At the Close of the Year…

It's time yet again to see how I did on my to-do list for 2015:

Revise/rewrite/edit/polish the novel I finished drafting in December. Infuse with more heart, and MAKE THE MIDDLE BETTER!! 

Write a brand new book—because all revising and no first-drafting makes Joanna a dull girl! 

Read outside of my normal genre preferences—like a thriller or a mystery or something nonfiction. 

Bake more stuff—I've realized I really like baking!! 

Get an electric hand-mixer—Related to above. Whipping butter by hand is SO HARD YOU GUYS. 

Some kind of bookcase project—I have some outdated bookcases that I think would be really fun to update/paint/shabby-chicify or something. 

Never, ever, EVER give up! I don't post a lot about querying, as giving too much detail on that front can be unprofessional, but suffice it to say, this is my motto! 

 And here's how I did:

First up, I got halfway through a rewrite of last year's novel, and I do intend to finish it when I have the time! 

I starrrrted a brand new book for NaNoWriMo but it wasn't to be. Ah, well! 

Does reading four adult fantasy novels count as reading outside my normal genre preference? Haha maybe not, but it's been a loooooooong while since I adventured into the adult section, so I'm gonna give myself half-credit for that. 

I learned how to make homemade honey wheat dinner rolls! Does that count as baking more? 

I still don't have a hand-mixer… whoops!!

No bookcase project done either, unless you count clearing off the top of the office bookshelf to serve as my overflow shelf… I think I deserve 25% credit for that one. 

But BY FAR the most wonderful amazing accomplishment this year………… I didn't give up on querying and SIGNED WITH MY AGENT IN APRIL!!! I'm still so delighted/amazed/thankful/ecstatic about that!