For those that have followed my profile throughout 2020, you know that I spent a large part of the year documenting my journey to the Wattys, and the creative process I worked through to get there. It was a journey I embarked on with every intention of planning and writing a brand-new story in time for the Wattys.

Alas, my journey didn't quite end the way I had planned. The prepping phase of my novel went well. I started with the Snowflake method and then tried to develop that into the three- act structure. Eventually, I ended up with a complete outline but the process ended up being my own in more than one way. I was excited. I was pumped! I was ready to start writing.

At first, the writing also went well, but as summer approached, family responsibilities took precedent and my writing languished. By the time July rolled around, I already knew I wasn't going to make the September deadline for the Wattys.

I shifted my focus to editing Intervention instead. Even that turned out to be more difficult than I expected. The story I submitted just before the deadline was not the story I wanted to submit.  At that point, I have to admit that I was a bit burnt out. A bit discouraged too, perhaps.

I've had some time to think about that experience since. What I've concluded is not earth-shattering. Your plans don't always work out. That's ok. Forge ahead with a new plan. Never give up. I did find that documenting the whole process was incredibly helpful to me. It made me think about what was happening and why. It was almost therapeutic. In fact, writing My Journey To The Wattys was motivating in itself, which is one of the reasons I've decided to continue sharing my journey here.

While My Journey To The Wattys to a large extent has concluded, the story isn't quite over. The Wattys is yet to be decided, for example, so there's more to write about what actually happens with the results. The story I started, The Departure Protocol, also needs to be written. There are also numerous other stories waiting to be written. Just the other day I happened to be looking through some older story ideas I've had on the shelf, ideas jotted down over the years but never developed much beyond a page of notes.  Reading through them filled me with excitement about the potential there is for the stories still in my head.

My writing journey ahead is going to be full of twists and turns, that much I'm sure of. In this creative journey, I invite you to follow along on what is going to be a winding road. I hope to share some of my successes and failures, hopes and dreams, and hopefully a few stories in between. The next chapter of this journey is just ahead...