>UPDATE 2023<

Welcome! It is now 2023, a few days in, and I wanted to take a moment to review 2022, talk about my plans for 2023, and talk about the newest addition to my brand, a logo. There are some reasons why it looks like it does, and I am happy to share.

As of this post, I have already released my first blog post of 2023, Vivid Dreams; a compilation of the most vivid dreams I had last year for your enjoyment. The Full Moon Challenge inspired that post because I am not great a poetry and had too many fun dreams to choose from. Decision fatigue is real.

2023, I plan to submit to at least two challenges a month and continue to post short stories every once in a while. However, most of my writing is focused on my breakout novel, "Edain." So it has been a long time in creation and editing. I enjoy writing more than editing, but it must be done.

2022 was a good year; I pried myself out of my shell and participated in various challenges. I attempted to post a serialized story that did not quite get off the ground, but I will not give up. I have learned a lot about myself and writing.

1. Stop taking myself so seriously- I do not need to be perfect, my writing does not need to be perfect, but I do need to write. Perfection is an excellent idea but hardly attainable.

2. Create content that interests you- If it doesn't interest me, then why do I expect readers to want to read it?

3. Quality over Quantity Work- If I am producing poor quality work, no one will want to read it, even if there is a lot of it.

4. Find what works for you creatively- I've had to dive deep into what conditions are conducive to my creativity. I have to have a physical pen, a fountain pen, and a physical notebook. Currently I've been using an Erin Condrin Notebook and a Majohn M2 Fountain Pen.

5. I can write poetry, but it just takes more effort- Poetry, to me, is the algebra of writing. Depending on the type of poetry you write, the more complex the rhyme schemes are.

6. Vocal Challenges, looking to WIN=DISAPPOINTMENT- I've had to start writing these challengest to challenge myself, not to win. Among all of the writers who sumbit to these challenges, it is easy to get lost in the sea of applicants. I may win something someday, but I would rather enjoy writing the challengest that interest me than trying to do every one of them to win.

7. Technology is hardly ever an ally for my writing- I've found myself at the mercy of social media's never-ending quest to occupy every corner of my brain. By forgoing these social media outlets, for long swaths of time, it allows me to free up RAM in my brain.

8. Learning is lifelong; keep moving forward- Every setback, unread story, and criticism is an opportunity to learn. Analyze why the feedback did not go well and discover what can be done in the future.

9. Writing one word a day is still more words than not writing- Some days writing is difficult, and others are impossible, often because of external forces and lack of internal motivation. So, I have adopted the mantra of, "just one word," and most of the time it morphs into more.

10. Just sitting down and spilling ink can be fun, even if it is just a doodle- Sometimes just having the pen in my hand and my journal in front of me can catch some more random thoughts.

Now, on the subject of my new Logo, my lovely husband made it for me. It is my first initial 'S' being drawn with a fountain pen because it is my preferred writing tool. The cross on the other side of the 'S' is for my faith, which is a massive part of my life. My ultimate goal in writing is to bring glory to God. Ending with the colors pale green and aubergine are the lesser versions of my two favorite colors, green and violet.

I have high hopes for this year and I'm happy to have you with me. If you have made it this far in my post, please give me a like or a comment. Please feel free to share.

God Bless you and this new year!

~SNEvans.Writer

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God Bless!