The Time Has Come

to bid farewell to 2023. I have never been much for goal-setting at the beginning of a new year, mostly because I work in a highly unpredictable field. Will the Thief novel sell this year? Will we send it out on submission and then have to shelve it while I write a new novel that better fits “the market”? I have to hold all my plans loosely, but then again, don’t we all.

Today when I was picking up my daughter from basketball practice, another girl came running up to me and asked whether I was going to publish any more books. Hopefully! That’s always my response. I am not writing as fast as I would like anymore, but that’s because my life is very full of good things that take up a lot of my time. Trying to juggle it all (and keeping in mind the glacial pace of the publishing world) is tricky. So, as always, I can tell you what I’m hoping to accomplish this year, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.

2023 Highlight:

My biggest writing goal for 2023 was to get an agent, and I was so pleased to sign with Lindsay Auld in March. Getting an agent doesn’t guarantee publishing success: I had an agent years ago who was unable to sell my manuscripts and we ended up amicably parting ways after a few years. But, they can be wonderful advocates for your career, and if you want to publish with one of the bigger houses, you’ll need an agent.

Lindsay also has a shrewd editorial eye, and my manuscript is much stronger thanks to her feedback. No matter what happens with the Thief story this year, I’m thankful for all the time and feedback she’s poured into it.

2023 Lowlight:

Strep throat.

Okay, yes, there have been other hard things this year, but in early December I got strep throat for the first time in my life (that I remember) and I thought, “wow this is the most miserable thing that’s ever happened to me. I would take kidney stones again over this.”

AND THEN

I developed a complication from strep throat called a peritonsillar abscess, and I realized that there are worse things than strep. I wept in multiple doctor’s offices over the course of several days until it was finally treated. I like to think at some point I will put that chaotic lancing-and-draining-office-visit into a short story, but for now, I’m just counting my blessings that I can swallow.

2023 Books:

I read 51 books this year, although several were rereads that I assigned to my MFA students.

• Piranesi continues to delight. I’ve read it three times now, and I find it incredibly satisfying each time.

• Howl’s Moving Castle will always hold a special place in my heart as one of the books that got a hold of teen Christine’s heart and made her want to be a writer

• The Martian was the most gripping audiobook I’ve ever listened to (language warning)

• Echo Mountain was a beautifully written novel with a perfectly-executed sense of place.

• The Falcon Thief was my favorite nonfiction read of the year

One of my favorite things about starting a new year is thinking about all the amazing books I’ve yet to discover. So, here’s to 2024! May you experience the joy of falling deep into story grip, and may you never find yourself without an ambitious stack of books on your nightstand.

Until next year!

Christine