Another trip around the sun and I live to tell the tale. A bit late with this update, mainly because there’s been a lot going on—such as, the #BDB campaign for which I’ve been doing much of the web admin work; a new YA book I started on; another regular assignment to fit into my carefree freelancer’s life; and a handful of work deadlines to be met. Anyhow…
Even though 2018 was a decent year, it ended on a low note. There was a lot of shock, anguish, anger and loss to process. Some things have sorted themselves out; for others, the fight goes on. On the bright side, I made some new friends from around the world, which proved yet again the power of online communities when you’re struggling. Recent despairs have also had the unprecedented effect of reminding me of the power of stories, of any creative endeavour really, to take us to great heights and ever greater depths. As a reaffirmation of my chosen career, it couldn’t have been better timing. It gives me great hope for 2019.
On to business. Let’s see how I did with my goals for 2018:
- Flesh out a short story into a full-length novel: Well, I wrote 17,000 words and got a decent start. I also wrote about 45,000 words of another novel. Between the two of them, I’ve probably finished the equivalent of one book, even though that only leaves me with more frustration.
- Fitness: All good here, except a dip in the last three months of the year.
- Drawing: Ha ha ha.
- Website redesign: YES, YES, YES! There are some bugs to iron out, such as reinstate all the disappeared media files. I also separated my author site from my freelance site, and made myself a Contently portfolio (what I’m trying to say is, please hire me.).
Score: 2.5 out of 4. I’ll take it, thank you!
Now on to the agenda for 2019:
- Finish writing one book, any one, and submit to a publisher.
- Stay fit.
- Pitch more freelance writing ideas. Get into at least one of my dream publications.
- Blog more regularly.
- Visit Japan.
- Find time for gaming.
Too ambitious? We’ll find out next year.
~PD