2017 is just around the corner, and I’ve confirmed my first show for next year. It looks like I’ll be making an appearance at my favorite convention of the year in February—namely, PensaCon! The show runs from February 17th through the 19th, and it looks like I’ll see you there.
Having said that, I wanted to delve into something a little bitter-sweet.
I have a lot of fond memories of the 2016 convention season. I met some amazing people and engendered a handful of friendships across the country that I believe will last a very long time. However, this past year was not without its trials, and tribulations. The greatest casualty was my word-count, but there is very little I would change, given the opportunity.
2017, however, will look very different from 2016.
The most significant change that will affect my writing career is that I will not be the Booth Manager for WordFire Press. I won’t be driving the truck to every show. And I won’t be at nearly as many shows as I was this past year—twenty was a bit much. That facet of my relationship with WordFire will be coming to a close as of December 31st of this year. Let’s just say there are mixed feelings in all that. I enjoyed being the Booth Manager for them, but I wrote all of two short stories in 2016, and I started to feel like I just wasn’t a writer anymore.
I’ll still be doing their book design, and still appearing at the shows from time to time with the fantastic group of authors who helped make the 2015 and 2016 conventions seasons as successful as they were. I want to add that there are some amazing changes taking place behind the scenes at WordFire, and I’m sure you’ll be hearing about those in the weeks and months ahead, but they are not my tales to tell.
For me, 2017 will be an opportunity to actually write the five—yes, five—novels I currently have lined up. I also plan on getting some short fiction written and delve further into the pro-sale market with them. My travel plans are much leaner and meaner for 2017 as well. I hope to make around six or eight shows, and get to them via the more expedient method of aircraft.
Less drive time = more writing time.
I’m also going to be doing more blogging and marketing. It’s time to take this writing career to the next level. I’ll still be working my butt off, and I’m still going to need a lot of help, but I’m in now in a better position to make 2017 a more amazing year than 2016 was.
Cheers!
Q
