A Look Back at My Year in Writing – 2023

Another year almost gone…This time, it’s 2023.

Well, this year was mixed for my writing life. On the one hand, I’m a bit frustrated. On the other, I’m quite pleased. 

Let me explain.

I ramped up my literary submissions this year…Which was both good and bad. The good part was just getting experience with different markets and continuing to get my stories/poems out there. The bad part was, well, more rejection. A lot, lot more REJECTION. In fact, I only had two acceptances this year (more on that below) which is below my current expectations for a typical year. In the past, I would have considered that pretty good—so I can’t kick myself too much about two acceptances.  

On the other hand, when it come to the things under my control—I’m VERY proud of how I’ve progressed as a writer this year. I made one resolution at the very start of the year: “Be Bolder.”

I decided to push myself. To do things that scared me (a little). To get out of my comfort zone. And that meant not only in my prose/poetry writing, but also in marketing and pitching my work. I feel I truly succeeded at doing that: You’ll notice a lot of “firsts” below. Anytime you’re doing something for the first time you’re de facto doing something to push yourself, doing something a little scary. This comes naturally when you’re a kid/young adult, but as we…ahem…Grow older…We have to intentionally seek these things out more so that we keep growing and changing. Something to remember whatever your age.   

But enough of all that…Here’s a look back at my writing life in 2023.

Publications This Year
Let’s start with the good news: I had some exciting new publications this year.  

Here’s a short list:

• My first-ever Horror Flash (less than 1,000 words) story was published. “Go Ask Alice” appeared in Carmina Magazine.
• That same story got the audio treatment by The NoSleep Podcast (the second time one of my works has appeared on the Podcast). It was exciting hearing my words voiced by actors with the creepy music building in the background. Always a thrill!
• A new poem, “Symmetry,” appeared in Star*Line Magazine (my second appearance there), the official publication of the SciFi Poetry Association.   

That’s not a ton of stuff. But again, having two pieces and an audio production in the same year is a nice little addition to my writing portfolio/collected works. I’ll take it!

A Few Less Submissions
This year, I submitted stories and poems 84 times. That’s a bit off my pace of 102 submissions last year, but I’m OK with that. Why? There was a point about midway through the year when I just needed to NOT GET ANY MORE REJECTIONS, you know? I needed to focus, to get out of my head, and simply not deal with more rejections. So, I hit “pause” on sending out more stuff—it’s as simple as that.   

For anyone out there who’s counting: I’ve now received 308 rejections over the course of my writing career. Over 300 rejections and counting.

First Head Shot
This is a weird one. A seemingly small one, but a big deal for me.

I got my first professional headshot earlier this year. I’m not a big fan of being photographed and less of a fan of having my photograph out there for all to see. So, taking the time/money to get a professional headshot was another sign I’m taking this writing thing seriously. And will worth the time and money spent.

A word of advice to fellow writers out there: If you’re getting serious about this writing thing, make the investment in a good headshot. It’s worth it.

First (Mini) Review of One of My Works  
I was at a writing convention, trying to find copies of my poems online when I stumbled upon a website which had reviewed one of my pieces of writing. That was the first time a publication reviewed one of my works and, better yet, it was positive. Brief, but positive.

In April, “SFF Reviews” did a concise review of my poem “In the Dose.”

Attending My First Big Cons  
This year I attended both SFWA’s Nebula Conference and HWA’s StokerCon. That is, the big SciFi/Fantasy writers’ convention and the big Horror writers’ convention.

I wrote about my experience at StokerCon 2023 here. Needless to say, both Cons were great experiences. I met so many writers and learned a lot from them at panels and in the hallways. 

Going to My First “Live” Pitch Session
While at StokerCon, I took part in a unique opportunity: live pitching a novella I wrote to a panel of editors.

It’s sounds wonderful, but I have not been that stressed since Finals week in college. This was the setup: You sign up a few months beforehand on a form that’s emailed to you. It’s first-come, first serve, so you have to act fast. You are then usually paired with an available editor (or two if you’re lucky and they have slots, but don’t assume you’ll get your first choice). Then, you get notified of your pairing a little before the Convention so you can continue to research them and refine your pitch.

The day comes, and a group of editors (and a few agents) gather in one of the main ballrooms at the Con. You get five minutes with the editor—that’s all! You wait outside in a hallway and a StokerCon official calls you in, directs you to the table with the editor(s), and you give your pitch.

It was an exhilarating and nerve-wracking experience. Basically spilling your guts out about why this work is important, vital, and why they should pick it up and publish it.

Everyone was lovely and clearly used to writers who were anxious and stressed. I felt I did really well—and both of the editors I met with requested to see a sample from the manuscript.

Unfortunately, neither one wanted to go further with the project. It was blow, but like many things this year—it was a great learning experience.

First Structured Mentor Experience
Earlier this year, I signed up for HWA’s Mentorship Program. I was accepted for the fall semester. (This was after being on the Waiting List for some time—so if you’re a member and sign up—be patient!).

I was paired with a more seasoned writer who had been nominated for the Stoker Award. The mentorship experience was phenomenal. We set up a regular Zoom call where I could just ask questions and get critiques of my work.

Per his request, I sent my mentor one of my better works-in-progress and on my not-so-good ones. He reviewed these, sent me notes on them, and we discussed these changes during our calls. I would also just ask him questions like “Should I start a newsletter?” “Tell me about how you got nominated for a Stoker.” Stuff like that. Nothing artistic was off limits.

I can’t stress how important this is for a writer who, in a certain sense, is still just starting. It’s so vital to just be able to honestly ask a (more experienced) peer what they’re doing and get an answer. It’s a great program and major Kudos to the HWA for putting this on.

First Time Moderating a Panel 
At the SFWA convention, I had my first opportunity to moderate a panel. It was great. I moderated the panel “Writing Scripted Sci-Fi/Fantasy Podcasts” at the Nebula Conference. It was my first time appearing at a Con and was a great way to get my feet wet on speaking in front of a crowd. Especially since I had the job of asking the questions—not answering them!

First Public Reading
About a month later, at HWA’s StokerCon I did my first public reading. I read my poem “The King Becomes a Star” and people actually applauded after I was done. It was great.

It was another “first” this year: My first author reading.

First Time as Podcast Guest  
At the SFWA convention, I met this guy. His name was Matthew. He happened to have a Podcast where he interviewed writers. He asked me if I would like to be a guest. And I said, “Hell yeah!”

A few months later we did the recording live from the comfort of my own home (using the magic of the Internet). I was a bit nervous, but Matthew made me feel at ease.

A little while after that it came out all neat and polished on the Sonitotum Podcast. You can listen to it here.

Taking Some Courses at Horror University
Back again at the HWA convention, I took a couple of courses at Horror University. Horror University are courses given by current practitioners on the craft of writing Horror.

Top of the list for this sojourn at school was a course on how to use poetry technique to hone your PROSE writing by Linda Addison, Horror poet extraordinaire (five time winner of the Stoker Award). She was a great instructor and had many insights to share. Things I still carry with me when I’m thinking about writing or honing poetry. If you get a chance to take a course with her—take it! I can’t recommend the experience enough!

Finishing a Big Story
I’m also incredibly proud to report that I finished a long story I’ve been working on for some time.

It’s called “The Book of Shaitan” and I’m quite proud of it. I’ll write/explain more about this later. Right now, I’d just like to note that it’s historical fiction which is my other fascination besides speculative fiction. We’ll see where this goes—I hope to have more updates later.  

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So, that’s it. My 2023 in writing.  

Check back early next month, where I will look ahead to the new year. And have a great and restful Holiday Season, Everyone!

See you again soon!

Darius