Top Ten Operation Awesome Posts of 2014

Tis the season for top ten lists! Look back with me on the top ten Operation Awesome posts of 2014.*

*Does not include critiques or Mystery Agent posts


10. Shifting Publishing Power Structures by Melinda Friesen
Guest blogger Melinda Friesen talks about the steps to getting a book published by a trade publisher and her decision to work with a small press.


9. Behind the Contest - A Few Pointers from a Contest Judge by SC Writer
Guest blogger SC Writer, one of the masterminds behind Nightmare on Query Street, Query Kombat, and other pitch contests talks about what catches his eye.


8. Tomorrow is #MSWL Day! by Amy Trueblood
OA contributor Amy Trueblood reminds us of some guidelines for making use of agents' twitter hashtag, #MSWL (ManuScript Wish List).


7. The Sibyl Reborn by Toni Kerr
OA contributor Toni Kerr interviews author J. Perry Kelly on his urban fantasy novel, The Sibyl Reborn.


6. Platypire World Domination by J. Hooligan
Guest blogger J. Hooligan teaches the world about a fascinating new creature, the playtpire!


5.  Numerical Motivation 2014: Using Spreadsheets to Increase My Word Count by Abby Annis
OA contributor Abby Annis shows how she uses spreadsheets to keep herself organized and accountable for her daily, weekly, monthly, and annual word count goals. Includes links to awesome spreadsheets you can use!


4. Submission Tips from an Editorial Intern by Jennifer Blackwood
Guest blogger Jennifer Blackwood shares the top things she looks for when a submission crosses her desk.


3. The Anchors that Weigh Us Down and How to Break Free by Karen McCoy
OA contributor Karen McCoy talks about the tough task of letting go of a manuscript so that you can move on to better things.


2. Adaptations and Loose Interpretations: Frozen and the Snow Queen by Katrina L. Lantz
OA contributor compares the Disney movie Frozen with the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale on which it's based.

and finally....

1. Settings that Pop by PK Hrezo
Former guest blogger, now official OA contributor PK Hrezo talks about the settings in her debut, Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc, and how she researched these historical places to make them pop!

Reflect, Re-evaluate, Redefine

It's that time again when writers, as well as people in general, take some time to reflect. Maybe your 2014 soared beyond your dreams. Maybe it sank to dismal depths. Or maybe it left you in the same spot you were in this same time 2013.

Regardless your position on this journey through time, another year lived, is another year wiser.

While we should never live in the past, if we don't take notes from it, we're often missing out on vital life lessons. That's why, before I begin setting goals for the new year, I like to take some time for myself to 

Reflect on what I've accomplished thus far.

Re-evaluate what I want for myself, why I'm in this writing gig in the first place.

and Redefine my Big Picture. 

The Big Picture is different for each of us. What we want for ourselves and what we hope to achieve can change with each passing year. That's a good thing, because it keeps us moving forward.

I hope you'll join me in reflecting, re-evaluating, and redefining. Let's not get stuck in the past, or bogged down with what didn't happen for us. Instead, let's figure out how to find true contentment in our writing lives, as well as life in general. Sometimes the things we thought would make us happy, are only detours from our true destination.

Any last minute thoughts you'd like to share on this last Tuesday of 2014? What are your goals? Resolutions? Have you already redefined your Big Picture?