Here's to 2013!

First off all, have one: 

Source

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Overall, 2012 was a zinger of a year, filled with blessing and successes. In fact, I got a substantial amount of this year's goals done. 

Here's what I want to do in 2013: 

Writing: 

Continue querying Doorways. 

Finish the draft to Guardian. 

Rewrite: 

Don't Look Back

(Working Title) Otto

(Working Title) Guardian

Maybe finish the draft sequel to Doorways: Unlocking. 

Reading: 

Just to read more. I'm going to go easy on myself and aim for 25 books for the whole year. Any genre or classification. Crits not included because I consistently fail to keep count of them. 

Life: 

Keep working on my voice. 

Get back to guitar lessons. 

REALLY to take French and Italian, since it will be useful to my day job. 

Exercise regularly. This includes activities like gymming, fencing, dancing, yoga or any combination of such activities. 

Eat and cook healthier food. 

Make a point to meet more people with whom I have things in common. Sort of feeling tired of having my real life conversations ending in blank stares. 

I also want to paint more. Maybe even finish an exhibition's worth of art?

That's it for me this year. I'm all about simplifying this coming year, so I'm looking forward to seeing how much of it I get done. 

What about you? What do you want to achieve in 2013? 

Others have said: Life can suck, but can't defeat us.

Life can't ever really defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer's lover until death - fascinating, cruel, lavish, warm, cold, treacherous, constant.

Edna Ferber, A Kind of Magic, 1963

I am willing to say this now. Compared to 90% of my life thus far, 2011 sucked. Big time.

This isn't going to be a moaning and groaning sort of post, but suffice it to say that I've been thwarted, frustrated, scared, terrified, down, stuck, set adrift, disappointed, lifted to soaring heights only to be dropped at the worst possible moment.

I've been told I'm too overqualified, underqualified, inexperienced, deluded, irresponsible when I was only being different, wrong.

I've been forced to play the waiting game more times than I even want to count.

In 2011, I was also probably the happiest I've been in years. Because I dug deep and really got to know myself. I know now that I have a reserve of strength that I'd thought had been lost three years ago.

Also, I got to write almost every day that I wanted to. And that helped. Because with every day that I wrote, I could take a step back from my life and see where I was and that, suck as it might, life wasn't big enough to squash me.

I could keep going and because of that, I'm much stronger and (theoretically) more patient. And relaxed, because the added perspective showed me some things about myself that helped me to deal with a lot of nonsense that I've been carrying about for years.

So yes. Life was my lover last year, even if he was a pain in the ass. He taught me a lot. And I can't wait to see where he leads me this year.

How is your life treating you? What did you learn last year?

Officially, my goals for 2012

Since this is the last Friday of the year, I thought I'd handle the New Year's admin now. If you want to see how I fared with the 2011 "guidelines", you're more than welcome to go check out my other blog, Taking Charge of My Life.

Without further ado, my goals for 2012:


Writing:

I want to finish Doorways before 30 June.

I will query Doorways on 1 July.

I want to finish the WiP2 rewrite by 30 September.

I want to finish the Don't Look Back draft by 31 December.

I want to finish at least one draft of the musical libretto by 31 December.

I might want to look at Guardian again.


Reading:

I want to read more (crit partners' manuscripts don't count).

I want to read Shakespeare, Austen and Martin.


Life:

Auditions, auditions, auditions.

I want to master at least intermediate cooking.

I want to spend more time designing.

I want to brush up on my French and Mandarin (at least one of the two) and take another language.

I want to take classes in a musical instrument. Either piano or guitar.

I also want to get out more next year. Cabin fever never did suit me.

Since I achieved four goals in 2011, I want to achieve six in 2012.


So that's me for the year. I hope you enjoyed my blog as much as I enjoyed all of yours.

Before I sign off, I just want to say cheers.



2011 was more than a little bumpy, but your support made it much easier to get through the year. Here's to 2012. If it's the last one, know I wouldn't want to spend it without you. If it isn't, thank goodness, because then I'll see you for 2013.

See you on the other side. ;-)

Looking Back on April

Thanks Elizabeth! 

Today is a public holiday, so I decided to be a bit lazy and do a look-back to last month... so here are some stats: 

Number of blogs visited (not counting repeat visits): 1020

Number of blogs followed: 690 (the rest I was following before the challenge)

Number of times I triggered Captcha: 4

Number of people who joined this blog: 191

Most blogs visited on one day: 80

Number of awards given: Not sure. I tried counting them, but they're hiding too well. I will have to reread every single comment to find those informing me of awards. Lucky that I find your comments so fascinating. 

Post that took the longest to write: M-day (Maps) 

Favorite Posts: Maps and Conflict and Complications. Oh and I Interrupt Regular Posting... 

Highlight of April: Announcing the completion of my rewrite. 

Number of hits in April: 3722.

A to Z Post with most visitors: Energy

Overall, I really enjoyed the challenge. Meeting new people and finding awesome blogs were definitely highlights. Still, I don't think I'm alone when I say that I'm glad that it's May. 

So what did you guys think of the A - Z Challenge? Any interesting stats to share? Who finished?

Looking back on 2010.

A few days ago, I was making my new-years resolution to finish an unnamed beast of an epic. The day before yesterday, I decided to close my eyes and delivered my very first blog post. Yesterday, I found a name for the epic and a little later, I finished my rough draft. 

That's what it felt like, anyway. At the same time, it feels like I've known some of you for years (even though I only started blogging on 2 August.) 

My year has been through highs and lows. The lowest being my epic failure at economics at the home stretch of my final year. But luckily that served to blunt the blow of failing to win NaNo. ;-P

But you know, this has actually been a blessed year for me. I moved in (and met) with a girl who would become the Watson to my Sherlock Holmes (really). I was maid of honour for one of my best friends in the whole wide world (and also my first blog follower.) I saw my other best friend three times this year despite her having moved to the other side of the country in January. 

And I still have all the family members and friends that I had at the beginning of the year, which makes me very blessed indeed. 

So I can easily say that this year was the best one I had in the past decade.  

All that's left to say is thank you for getting to know me and that I hope that this new decade will bring many new blessings and opportunities your way. Have a wonderful 2011!

Love,

Misha