So the fact that I both twice typed this as 2014 Year In Review and that I already finished this post only for Firefox to crash and me to lose it all is telling, right?

Anyway, I have to be grateful, despite 2015 being a shit year in so very many ways for the world at large and for many of us personally and collectively there is NO DOUBT that this was a huge breakthrough year for me professionally after many years of working hard…finally some things are starting to pay off.

Also, as much as 2015 feels like something we’d all just like to forget about in the mediums I love so much I was given Furiosa, The Five Wives, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Jessica Jones, Rey, and even Jem (yeah, I said it!). Of course a lot of those things are very very very white, so we still have plenty of work left to do, but I’m still thankful.

And while we’re being thankful, a huge thanks to all of you that have been so kind and supportive and have bought my books and have sung their praises both loudly on social media and privately with your friends/loved ones. It makes ALL the difference. Thank you.

And before we get down to business, because some of you will appreciate THE HELL out of this – I got for Christmas the best freaking gift ever from my boyfriend – a custom made bust of Tessa Battle, the heroine from my Storykiller book series – sculpted and cast by him, it is just…well, there aren’t words for how cool it is:

Tessa Bust 1

Okay, well, enough of that, onto this “accounting of the year” business…let’s see what the tally looks like:

PUBLISHED:

HEART IN A BOX (Dark Horse) with artist/co-creator Meredith McClaren. This is my first ever graphic novel – I feel like not nearly enough people were exposed to this book (indie comics are tough, kids) but the people who did read it seemed VERY moved and that in turn moved me. AND we did manage to hit #77 on CBR’s Top 100 of 2015…so YAY.

I also had 15 comic books published including a double-sized annual and 2 short stories (comics) that I wrote or co-wrote, plus one short story that I both wrote and illustrated. [And Jem hit #12 on CBR’s Top 100 books, kids! OMG!]

WROTE/CO-WROTE:

Not everything I wrote came out in 2015 (obvs) or even will for sure come out at all (wah!) but by my count I actually wrote (or co-wrote): 28 comics, 5 “Sample Pages” (basically pitch pages for something I was/am pitching), 18 Pitches (with varying degrees of intensity from a “paragraph or two” to “holy shit that’s involved” and including a couple revisions of existing/earlier drafts of pitches), 7 detailed summaries (or revisions of summaries) for a series or arc of something, a screenplay revision, a pilot revision, 9 short stories (for the Storykiller Novella…still forthcoming!), and many many words/pages (I’m not gonna count) for Storykiller Book 2.

Yeah, that sounds like about it. A really amazing year considering it was my first “real” year in comics and I hope 2016 is going to kick its ass. So speaking of 2016…what’s on the horizon? Here are the plans (and a few hopes…well, more than a few since nothing is for sure) for 2016:

Storykiller Book 2 Kickstarter (March/April)

Storykiller Book 2 Published (May/June Publishing/Fulfillment)

Storykiller Novella Released (sooooo late – I’m sorry guys!)

A year of Jem (yay!)

A year of A-Force! (speaking of, you guys may or may not have seen this great interview with G. Willow Wilson on EW yesterday that also happens to let people know I’ll be taking it over full time starting with issue 5!)

I have a new Middle Grade Comic (with a great artist!) that I am close to setting up with a publisher and if we can work it out, it will begin publishing in 2016. The first volume would be 5 issues.

I also have a creator-owned thing that I’m hoping REAL hard is going to work out with an incredible artist (and publisher) on board. Details still need to be worked out but it would be about 6 issues and the first issue(s) would probably begin coming out in 2016.

I have a REALLY FREAKING AMAZING pitch in with a big publisher for an ongoing book with an incredible character…and though it’s been taking A WHILE it’s finally looking promising. I’m crossing my fingers real hard on this one.

I have 3 cool mini-series pitches in at a couple publishers and 3 more due in January, as well as a pitch on a short story due, and hopefully a couple of those will be a go.

There’s always also other creator-owned stuff and various opportunities floating around, but I think everything I laid out here is the most likely stuff to hit in 2016, the stuff I’m focused on and am most optimistic about.

AND, 2016 may be the year that THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING finally moves forward (television). As some of you know Legendary Television picked up the option this past year and some exciting things have been happening. Stay tuned!

Lastly, though this is more personal than professional, I am moving cross country mid-year which will make it easier to run Kickstarters (NYC is not Kickstarter fulfillment friendly) and I’m hoping to work some Comic Cons into my schedule once we move as well…so that’s gonna be time consuming and stressful but I’m really excited about it too. Fingers crossed, kids!

So, that’s the sum up of 2015 not bad (personally/professionally at least) and the prognosis for 2016. Here’s to making it work…I’m sure I’m gonna blink and it will all be over all over again.

XO

KELLY

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Gah. Massive failure.

I mean, I met my most important goals, which is key when you’re doing work for hire (in part just because you know, you need a PAYCHECK) but the lack of words on he Novel is really upsetting.

I did get sick twice which made it really hard to work at my usual rate – the second one being a bout of vertigo…which have you guys ever had this before? Kind of terrifying and basically impossible to work. So, considering that plus three+ days lost to Thanksgiving

travel/celebration it’s not a huge surprise that I didn’t hit everything I wanted. 34k on a 50k goal is disappointing but not tragic, but I really wanted to be closer to 80k…and so I didn’t even meet 50%, which IS tragic. Anyway, gotta keep going, two more scripts due this week! It never ends! :O

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 1,629

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT:  3,435

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 34,263

And, I guess since we’re “all done here” I need to update the overall “To Do List”:

NOVEL X: 5,164 of 50k (pathetic!)

COMIC BOOK SCRIPTS: 5 ½ done, ½ still to go!

COMIC BOOK REVISIONS: 1 script done! Only planned to do 1, but did 3!

COMIC BOOK SHORT SCRIPT: 1 still to go! Gah!

COMIC OUTLINES: 1 done!

COMIC SYNOPSIS: 1 done, 1 still to go!

COMIC PITCHES: 2 still due! Gah!

SHORT STORIES: 1 done, 3 still to go!

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY:

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Singularity by Stephanie Hans!

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You guys. Jessica Jones is really good.

You may or may not know this about me but I have trouble with A LOT of superhero adaptations (especially TV)…this makes me feel very lonely…and so when something that works for me as well as Jessica Jones does (so far) I can’t help but feel happy, but also…relieved?

Anyway, we’re 3 episodes in and I’m REALLY pleased. It’s a distraction from NaNo for sure, but it’s also kinda inspiring, which is nicely refreshing. :)

Okay day today. Finished another revision (so again, that’s very low word count wise) but got a lot down on a new script that I hope I can maybe finish on Sunday…is that possible? That would be AMAZING.

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 1006

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 1,885

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 29,199

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY: 

A-Force_Vol_1_1_Dauterman_Variant_Textless

It’s pretty much all A-Force all the time right now, kids. What can I say? No Rogue or Storm or Wasp unfortunately but I had to post this Secret Wars variant by Russell Dauterman…great cover (and a PERFECT Rogue!) :)

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Despite the distraction of Jessica Jones debuting (I had to wait to watch it with someone, which helped!) I did pretty well. Thanks in part to hustling for a deadline (which also means I got to cross something else off). Woo!

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 611

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 4,542

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 23,117

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY:

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Medusa by Adam Hughes.

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My numbers aren’t great considering they’re for 3 days not one (5k over 3 days is way too slow), but they did find me finishing at least one significant project, closing in on finishing another, AND I may have fixed my sleeping schedule (maybe?) so that’s something. I did go to bed at a fairly reasonable 2am (ish) and then popped awake at 5 (ish) so I’m probably gonna need a nap at some point today but I’m currently wide awake and working, so that’s way more than half the battle to be honest. Then again Jessica Jones comes out today and I’m going to lose 3 days next week to Thanksgiving/travel…so I need to be moving MUCH faster given distractions like that on the horizon.

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 611

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 4,542

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 23,117

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY:

Actually, what I was writing about the last two days has not actually been announced…so here’s a placeholder kitten (the first kitten that popped up on google when typing in “cutest kitten ever”

BTxeVyzCAAE8Hh_

 

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Yikes. Little blip there. We missed…um, 6 days of updates. Bad, bad Kelly. I have been working but I’ve had a few frustrating days. But honestly, as much as I’d love to believe that I’m a writer that’s a machine – a writer that can just WORK IT – because I pride myself on accountability and I believe that writing is much more about “hard work” than it is about “being inspired” but the truth is – at least for me – some times you need to take a step back. You have to give your brain a rest, or let it work out some problems (writing or otherwise) you’re having before you can get over certain hurdles.

Most every writer I know is ALWAYS working, because even when you’re not ass in chair/words on page (which is a super important part of things, obviously), AT BEST you’ve still always got (at least) several problems on the back burner that you’re trying to solve.

The last few days I was writing, but not the way I had been and that was in large part because I was trying to figure out a bunch of difficult things. I don’t know if I’ve solved them all, but today marked definitely a re-focusing and a “getting back on the horse” when it comes to ass in chair/words on page.

So, I’m feeling very behind, but it was necessary to step back a bit and here are our new stats:

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 1206

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 2,554

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 17,964

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY: 

A-Force-Hip-Hop-Var-fb06f

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Ooohboy. Third of the way through and DEFINITELY not moving fast enough. Gah.

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 0

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 1309

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 14,204

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY: 

Shhhhhheeeee-Huuuuuuullllk! YEAH!

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Today the blank page was a scary little bitch and it took me all day to wrestle her into submission and get some words onto her. Grrr. But I DID conquer her by bedtime (so what if bedtime is looking like 5am!)

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 602

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 591

TOTAL FOR TODAY: 1,193

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 12,895

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY: 

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Fenris from my novel STORYKILLER – illustration by the phenomenal Ben Caldwell!

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Good productive day. Not a high word count unfortunately, but today was mostly revisions which don’t traditionally produce high word counts, so it is what it is.

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 0

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 1,256

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 11,702

HOWEVER, I got my priority work done and since we’re a week in, I guess it’s time to re-visit the “to do list.” It feels good to cross things off…but I’m not moving fast enough for sure. Hopefully today as a solid work day is a good indicator for better productivity going forward.

NOVEL X: 0k of 50k

COMIC BOOK SCRIPTS: 1 done, 5 still to go!

COMIC BOOK REVISIONS: 1 script done!

COMIC BOOK SHORT SCRIPT: 1

COMIC OUTLINES: 1 done!

COMIC SYNOPSIS: 2

COMIC PITCHES: 2

SHORT STORIES: 4 – 6

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY: 

Aforce1

Singularity by the fantastic Stephanie Hans!

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Gah. Awful day writing wise. -_-

And I’m still sick but it’s not a good excuse, mostly I’m just terribly disciplined. I’m the worst. :(

NOVEL X WORD COUNT: 110

VARIOUS & MISC WORD COUNT: 506

TOTAL NANO COUNT THUS FAR: 10,446

PERSON/PLACE/THING I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY:

image

A-Force…yes!

A-Force 2 variant cover by Joelle Jones!

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