Hello my fellow writers, readers, friends, and family. ‘Tis the season. For most people, December 1st ushers in a mixture of frolic and doom. Oh, the possibilities! Oh, the disappointments! While sugar plum faeries gambol in our psyches, we try to stay centered and healthy, avoiding excesses and traps whilst secretly pursuing that perfect Christmas tree, or hosting a five-star holiday gathering. It’s quite the roller-coaster, emotionally. Especially given the beat-down the world has been navigating lately. I mean, did we not just spend the last two Decembers just trying to stay plague-free?
Be that as it may, these past few days I’ve found myself occasionally giddy with bursts of unexpected glee. People are gathering again. Houses are lit up. Oh, and I got myself a new book deal with this publisher for a novel I drafted last NaNoWriMo and tinkered into submission the first six months of 2022.
The novel is my first attempt at crime fiction, but flavored with my usual penchant for screwy family dynamics and morally compromised main characters. It’ll be published in late 2024 or early 2025, and the working title is THE BEQUEST.
As of today, I’ve drafted 50,000 words of another novel (although unlike last November I did not write all those words in a month). It’s not a complete draft by any means—by my estimation, I’ve just crested the two-thirds mark. But I will push on with a mixture of generative drafting and revision going forward. I’ve abandoned many a manuscript at this stage, and I’m keen on taking this puppy to term.
Ergo, I created a post-NaNoWriMo advent calendar as a way to maintain the thread of intent, while growing a living story at a pace that works alongside the holiday season. Here’s the pdf for your viewing (and using, if so inclined) pleasure.
Happy advent, friends!
Wow! Huge congrats 🍾
And this advent calendar is such a great reminder of recovery, sustainability, and joyfulness 🙏
Congrats, Suzy! I love this advent calendar, too. Thanks for sharing.