2014 - Wrap-Up of a Damned Good Year

ANNOUNCEMENT OF MIND-BLOWING IMPORTANCE:

This is the first time in history I've ever fulfilled New Year's resolutions!

Jump back, eh?

Flashback January 2014:

What I want to do in the next year:

• Finish that second draft.    And the third and part of the fourth!
• Involve my small, but growing list of Critique Partners and Beta Readers.  Oh, they got involved all right.   
• Get regular with this blog.  OK, so it's more a sort-of cross-off. Since NaNoWriMo, I've gotten regular enough. Got plans over here.
• Enter some of those Twitter contests with agents out there.   Done!
• Run my third and maybe fourth 5K.   I got to my fourth. 
• Be able to get inverted.    I'm a headstand queen.

Added:

• Got writer educated. 

I took more classes. I learned the Heroes Journey, how to make my words more poetic and colorful and even combined yoga with writing. Thanks, Story Studio. You guys are awesome. See you in a few weeks.

• Put my book out there.

Pitch Wars was a rush. To take something I'd been poking at for so long and tell others to judge it is almost certifiable. I did not win any mentor sponsorship, but I got something better: a new critique partner.

• Found amazing new CPs and even more beta readers! 

I love these people. I'm so excited and honored to have them helping me out. (and love getting to read their stuff too!)

• I've learned how to take criticism. 

Sure, it stings, hurts the ego, etc. But I need it. This book of mine has been in my little headspace for far too long. Of course, I'm going to have a clouded vision.

• Did NaNoWriMo again. 

But this time I was "legit". I wrote something completely new. And get this, in October, I PLOTTED and got the whole thing done — first draft bruises and all — on Day 18.

I solemnly swear I will not pants again.

I could keep going. There's a lot more. This year was frigging amazing! Gotta be honest, I'm worried 2015 may not live up to the accomplishments of 2014.

Nah, I think it'll be even more exciting. Thanks for joining me here for the ride.

What I want to do in 2015:

• Make MG look the way it deserves in a near complete rehauling.
• Run outside in winter and get another couple races in. 
• Tackle Pharaohs in second draft.
• Deny the cupcake.
• Continue to make this blog even better, and, dare I say, consistent.
• And maybe, just maybe, start the querying process. (read as definitely)

2013 - The Year Things Really Came Together

When I was in high school then college and then those uncomfortable "who am I, really?" 20s moments, right before I headed out to party it up for New Year's Eve (which usually ended up a disappointment; it took a long while for me to learn that the anticipation of New Year's Eve is the best part of the night), I wrote in my journal of all the things that happened that year as well as what I planned for the coming year.

Now that I'm old, a mom of two and prefer the comfort of my Justice League jammie pants more than the obscenely short skirts, my journal (though not as often) has morphed into this blog. I haven't set a resolution for years except the weak 'gonna jump out of a plane!' (haven't still and never will).

Still, for nostalgia's sake and because I'm still trying to get a grip on the subject matter of this blog, I'm going to do it. Presenting Ann Marjory K's New Years entry.

What I accomplished this year (the short list):

I stepped up and became a writer more than I ever was. A year ago, I finished my first draft of a book I'd been musing one day a week for the past three years. I gave it to my husband to read (for three long months; he's a slow reader) and then added more. Then I decided the tense needed to change and rewrote 75% of it this year. It's really looking great and I get excited when I think about it. It's no longer a muse, for the first time ever, it's my life.

I participated in NaNoWriMo. I cheated, because it wasn't all new words, but still accomplished NaNo giving my first draft a second draft shine with a revision of 75K. I loved waking up to write every day.

I went to my first writing conference. Chicago's writing conference was huge for me. I talked about my book with other writers for the first time. I wrote a summary, two different pitches and synopsis for my book. I got huge chunks of advice on it. Best thing is, I met fellow writers and made new friends and kindred spirits. I even discovered a wonderful spot to go write and take classes. Worth every penny and I can't wait to go back next year.

I got all Twitter on myself. In June, I took my old twitter account, changed it to @annmarjoryk and slowly started looked for fellow writers. I had no idea it was so vast! The contests, the weekly talks and chats, the other writers who support each other in wonderful ways made me want to join this club. I'm close to 900 followers and try to communicate with them frequently.

I kept to a diet that worked and has changed my entire way of eating. The Whole 30 diet was a whim my husband asked me to join him on last January. It was only a month,  surely we could survive. The huge thing missing from my crap-eating style was vegetables, and boy howdy, did I learn to love them. To boot, I dropped three pants sizes because I've kept up a slightly modified version since. We're doing it again for January just to keep things in perspective.

I started running. "Only when chased" used to be my answer when asked if I ran. I used to watch runners jog by and wonder what the hell they were running from. I also chalked up to my double-ACL-replaced knee, that I was never going to run. This year, I ran two 5Ks. I'm no Barry Allen or Wally West, but the feeling of finishing is amazing (especially with my family cheering me on).

I learned to love yoga. Running was pretty cool; yoga was a lot more. I buy into all the spiritual stuff of yoga. It makes my body feel good and me feel good. I'm hooked.

What I want to do in the next year:

• Finish that second draft. 
• Involve my small, but growing list of Critique Partners and Beta Readers. 
• Get regular with this blog.
• Enter some of those Twitter contests with agents out there.
• Run my third and maybe fourth 5K.
• Be able to get inverted.

I hope all of you out there had a wonderful year as well. I look forward to more in 2014.

Happy New Year!

5k and beyond!

I did it!

I ran my second 5K and beat my personal time! Sure, I had to walk a bit, having double knee surgery will do that to one, but I felt great when I finished and wore it well in my Wonder Woman tee. I will add that having your kids cheer you on is the best feeling.

Shortly before I conquered that one, I was easily convinced to try the NaNoWriMo this year. This was not expected, but I've been doing some amazing push-forward things with my book the past couple months. And doing something like the National November Writing Month is par for course.

I tried writing 50K in 30 days once about 5 years ago with a story about characters I'd only created half of. It was perhaps why I didn't feel as devoted to it.  It made it to about 7K and fell to the side, not to be picked up again. But it was only a story that was to be for an audience of about 5 anyhow.

After that I had kids. I worked nights and kids going through 2s and 3s. There was no way I was going to be able to take a month off.

This year, I am in the middle of getting the second draft finished and decided to do some more drastic changes like the tense and one of my characters needed more altering. So, I decided to cheat (or be a rebel, as some NaNoers are putting it,) and second draft up my book in a month.

This, I've discovered it both difficult and easier at the same time. I'm not just spewing out words and promising to edit them later, now I have to go back over them a lot. And my book is over 100K at the moment, so my challenge to cut that down is there.

So, wish me luck! I'll check back at the end of November!