Jenn Neal

It’s been a wild ride. I appreciate you all being here, and I’ll make this quick, because you all have your own lives to get back to. All I can say is, it’s been quite rollercoaster of a year, rife with self-doubt, confidence, encouragement, fear, hope, and hopelessness.

This year, I got my second round of in-depth critiques, had two beta/sensitivity readers look at my book, about seven other beta readers to look at and critiqued my work, and I started querying. Lots of changes happened over the first nine months of this year, until I finally felt like my book was finished. Well, as finished as I can make it (actually…it kind of depends on the day).

I’ve spent hours hunched over my keyboard searching for agents, even more trying to write the perfect query letter, synopsis, and ensure my first fifty pages of my book are flawless. Sometimes, it felt like my eyes might start bleeding. I think I’ve read my book about a thousand times. I’ve researched traditional publishing vs. self publishing, and figured out what works for me.

I finished a book, perfected my query package, started another book, created this website, and got to see three of my characters come to life thanks to an incredibly talented artist I found on Instagram. But more than any of those major writing achievements, I think the scariest and most fulfilling part of my year was opening up to all of you about what I’ve been up to.

My writing has always been a secret. In the fifteen plus years I’ve been writing, only a few people knew I was even a writer. When I created my Instagram, I had a panic attack about it for nearly twenty-four hours. But instead of the judgement I’d always feared, I got an unending wave of support from all of you. It’s been really cool to come clean about my writing, my book, and see that other people are so excited for me. It’s not what I expected, and I’m sure I can blame the little voices in my mind that always whisper I’ll never be a good writer. But I’m learning to push those thoughts back, just embrace the experience, and have faith in myself. Because ultimately, I’m really proud of what I’ve done, even if this is as far as I ever get.

So, here’s to you, my glorious, wonderful, delightful supporters. I wouldn’t be here without you, even if I’m not sure where here is. I’ve never really believed in major resolutions, but I do intend to make the most of 2024. I plan to finish my first draft of Bone Thieves, and *fingers crossed* and an agent for Vicious Miscreations (which is totally out of my hands, but power of positivity, right?). Thank you for being here, for sharing in this experience. Truly, I don’t deserve you, and I hope you have the most wonderful year.