2024: My Year in Review - Insights into Fantasy Writing Success
- James Downe
- Dec 28, 2024
- 4 min read
Well 2024 is almost over, and good riddance. I'd like to say the good outweighed the bad this year, but it's so hard not to focus on the negative shit that happened.
Here's a look at my year, both good and bad, personally and professionally, with a little taste of what I'm aiming for in 2025.
The Bad
Okay, lets just get this crap out of the way. 2024 has been hard for me. I wanted to finish the third book of the Sisters of Jade Trilogy and just... didn't. Early in the year, I was still finishing the first draft. It took me longer than I expected, and I sat on things longer than I ever had before.
When the pandemic started, my goal was to release1 book a year for as long as I could. I managed 3 before I stalled, but this doesn't mean I've stopped.
While I'm pleased to say The Gorgon Court is nearly ready for release, I've got some mental hurdle I can't get over. Indecision has reared its ugly head and forced me to a standstill on the book.
This has been the hardest book I've written yet. It closes the trilogy. Plot arcs. Character arcs. All of it needed to come together in a way that satisfies both me as the writer and you as the reader. I had the outline done and knew where it was going when Sisters of Jade was published, but getting everything into place was far more difficult than writing any part of books 1 or 2.
On top of that, I lost my job in August and am still fighting to find a new one. This was/is a big roadblock for me. Losing my job has thrown everything out of whack.
I'm a graphic designer. For the last 12 years I've worked at a place designing and building trade show displays. The pandemic hit that industry hard, shutting down almost every trade show for a long while and forcing companies to find other ways to do things. Many of our clients changed how they operated and found no need to go back to the old ways. Suffice it to say that hit us hard. We never recovered, and in August it came down some tough choices and... well, shit. I think some big changes are in store.
The Good
Phew. Okay, now on to better stuff!
There were several great things that happened to me through the year. I wrote a manuscript for a sci-fi horror novel I'm quite happy with. Two alpha readers have already read it, and with their feedback I hammered out a second (more like fifth...) draft. It is now in the hands of about a dozen beta readers and the feedback has just started to come in. This stage is always really fun. Drafts aren't sealed in stone, much can still change, so seeing people's reactions and ideas is immensely satisfying.
I also finally created my own website (ta daaa!) to keep all my links in one place which is run and promoted by me. In addition, I set up tables at some small events and hosted a friend's book launch party.
While those were good, my biggest victory was getting to be a speaker and be on some panels at Can*Con 2024 in Ottawa. That was satisfying. It was productive. Stimulating. Encouraging.
I got to moderate a panel on discontinuity in speculative fiction. Discontinuity is a tricky subject, but we discussed Redwall, The Hobbit, and a few other big IPs and how they handle it. We also chatted about how the panelists manage continuity in their own sci-fi and fantasy writing, giving the audience (and me) and strange look into how other writer's craft their worlds.
The panel I was on was about writing fun action scenes without necessarily having to worry about plot, and that was another interesting look into how writing really happens.
I learned a lot, both on how to be a speaker and definitely how to be a moderator. I'm excited for next year, and hope they have me back. I'd also love to do more panels or speak at other events. I adore talking about writing.
The rest of the conference was a blast. Meeting people. Hearing other writers at different stages of their career talk about their experiences. Meeting a few of my heroes. Hanging out with old friends and meeting new ones. There were some really great panels, and I came out of the whole thing inspired and ready to write.
What's In Store for My Fantasy and Sci-Fi Writing in 2025
As I try to move past my negative feelings for the year and just look at the good things, I'm also trying to keep an open mind for 2025. The great job hunt continues, as does my fantasy writing.
The Gorgon Court is coming. Promise. It will be released sometime this spring and many celebrations will follow. The Sisters of Jade Trilogy will come to a close, and we'll see if my amazing readers love it as much as I do.
I'll also keep working on my sci-fi horror story. Once I hear back from my beta readers and take their feedback in, I'll start pitching it to agents. That should happen sometime in the spring too.
Until then, cheers, and thanks for reading!
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