Your Turn: Your Best 2022 Passage

This week's question: What was the best passage you wrote in 2022?

It can from anything. Your current WIP. Something you published. An email you sent to your boss telling him to back the F off. Whatever passage you're most proud of from 2022, I want to see it.

And I want everyone else to see it too! So I've opened a blog post. If you're brave enough, copy/paste your passage in the comments section. And don't be afraid to upvote and compliment another writer on his/her best passage. We're all in this together, folks!

Next week in this space I'll run a fan favorite or two.

Last week's question: What is your no. 1 goal for 2023? And what is your no. 1 writing goal for 2023?

A few of our favorite responses. The first comes from our pal Kevin W.: "I'm working on getting on the Sinclair Lewis plan for 2023. He wrote his 3rd novel over the kitchen sink with his coffee in the morning, while riding the train to and from work, and during lunch... I'm trying to get some Sinclarity in my life."

Daniel L. is working on his next songbook and asks for good luck. Longtime WBNer Pat R. will write a movie treatment for his book The Abbey & Me. Elaine K. has a great goal: "Don't get overwhelmed; give myself kudos for small sections, even paragraphs, that flow."

Cynthia M.'s goal is twofold: "To (continue to) live the life I want to live," and "To continue to grow as a writer." (You'll hear much more from Cynthia -- her climate change memoir is a project we have a lot of faith in!)

Many of you share a goal put most succinctly by Darlene B.: "I want to get published!" Amen to that.

And while David L. does have some writing-related projects he'd like to complete, he's taking my approach: "I can't give myself any pressure."

Bryan M. understands: "It's about setting expectations for ourselves. These projects take countless hours. It's a gut check if we're OK if, after all that effort, it flops."

We got so many great responses to this question, and I wish I could include every single one of them. Y'all continue to inspire me.

January Promotion: Strategy Session

Get unstuck, finally!

In your very own strategy session, you and one of WBN's wonderful coaches & consultants will discuss how to improve your current writing life to achieve maximum productivity and ultimate success.

During your 60-minute strategy session, you and your coach will:

• Identify problem areas and apply solutions
• Find out what's holding you back and learn how to move forward
• Discover your optimal writing process
• Brainstorm ideas for what to focus on
• Hatch a plan for making 2023 your best writing year ever!

A lot of you (OK, OK... a lot of us) had trouble writing during what turned out to be a tumultuous year. But 2023 will no doubt carry its own tumults. Now's the time to make a plan and hit the ground running.

That's why we're knocking $21 off the regular price. So click the button below to book your very own strategy session for only $99!

WriteByNighter of the Week: Cheryl Kesterson

NEW THIS WEEK! Cheryl Kesterson has released her historical novel, In the Shadow of Destiny. It follows Joseph Ehlinger, Cheryl's real-life ancestor, as he marches toward (and away from) Moscow with Napoleon, then moves to Texas and fights with Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution.

Check out a sample with the "Look Inside" function. The e-book itself is only $4.99, and the paperback is 520 pages of good Texas lit.

Cheryl worked with several WBN coaches and consultants, including Tom Andes (critique), JoAnna Novak (proofread), Sara Zarr (formatting and uploading), and John Sibley Williams (promotional materials).

Congratulations, Cheryl! We'll be following this one with great interest.

WBN Coaches' Corner: Alex Myers

We're long overdue in introducing you to Alex Myers, a WriteByNight client favorite and five-time author.

Alex's first novel, Revolutionary (Simon & Schuster), follows real-life figure Deborah Samson, who disguises herself as a man and fights in the American Revolution. I read it. It's very good. His two most recent novels are from HarperVoyager.

Alex also writes often about his experiences as a transgender man and his advocacy on behalf of transgender rights. You can find such work in Slate, Salon, and the Guardian, among many others.

Alex is always eager to read new work, particularly fiction. He's an insightful reader, and has a wealth of experience working with writers, both one-on-one and in front of a classroom.

Reply to this message if you're ready for Alex to read your fiction!

January Promotion #2: Me!

OK, it's not really a promotion, but I'm ready and eager to take on a new writer.

If you're looking for a beta read or critique of your novel, ideally literary, reply to this message with a sample and your total word count and I'll see if we align well.

If you have no idea who the hell I am, well, join the club! (I'm the club's founding member.) But feel free to AMA. You can also read this Q&A.

Writerly Quote of the Week

"Throw down, make a mess, and see what happens."

-- Tom Andes (because why not throw it out there one last time?)