The Good, The Bad, and The Hopefully

As the year draws to a close, I can almost feel the world let out a sigh of relief to be leaving 2020 behind. Unfortunately, the pandemic is far from over (in fact, where I am in Maine, it is WORSE than ever), but I am doing my best to look forward with hope to the year ahead.

Here are some of my highlights and lowlights of 2020. Let’s start with the bad stuff so we can end on a positive note.

Lowlights in General

• Missing family desperately.
• Schools closing and the lack of socialization for my boys.
• Those dreaded grocery store runs (insert scream emoji here)
• The new stress of a simple sniffle and the disruption it causes.
• The strain put on healthcare workers and hospitals.
• Thinking about vulnerable children (and adults) isolating in unsafe households.

Writing specific

• Working on a manuscript for months with an editor, only to find out a few days before Christmas that it wasn’t going to make it to acquisitions because the publisher said it wasn’t marketable enough (cry!).
• Major imposter syndrome: my work is unoriginal, I am no good at this, etc etc …
• Feeling unproductive despite having plenty of opportunities to write.
• Intense anxiety about receiving feedback on my work and cycle back to imposter syndrome.

Highlights in General

• Homeschooling my boys three days a week and feeling that I contributed to my son learning to read. Yay!
• My three boys using their imaginations much more than they did pre-pandemic and making up amazing games together.
• Feeling SO grateful to live in a house with open space surrounding it and to be near so many incredible walks, beaches, and parks.
• Feeling proud of my family for coping so well and thankful that they have stayed healthy.
• Keeping a sourdough starter alive for six months!
• Reading about the vaccine trials’ incredible results and feeling like there is light at the end of this terrifying tunnel.

Writing Specific

• Entering a Twitter contest that led to signing with my fantabulous agent Kaitlyn Sanchez. She has brought so much happiness this year with her enthusiasm and support.
• Getting to know the other amazing writers on Team Sanchez (Kaitlyn’s clients).
• Strengthening my bond with my critique partners both in the USA and in the UK.
• Seeing so many writers, I have been following sign with agents and publishing books.
• Receiving the most heartwarming and confidence-boosting compliments from editors on my work.
• Selling my first book! Party Horn BLOW!!! And finding out that Lenny Wen will be illustrating.

I hope you have had some highlights over the past year that you can look back on and smile.

Here’s to 2021!