Has it really been seven months since I last posted? That’s hard to believe. I spent the previous week debating what sort of thing I ought to write here, after such a long (and mostly unplanned) absence. I even began a terribly serious essay about birthday goals and the inevitable passage of time and all sorts of philosophical contemplations. Then I remembered that I’m only capable of so many serious sentiments per day before I realize how boring I sound, and decided to scrap it.

So here is the gist of that entry, minus the lengthy musing…

Two weeks ago, I turned twenty-six. The number still seems a bit surreal, since I feel the same as I did when I was in college. All in all, though, I’m reasonably satisfied with what I’ve accomplished in the past few years.

But I also realized how much more I want to do, especially when it comes to writing. So I drew up a few goals for myself. I now have a reading schedule, which means I’ll be reading more books—and that’s a relief, because aspiring writers need to read the same way we need oxygen. Published books help us to remember that yes, it is possible to write a whole bunch of sentences that eventually come together to make a beautiful story, and yes, it is important to have fun with your work and create something you love. Other writers have managed to do it, and so can we! (If that sounds obvious, and also a bit pathetic, that’s only because it is.)

I’ve also resolved to be more diligent about blogging. So from now on, I hope to post here on a bi-weekly basis. It will be nice to write something without having to watch how many adverbs I use. (Although my inner editor has become so particular that I’ll probably end up deleting most of them anyway!)

As for what happened in my absence, I’m afraid don’t have much to report on the writing front. It was a long and busy spring, during which I finished another revision of my current novel, followed by a difficult summer. I received a manuscript request from my dream agency, followed by a rejection with surprisingly positive feedback—which I took as a good sign. Later, I received the most brutal critique of my first ten pages that I’ve had to date, from a very different source. So like many writers, I’ve had a mixed bag of feedback so far. I don’t know what will happen next, but in the meantime, I’ve been brainstorming new projects and tweaking old ones.

I do have happier things to report, mostly involving the SCBWI Summer 2012 Conference in L.A., where I got the chance to hang out with my incredible critique partner Kourtney Heintz. But I’ll save those thoughts for another entry. In the meantime, I’m glad to be back, and I’m hopeful that the next twelve months will be productive and positive ones.