2022 In Review

Merry (belated) Christmas, everybody! And happy final week of 2022! I hope most of you have been enjoying a much-needed break from the world’s usual craziness, but for those who haven’t, let me thank you for all the hard work you’ve been putting in. It’s easy to forget how much strength it takes to just be yourself and keep on trudging in times of immense stress and workloads.

Before we entered the new year, I wanted to keep up the tradition of looking back on the old year, making note of the things that went and how I want things to go going forward.

Reflecting on 2022

Each year is a unique affair for everybody, but I think I can say that 2022 was a fairly standard and unextraordinary year for me. That’s not to say it wasn’t filled with any notable highs or lows, there wasn’t really anything groundbreaking or life-shaking. I was able to stick to my guns, stay the course, and make it to today without any fuss.

…Well, perhaps “standard” isn’t the right word for it so much as “non-disruptive” as the hard times, while quite… notable, weren’t enough to really shake the course of anything. I was able to stick to my guns, stay the course, and make it to where I am today without any fuss.

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On the website front, though, things were much more eventful. Not only did we make it to the one-year anniversary mark this last September, but we also made it through an entire calendar year from start to finish! Not only that, but I also set up a Twitter account for establishing a social media presence while expanding the website itself with both an art gallery and a brand new blog topic section for video game content. Just keeping this website afloat feels like a victory in and of itself, but being able to go even further with it than I ever intended shows that I have room to grow yet as I press ever onward.

With that said, I’m not looking back on 2022 with rose-tinted lenses. In fact, despite my satisfaction with my website, I find myself rather dissatisfied with the state of my creative writing and writing mentality.

When it’s come to writing my stories, I’ve always felt like I struggled with pushing myself past the conceptual phases. The most shameful example of this continues to be Heritors of Ruin (which you may know better as Project Wardens), which I was so foolishly certain would be at least somewhat close to completion at the start of the year only to find myself now with little else but my outlines after several mental U-turns. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with going back to make an idea better, nor is it as if any of the Wardens stuff on Writer’s Wall and elsewhere have been rendered fully obsolete (though I must restate that there’s always that risk as per the disclaimer on that page), but it becomes infuriating to frequently find myself dead in my tracks so often that I feel a bad turn away from writer’s block, if not a complete mental burnout.

There’s not as much regarding Boy Magician in terms of updates or grievances. I said not long ago that all the big things I want to do with the project are a bit beyond what I’m capable of by myself with my current skillset, leaving me to instead flesh out the world through smaller anthological tales. Hopefully that’ll change someday, but I get the feeling there’ll be a long stretch of time between me and that day.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing I’ve had to deal with, though, both within 2022 and without, has been a woefully consistent lack of feedback. More often than not, in addition just twitter, I’d also put my work out in some of my various social circles and turn up nothing but goose eggs in terms of commentary, positive or negative. While I consider myself incredibly blessed to know and be around all of these people, and there are definitely a cherished few who are always ready to listen and give me direction when I’m at a crossroad, not getting a lot back besides the usual grammatical corrections and thumbs up can get a little unnerving.

Maybe I should be fine with that—no news is good news, after all. Even so, the illusion of having no shoulders to lean on always ends up putting me on edge, leaving me constantly anxious about the quality of my writing. Rather than excitement at sharing my thoughts, I instead find myself filled with concern that any given piece could be a disastrous embarrassment, and I wouldn’t have a single clue as to whether or not that was actually the case until it was too late, if I’d ever find out at all. If that were really the case, is the decision to carry on truly courageous? Or merely reckless?

Well, at the very least, I know that calling things off and running away would definitely be cowardice, and I shouldn’t say I’d prefer hecklers to pure silence when I’ve yet to garner a lot of attention. All I know for certain is that while I do write with the mission of entertaining and uplifting others, I also write because I have a genuine passion for it—the kind that gets you feeling in your heart that there’s a reason to continue regardless of what life throws at you.

I often say somewhat jokingly that I speak almost exclusively in first drafts, as no matter what I’m trying to say or who I’m talking to, I always have a nagging feeling that I could be saying exactly the wrong thing, or at least something that’d result in an awkward moment or two. However, the days when I’m able to sit down, open up a blank word document on my laptop and pull out a sheet of paper to note-take or draw a shoddy sketch are the ones where I don’t feel the need to shackle myself with a professional filter. I can just go bananas with my thoughts and be as me as I can be.

I suppose that’s an answer for the folks who ask “why do you keep doing this despite the risk and struggles?” Not like anyone was actively asking, though,

Still, there’s no good to be found in such deep reflection and contemplation if it doesn’t help get your feet moving in the right direction. That’s where taking advantage of a new year comes in.

2023: Year of the Gambit.

2022 year was a great year for me when it came to setting the baseline when it comes to my writing, but there’s more to being a successful writer than treading charted waters.

With 2023, I want to push myself to do more than just what I’m comfortable with, starting with putting myself out there more often and being more adventurous with things like writing magazine and competition submissions, in addition to the work I do for my website and personal projects. After all, if I’m frustrated that my current social groups aren’t giving me enough in terms of help, then I just need to go out and find people who are willing to give me what I’m looking for.

I may add a few Bye weeks to my blog schedule to make room for these endeavors, but I don’t think I’m at the point where I start posting blogs infrequently or inconsistently. I’ll just have to see where things fall, and hopefull, I’ll be able to do both without significant sacrifice.

As for the blog posts themselves, I’d like to spice things up and establish soft prompts for each individual month, rather than just my current tendency to just write about whatever random topic I decide on for that week. I won’t guarantee that every single blog will align with the prompt, but what’s the harm in trying?

As for the blog-writing itself, I’d like to spice things up and establish soft prompts for each month, rather than just writing about whatever random topic I decide on, just so that I can add a little structure to my modus operandi. No guarantee that every single blog will be one-to-one with the topic if I find something I REALLY want to write about, but still, what’s the harm in at least trying?

I’ll probably put out a news update for each month’s prompt at the start of the month, but for now, expect January to be “Pep-Up Month.”

Special Thanks

For my last words in 2022, I want to dedicate them to all the people who’ve celebrated with me during the good times and helped me through the bad.

First, I have to let my Christianity show a bit and give my thanks to God. It’s all too easy to find yourself overwhelmed by how desolate and unforgiving the world can get, so much so that you’ll feel alone even amidst a crowd and even make a Christian man forget if not abandon his Christianity. However, there hasn’t been a day since my recommitment to the faith little over a year ago where my moments of despair haven’t been warmed by remembering His message and mission of light and love.

(NOTE: I know rhetoric like this can be off-putting to people of other faiths, especially those whom corrupt religious institutions have harmed or otherwise influenced through negative experiences. That’s why I generally try to limit religious speak in my life to those of similar faith and others who don’t mind me sharing that side and make sure to add a clear warning or disclaimer if I do, but I’ll be grateful if you let it slide just this one slide if it’s not your thing).

I’d also like to thank my family for always supporting me and helping me through these wild times, even when I don’t deserve it and especially when I insist that I’d be ok without it. I consider it an incredible blessing to be as independent and self-sufficient as I am compared to others in my age group (to my own personal surprise, if I’m being honest), but I know that, ironically enough, I couldn’t have that life if they weren’t in my corner rooting for me. They may not be my go-tos for writing advice, but I’m thankful for them all the same.

And of course, this operation if I couldn’t count on my friends when I needed them. While I’ll always wish I had more writing support, I know it’s a busy world, and if it’s something that I am truly frustrated with, then the best thing I can do is make sure I am not causing equal frustration to them as they work to accomplish their own goals. If you’re reading this, you probably know who you are, and I want you to know I couldn’t be prouder to have friends like you through all the years we’ve spent together. I just hope I’ve been doing enough to return the favor.

Lastly, a Special Special Thanks to Jon for helping me gather information for my January Pokemon blogs, Nyaature for letting me mention him and our misadventures during my Sea of Thieves blog, Courtney Godbey for lending her incredible artistic skills in a commisioned piece of Meeko and Pashmina that you can find headlining the art gallery on the front page, and, as always, Koseki, the other-mother brother whose concept work for every character I’ve made that’s been illustrated thus far has given life to my work and wind to my sails.

And with that, it’s time to turn our eyes forward and turn the page on yet another brand new year. Goodbye ‘22 and hello ‘23!

Off to the next great adventure!