Would you believe that I will have posted 424 blog posts in 2013?

I made a serious effort this past year to build my blog audience by posting daily, and I am so glad to say I did it!  I’ve connected with so many amazing people this year– obsessive-compulsives and the people who love them; people who love literature and writing and words; amazing people of faith; amazing people without faith; friends and family who care about what I’m up to.

I’m so blessed.

That said, 424 blog posts in a year is wild.  While I have love-love-loved 2013, it’s been a lot on my plate with writing a novel, querying agents, selling my manuscript, starting a literary journal, keeping up with friends, working a full-time job (in which I travel each fall and spring), doing advocacy work related to OCD, keeping in touch with blog readers via email and comments, staying on top of my reading list (#fail), staying healthy, and getting enough sleep.

This year, staying healthy and getting enough sleep were continually pushed to the bottom of the list.

I want to change that.

I’ll still work my full-time job, and I’ll be editing Truest and writing my next book, so those things can’t change, but the amount of blogging I do can.

Here’s what I’m thinking (at least for now):

Mondays: blog about something related to mental illness
Tuesdays & Thursdays: blog about writing, faith, my life, books I’m reading, the journey toward publication, etc.

And, of course, if random things come up that I want to share with you, I won’t hesitate to post those as well.  But I’ll aim for three posts a week and see if I go through blogging withdrawals. 🙂  (I’m not kidding– I might!  Being able to vent through my blog is very therapeutic for me!)

Thank you so much to everyone who took my survey.  I should have guessed that it would be all over the map: the OCs want more posts about OCD, the readers want more book reviews, the writers want more about the writing life.  Interestingly– and so humbling– people wanted more of me:

• “Other things you’re working on”
• “More of you … I’m most interested when you’re talking about your life.”
• “Honesty about your life”
• “Your personal experiences are always enlightening.”
• “I feel like since this is your site about you and what you value, just keep at it. In other words ‘Jackie’ is an interesting person and I like learning about Jackie.”
• “Really thrilled to be let into your journey”
• “Really love hearing about your personal journey with OCD”
• “Just you and your selfless honesty”

Wow, guys.  Thanks!

So, here’s to 2014!  May it be a year full of healing and creativity for all of us.