I went into 2018 with the knowledge that I wanted a more
chaotic life than I had, because I finally realized that I thrive in a less
controlled situation. I declared 2018 “the year of biting off more than I can
chew,” and made a ridiculous list of goals. It’s not a surprise to me that I
didn’t nail them all, but I did achieve some cool things and felt more alive
than I had in a long time. Here are some good things about 2018:
* While working two jobs, I went back
to school and picked up 27 college credits toward my AA. I made the dean’s list
over the summer.
* I finished three short stories that
I’m quite proud of.
* I sold one story, “Stars so Sharp
They Break the Skin,” to Apex which was published in May in Apex 108. You can
read it here: https://www.apex-magazine.com/stars-so-sharp-they-break-the-skin/
* I read my story, "The Wardrobe," at ICFA, which went over well. I met, and received praise from, Geoff Ryman, and that made my year (as you can see).
* I was promoted to a full-time gig
at the library, which is so much better than all the retail jobs I’ve had over
the last thirty years, it doesn’t feel like I’m really working (except for all
those hours I’m not doing other things).
* That comes with good health insurance,
which my kids and I didn’t have for about three and a half years. I had my
first check-up recently, got back on some meds I needed, and I’ll be getting
more issues checked out soon. I’ve also lost eight pounds in the last couple of
months and plan on losing more in the coming months. I’ve made exercise a regular
part of life.
* My daughter got her BS in Forensic Science
and got her first full-time job mere days ago.
In 2019 I’m focusing on writing. I’ll be shedding some of my
less productive activities and I hope to finish twelve stories this year, as
well as complete the first draft of a novel I’ve been fooling with for far too
long. That’s on top of the usual stuff for my patrons, which includes short
fiction and podcasts. I’m excited about whatever it is I’m about to create.
I look forward to bigger and better things in the coming
year, some of which I can’t yet imagine. I hope all of you have a fantastic new year, too!
Posts
