wide world, and saw my extended family grow in exciting ways.

Though some sad and stressful things also happened this year, I choose to focus on these good things. And I love that I’m in a place where I can say the good outweighs the bad. I sincerely hope you can, too!

Be sure to come back next week to hear what my resolutions will be for next year (I’ve got some big things planned!), but until then, tell me all about your year! What did you do? What did you love? Let’s chat and celebrate the end of 2019 together!

A New Writing Year: 2019

Happy New Year!

2018 was a good year to me. I did a lot of things, learned a lot of things, and made strides toward my dreams. Before I get to the New Year, I want to take a few paragraphs to reflect on the good things I’m grateful for today.

2018: Personal Accomplishments

This year was big in a whole lot of ways, but here are the non-writing-related things I did that were huge steps in my life:

  • Got married to the love of my life!!!
  • Visited Iceland (amazing)
  • Moved out of my apartment
  • Grew the family from 1 cat, 1 dog, to 2 cats and 1 dog
  • Learned a new (and sometimes difficult) lab technique at work, as well as a slew of other work-related accomplishments

I’d say those are some pretty significant changes! And every single one of them has been worth every difficulty and expense involved. I am happy, I am excited for life, and I am ready to continue my personal story and growth!

2018: Writing Accomplishments

Besides all the changes and accomplishments in my personal life, I’ve made some big steps and changes in my writing life. Here are the highlights:

  • Finished setting up my home office/writing space/library
  • Opened a freelance editing business! And named it Paper Cranes
  • Started an author page on Facebook
  • Started an email list
  • Hired a developmental editor for the first time (Thanks, K. Johnson!)
  • Set a publishing date for This Cursed Flame!
  • Entered a Snow White retelling contest (and placed as a finalist)
  • Got some of the most amazing feedback on a short story that I have ever gotten
  • Had my first paying client for Paper Cranes
  • Found a cover designer for This Cursed Flame

Honestly, I never imagined when I started 2018 that I would do any of these things, other than the Snow White contest. I didn’t plan on opening an editing business. I didn’t plan on independently publishing This Cursed Flame. But I found over the course of the year that these are the things I needed to live out my dreams of writing full-time. I’m not there yet, but I am that much closer!

Looking Ahead: 2019 Resolutions

And now it is time for the traditional New Year’s post: my (writing) resolutions for 2019! I don’t have many, but I think they are big this time around. Now, each of these resolutions also has its own set of smaller goals and milestones, so to keep it simple, I will use umbrella resolutions to describe this year’s goals.

  • Publish This Cursed Flame
  • Start editing the next This Curse books
  • Enter a Rapunzel retelling contest with “Of the Clouds” (or publish it, if it is not accepted)
  • Rewrite, edit, and query Sea of Broken Glass
  • Complete at least rough drafts for a winter fairy tale retelling anthology comprised of four short stories

As authors, and as dreamers, it is important to take time now and then to step back and think about your progress, your goals, and how to accomplish your dreams. In fact, I remember reading a study years ago which found that people who took the time to set goals were more likely to achieve them. I encourage you to come up with a few goals of your own for your New Year, whether they are writing-related or just for life. It’s sure to give you a boost to start out your year. 🙂

If you like, I’d love to hear what your goals or resolutions are for 2019. Let’s talk in the comments!

Here’s to a great New Year. ❤ Selina

2018 Writing Goals

Hey there, friends! It’s the end of the year, so that means it’s a good time to reflect on the last year, both good and bad, and look forward to the year ahead. Today I’m going to share some of my personal and writing-focused experiences and goals for 2017 and 2018.

First, a look back on 2017. 2017 was a rough year, but it also had a lot of good in it. Here are the things I’m more than happy to say goodbye to:

  • I lost two of my grandparents.
  • I lost my cat, who I had for not long enough, due to genetic kidney disease.
  • There was way more than normal stress with different people in my life for different reasons.

And the good of 2017:

  • I got engaged!
  • I moved past my depression enough to say goodbye to medication (at least for now and hopefully forever).
  • My brother got married right before Christmas.

And the 2017 writing goals:

  • Regain my writing schedule. Status: IN PROGRESS. I don’t have a regular schedule, but I did get back enough to complete a draft of a novel and start a new one. I also participated in Camp NaNoWriMo in July (and completed it) and NaNoWriMo in November (I did not finish, but did surpass 30k words on a new fantasy novel).
  • Publish or get an agent for This Cursed Flame. Status: ALTERED. I made a lot of changes to the book over the summer, and, after a number of things not working out and re-evaluating my own goals for the book, I decided to publish it on Wattpad. You can read it here as I release chapters.
  • Finish Foxfire. Status: COMPLETE! I did manage to finish the draft of Foxfire, the first of hopefully many in an adult contemporary/urban fantasy series. I’m currently going through edits and revisions.

So what’s coming up in 2018? My wedding, in just under four months! I’m very excited to move on to this part of my life, and I’ve been very blessed to find a great guy who loves me, supports me, and pushes me to reach all my dreams and goals.

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for. My 2018 writing goals:

  • Write a little every day, no matter how much.
  • Complete Foxfire and get it to the query stage!
  • Complete my high fantasy in progress and begin edits.
  • Pick up an old story I had started, a YA fantasy thriller I’m currently calling Canary in the Coal Mine. (Yes, I mentioned this one before… so excited to get this one back out of the pile of dead ideas!)
  • And, finally, complete posting This Cursed Flame.

So what about you? What are your writing goals for this year? Share in the comments, and feel free to give some advice or ideas for how you plan to accomplish those goals!

Have a great new year, guys, and I hope it’s filled with success, love, and every good thing.

❤ Selina