This is a difficult year to take stock of because outwardly, I tried to project a sunny confidence that I did not feel. I didn’t talk about the hardest moments online. Suffice it to say, I spent more time sitting with family members in hospital rooms in 2024 than I could’ve predicted. Everyone is better now, but it was immensely challenging–and that’s setting aside the state of the world.
My nudge word for the year was hungry, and I did in fact go for it, even when my instincts were screaming for me to diminish and go into the west. I was rewarded in some ways, and I fell short in others. All together, it was a gratifying year…and it was a trial. The best I can say is that I persisted, and so let’s review.
In 2024, I:
- Wrote and edited Bold Moves. This is my longest first draft to date (97K) and the longest of my revised books (95K). The revision process was also, quite frankly, a bear. If Bad Reputation was a book I wrote to the market, this was a book that I wrote just for me. I guess we’ll see how people feel about that choice in April 2025.
- Promoted and released Bad Reputation. Thanks to the Amazon First Read, this book is on more people’s Kindles than anything else I’ve ever written. Cole and Maggie have been with me since 2015. I adore them, and I’m glad they’re out in the world.
- Revised the first two-thirds of and finished drafting a thriller with romantic elements (aka the academic conspiracy book). This is a project I’ve been working on for THREE YEARS–I’m writing it on spec, so I had to fit it in between contracted projects–and it grew out of a seed from five years ago. It still needs a lot of work, plus my agent and I have to sell it, but the fact that it’s done is a massive relief. Watch this space for updates, I hope!
- Drafted and submitted three proposals for contemporary romances. I didn’t think I could love an idea more than the first one, at least until I wrote the second one. And that was the idea until I finished number three. My heart is full with all of these characters, and I’m hoping someone will give me the go-ahead to write one of their stories next year.
- Wrote 5K for a bonus epilogue for Bad Reputation, but it isn’t finished yet. So if you’re curious about Libby and Jack’s love story, I’ll have it for my newsletter subscribers, likely in a novelette length around Valentine’s Day.
- Read 45 new-to-me books, and I’d be delighted if I could finish a couple more today.
In terms of my 2023 goals, I didn’t write two books and finish a third: I wrote 1.3 books, plus some bonus material. All together, I’m north of 140K new words for the year. I suspect 140-160K in a year is my sweet spot these days. As I make goals moving forward, that’ll be my target.
Next year, I’d like to sign some new contracts and to write 1.5 books. I’d like to be chill about my 2025 release. I’d like to be on social media less, and I’d like to move and stretch more–intellectually, creatively, and physically. And I’d like to read more.
May 2025 be a year of growth and love for us all. xo
(I’ve been producing some version of this post for as long as I’ve been blogging my writing. You can read about my 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013 respectively.)
Emma Barry 