10 Things That Got Me Through This Year.

aka: ye olde year-end wrap-up post

Dec 19, 2023

Hey, friends! Long time, no write. Sorry about that! I mean, not fully sorry, because I know you likely already have ENOUGH newsletters and other junk filling your inboxes and taking up your time that me being quiet this year likely wasn’t a disservice or anything, but yeah. Next year, for my own sake of documenting shit that I work hard on, actually, I’ll do better at updating this more often.

I’ve had a hard time lately fully focusing on Writing Business Life, partly because I’m in a kind of odd in-between area when it comes to that, and also because the world breaks my heart daily, and there are so many things happening that are so much bigger than me. Which is always the truth, really, even when there aren’t actual atrocities or personal tragedies happening, but I am a lot more aware of it right now, and I think that’s a good thing. (Not the atrocities but my awareness. I feel Changed in a way I hope I hold onto even if it’s hard.)

Still, I’ve been thinking about the little things this year that helped keep me sane in a perhaps boring, day-to-day kind of way, and thought I’d share those, just in case you’re also in need of things to keep sane, or want to make a list of your own.

Duolingo. I’ve always loved this lil app, but got more full throttle into it this year (partly influenced by competitive friendship with Duo Superstars Alicia Thompson and KT Hoffman). I picked my addiction back up again earlier this year with focusing on Spanish, as I believe every American should know a bit of Spanish, but in my typical bullshit ways, I’m now also learning Italian, Arabic, German, French, and if I have enough time in the day, Portuguese. lmao I am absolutely the worst at German but their hyper-specific words delight me so much that I keep trying anyway! For real, though, whenever I need a break from the panic and hopelessness that doom scrolling inevitably brings me these days, spending an hour trying to learn other languages always brings my blood pressure down. I like to imagine that each new word brings me a little closer to people I’ll never meet and places I’ll never go but that I’d like to care about anyway. Feel free to friend me; I’m username daffodilly.
Noah Kahan.

3. Pokémon Go Walks. My kid continued to be super into Pokémon this year, and after his uncle introduced him to Pokémon Go early this summer, I figured, eh, sure, I’ll continue letting him steal my phone to walk around the neighborhood and do…whatever he does on Pokémon Go. These walks ended up being how we maintained our sanity throughout the summer, and whenever we continue to do them now, after school or on the weekends, it feels like such an important time: some fresh air for him, and a walk without my phone for me. I’ve gotten to know our new neighborhood so much better through these rambling walks.

(Adding that Noah Kahan screen cap messed up the formatting of this number and I can’t figure out how to fix it. What a bitch.)

Tracking favorite reads of each month/anticipated new releases for the next month. I started doing this on my Instagram this year and it really brings me a dose of serotonin at the end/beginning of each month for reasons I can’t even fully explain other than...routines! What a blessing! Books!! They save me!
Happy Color. I was influenced into downloading this paint-by-number app by Kaitlyn Hill and Alicia Thompson (Alicia is clearly my biggest influencer this year) and it is perhaps one of the only things I do each day that truly requires zero brain power. I mean, sometimes you canNOT figure out where the last little speck of green 42 is, or whatever, and you have to focus then because you will certainly NOT click that annoying little lightbulb taunting you with a hint—but yeah, having a zero-brainpower app is actually…very nice. I always make sure I do the daily picture because I love homework!! Another lil’ routine, what a blessing!
Gardening. I like plants. Just kidding, I love them!!
Starting a writing journal. Oh no, this is embarrassing, but guess what, guys? lol I was influenced AGAIN by Alicia Thompson (and Kate Clayborn) to start a writing journal (I swear I did not plan out all these shoutouts to Alicia but I am pleased about them), where I document thoughts after each writing session. Honestly, whenever I’d sat down over the last few years to write in my personal journal I’d end up just bitching about writing/publishing for pages and then I’d always put down my pen and be like “fuck I should really be, like, documenting my life with my son and wife instead? that’s what I wanted to do. I have a life outside of this, right?” So getting a journal SPECIFICALLY for all my intrusive writing thoughts has been both emotionally helpful and helpful in terms of tracking actual writing progress.
National Geographic. I have subscribed to National Geographic since I was in my early twenties, I think, and always read every issue cover to cover, but I have fallen deeply behind over the last few years. This year I upped my commitment to catching up, and this loops back into my needing-to-lower-my-blood-pressure feelings. Whenever I’m feeling the need for, like, facts, and thoroughly, carefully thought out research and analysis? National Geographic can scratch that itch at least a little. Make me feel sane again for like, an hour a day, and I’ll take that. I have renewed appreciation with each passing day, actually, for true journalists. Let’s stop killing them, eh?
The Baseball Lunch group chat and the Slack. They know who they are! You are everything to me.
Reading outside of my genre. I’ve tried to do this a bit more especially in the last few months, and have remembered that it is both 1) good for my brain and 2) good for my writing, too. I hope to do even more of this in 2024.

If you’re a loved one or a dog not specifically mentioned in the above list—you know your ability to keep me sane is inherent.

2023 was also a monumental year in terms of that Writing Business Life, which I suppose I should also summarize, as that’s why you subscribed to this newsletter, but I hope you’re also glad to know about my Pokémon Go walks.

Some milestones I’d like to remember:

Published Something Wild and Wonderful, the book of my heart, and so many people loved Ben and Lex like I hoped they would be loved.
Did my first ever in-person events for my own work, including my first ever big conference! Thank you to everyone who came to each one. I always get a lot of crippling anxiety after every in-person event, but it truly means a lot. Thank you for your gifts and your presence and your kind words. I was also the conversation partner for some other writers I admire, and this is also always a deep honor and special experience for me.
Finished editing How You Get the Girl, wrapping up my first official book series/contract.
Held a copy of one of my books translated into a different language.
All three of my Moonie’s novellas were published in audio, which had been a longtime goal! Very appreciative of Tantor Media for picking them up and for all the narrators who worked on my work this year: Mark Sanderlin, Aven Shore, Yvonne Roberts, Diontae Black, and Griswold Addams. (And I don’t think info is up yet for the How You Get the Girl audiobook, but it’s my first full-length novel to have dual narrators, which I’m very excited about!)
Also completed work on a collected print edition of the Moonie’s novellas, another longtime goal. You can purchase it here or if you’d like a personalized copy, here.
Received my first ever royalty payout. (Meaning, I earned out my advance, a big thing in traditional pub.)
I don’t always get to acknowledge them, but showing up on best-of-the-year lists and most-anticipated-for-the-next-year lists always means a lot to me. In particular, this year it meant a lot to see Something Wild & Wonderful included in NPR’s Books We Love list, and as one of BookPage’s Top Ten Romances of the Year.
This is kind of a small thing, but I saw my blurbs on the cover of other writers’ books for the first time this year! There are many essays I could write about the blurbing process, but no matter what, it’s always an honor to see my name associated with the work of someone that I admire.
I started a more personal newsletter, which I have not updated in quite some time but plan to keep up with next year. You can subscribe here.
I sold another book! Which I keep forgetting about, somehow. Or rather, my agent sold a book for me, and I remain ever-grateful for that, even if I then also experienced the imprint-closes-down-and-I-get-assigned-a-new-editor (while waving sadly goodbye to the editor who actually wanted to edit it) pipeline, which seems like something any author who’s been in this industry long enough has to experience at some point? So…check that one off the list, baybee! I am, though, actually very pleased about the new imprint and editor this one will be published with, someday. I’m looking forward to telling you more in 2024!

Other things that I can tell you more about in 2024:

The pre-order campaign for How You Get the Girl, which I’m hoping to have organized and ready to go in January. I mean…hopefully I will have it organized and ready to go in January, being that the book is out in February lol. I can tell you there will be a sticker and a bookmark! And of course, my ever-embarrassing signature. But if you’d like to jump on it now, I recommend ordering from either of my two favorite local indies: Vintage Books or Annie Bloom’s. And I’m sure I’ll be repeating this, but to help these indies make sure they’re able to order the right amount of books, the earlier you pre-order, the better!
More about How You Get the Girl’s audiobook as aforementioned, and also its UK cover!
In-person appearances, which will likely be less vigorous than 2023, but I am very excited to attend the Tucson Festival of Books in March and Steamy Lit Con again in August in Anaheim! And I don’t know if I can give details about this yet, but Nashville, I will be headed your way to celebrate How You Get the Girl. <3
Hopefully I will sell more books—I am working hard on that right now!—but if not, I’ll be self-pubbing some stuff! lol (but even if I do sell more books, I’m hoping to return to more self-pub projects regardless.)

Okay, that is likely more than enough for now! As a treat before I go, here is a teaser of art I commissioned this year from the absolutely incredible Bev Johnson. It’s for that book I sold that I can’t tell you more about yet, but I commissioned the art when I was very convinced it would in fact not sell, and so here is my push for you to do that nice thing for yourself (because you deserve it, whether the thing you want to happen happens or not).

Love you all. Take care of yourselves. Keep trusting your gut and speaking up against injustice.

anita

anita kelly

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