A new year, a new plan

Fair warning: This is the mandatory birthday post, so run now if you must.

Of course, no two birthdys are the same, but this year is doubly memorable. For not only do I turn 40, which is sort of bittersweet by itself, but it’s also ten years of being an author, which certainly feels quite good. That includes seven books, plus a few ongoing works—not bad at all, is it?

It was on 22 (or was it 23rd?) January 2006 that A Shadow in Eternity was released (at the Jaipur Literary Festival, no less, at that time a small and modest affair). The very next year, it got a new lease of life when a Turkish translation called Maya: Sonsuzlukta Bir Gölge came about. Later on, the other two books in the series were also translated. And now, just last week, I got to know that the entire Turkish series is going to be reprinted. What a fantastic early birthday gift, right?

I’m not going to make a list this year, because I know what I want, and I’m going to try and do it without worrying about crossing things off a list. I want to stay a little insane this year. Not the tear-off-my-clothes-in-the-middle-the-street kind, but the kind that makes you take a leap of faith. The sort of insane that makes you step out of your comfort zone. Of course, I say this in the context of writing, a promise to myself to try something new and fun. (Also, as a promise to myself, there are no guarantees that it’s going to be fun for readers as well [or even that anything will even get published]).

And also a promise to see at least one of my many works-in-progress to a conclusion. Here’s a glimpse of just some of them (click for bigger image):

So goodbye thirties. You were great to me sometimes and not so great at others, but I survived, so I forgive you. Hello forties—I hear it’s a great place to be! We’ll see.

~PD