A Year of the Novel
October 2026 | The Writing Life
Well, that's a wrap!
This month marked the end of the
Year of the Novel
program with
Queensland Writers Centre, and I have to admit, I'm sad that it's over!
When I signed up earlier this year, I knew I wanted to write a novel. I'd had the story for I'm Sorry, I Love You in my head for years, and while writing certainly wasn't new to me, writing a full-length novel was an entirely different challenge. I had plenty of ideas, a story I desperately wanted to tell and a reasonable amount of confidence in my ability to string a sentence together. What I didn't have was much experience in actually putting a novel together! And that's where Year of the Novel came in.
Learning the craft
One of the biggest things I've taken away from the program is just how much goes into writing a novel beyond simply getting words onto a page. There's structure, pacing, character development, dialogue, tension, point of view and about a hundred other things to think about. All while trying to write something that people might actually want to read!
Over the course of the year, we've explored the different elements of storytelling, challenged our assumptions and looked at how even the smallest decisions can change the way a story unfolds. I've found myself going back to my manuscript with fresh eyes, questioning whether a scene is doing what I need it to do, whether I've given readers enough reason to keep turning the pages and whether I've managed to capture the emotions I'm trying to convey.
Sometimes the answer has been yes. Other times? Well, let's just say my manuscript has seen a fair few revisions! But that's been part of the fun. Learning to look beyond the words themselves and really think about how a story works.
The value of a good mentor
One of the highlights of the program has been learning from our mentor, Australian author Karen Foxlee.
There's something incredibly valuable about having an experienced author share not just what works, but why it works. Karen has a wonderful way of encouraging us to think more deeply about our writing, asking questions that sometimes seem quite simple but can send you away thinking about your manuscript for days. And I mean that in the nicest possible way!
What I've particularly appreciated is that the program hasn't been about being told how to write our stories. It's been about developing the skills and confidence to make those decisions ourselves. That's been important to me because I'm Sorry, I Love You is such a personal project. I know the story I want to tell, but I've needed to learn how to step back from it occasionally and look at it through the eyes of someone who doesn't know the people, the history or the emotions behind it. Because, of course, readers won't have all those things in their heads when they open the book. They'll only have what I've put on the page. And making sure those words do the story justice has been one of my biggest challenges.
Finding my people
One of the loveliest parts of Year of the Novel has been sharing the experience with my daughter, Bek.
We both signed up with our own stories to tell, and it's been pretty special learning, writing and finding our feet as novelists together.
Writing can be a fairly solitary pursuit, so having someone to bounce ideas off, share frustrations with and celebrate those little breakthroughs has been wonderful.
Along the way, we've also met some lovely fellow writers, all working on their own stories. It's been great sharing ideas, learning from one another and discovering that there's no single right way to write a novel.
Being part of a community of people who share the same passion has made the experience even more rewarding. And getting to share it all with my daughter? That's something I'll always treasure.
More than a manuscript
Looking back over the year, I can see just how much has changed. I've gone from having a story that existed largely in my head to having a manuscript that's taking shape, a much better understanding of the craft and, perhaps most importantly, the confidence to keep going.
I've learned to trust my instincts, but also to question them. To recognise when a scene needs more work, when something isn't quite right and when it's time to stop tinkering and move on.
And I've discovered that I really, really love writing adult fiction. Not that I ever doubted my love of writing, but there's something quite different about creating a novel. About spending so much time immersed in a story, finding the right words to bring it to life and watching all those little pieces gradually come together. It's challenging, sometimes exhausting and occasionally a little frustrating. But I wouldn't change it for anything.
What comes next?
Although Year of the Novel has officially finished, my own writing journey is really only just beginning. There's still plenty of work ahead. Finishing the manuscript, editing, revising and eventually taking that rather terrifying step of sharing it with people in the publishing industry. I'm excited about what's to come, although I suspect I'll be learning just as much over the next twelve months as I have over the past year.
For now, though, I'm incredibly grateful to Queensland Writers Centre, Karen Foxlee and everyone who has been part of this experience.
I signed up hoping to learn how to write a novel. I'm finishing with so much more than that. And perhaps the most exciting part is that the story I've wanted to tell for so long is finally finding its way onto the page.
Now, I'd better get back to writing it!
Selena
