I began the year with a goal. Being on submission was nerve-wracking and I needed smaller creative outlets so I wouldn’t drive myself (or my agent, critique partners, and beta readers) crazy. So I challenged myself to get published at least once a month for the entire year. It’s tricky as a goal, because as a former Mobile Writers’ Guild president once cautioned us, a goal should be something YOU can control. But I could control the opening up to inspiration, the butt-to-chair writing time, the search for publications, and the strength and confidence to put myself and my words out there. I did better than I thought I would, although rejection never got any easier and was sometimes hard to bounce back from.

I submitted fifteen poems, six short stories, and eleven personal essays. On the first day of the new year I received an e-mail that my personal essay, The Fairy House, would be published online by Mothers Always Write.

I was ecstatic. It was the first personal essay I had ever written, and I found the challenge cathartic. I felt like it would make me a better writer and a better mother. More truthful with myself.

Then in February, Mothers Always Write wanted to publish my poem, Lake Geneva. The Fairy House fit their acceptance theme slated for March and was published then. In April, I was beyond excited when Mamalode published my Top Ten Reasons Why Playgroup Moms Make Awesome Friends. Babybug Magazine printed my poem, Gardening, that I had actually signed the contract with back in 2013. Then, I–or really my secret identity, the Saltwater Scribe–was invited to be a part of the author/illustrator group, The Inscribables, and they published my post, Being Creative is as Awesome as Surfing on Dolphins.

Mothers Always Write published another one of my essays, Earless Bunnies in May, and The Good Mother Project allowed me to share my Mother’s Day gift to my mom with their readers when they published my poem, Dear Momma.

Short stories are hard for me to write so I was giddy when the Scarlet Leaf Review published Weak in June. Then Haiku Journal published a haiku of mine mentioned in this previous blog post.

In July, I had my first reprint when The Good Mother Project asked to republish Earless Bunnies, and then again when they republished my Top Ten list in August. In September, they published my poem to my daughter, You Walked Away from Me, as I struggled to be okay with the fact that she was now all growny in kindergarten.

I had a YA short story accepted for publication in October, but the editor decided to push the publication date back. So I’m still hopeful, though I couldn’t make my goal. November was full of rejections, but more positively–revisions on my YA manuscript that’s out on R&R (an editor-requested revise and resubmission). I also have a poem and short story accepted for publication later on next year and a personal essay that’s made it to a final round selection that I’m extremely hopeful for.

I read twenty-two books this year, critiqued four manuscripts, and beta read too many to keep count. I met some awesome authors at book signings. I was part of a 4-H Authors and Illustrator’s Panel, a facilitator at a Young Author’s Writers Conference, a writing contest mentor for FicFest, completed my fourth manuscript, a middle grade magical realism, revised (and revised again) my YA mystery, began my fifth novel, a YA Southern Gothic named Amalee, and am co-writing an adult psychological thriller with two other creative mamas. So throughout the rejections, I’d say a lot of awesome things happened writing-wise for me in 2016.

What positive things happened to you writing-wise this year? Did you read a book that changed your perspective? Did you write the book that will change your life?