Tag Archive | 2024

2024 Wrap Up

Dec31

2024 I had some definite goals for both reading and writing (excuse me, intentions). Some personal ones as well. Here’s a check in on how the first two went.

To absolutely NO ONES surprise, I crushed my reading goals. So much so that I had to keep moving the goal posts out further. 150 became 180 became 220. I am ending 2024 having read 343 books. 344 if I finish the one I am currently reading. People ask me how, and I’ll tell you the secret. While I often have my television on for background noise, I only watch a few shows. Between COVID and the writers strike, I just started reading more.  I also work from home so spend zero time commuting.

Writing. I am not where I wanted to be but am doing better than I was. At one point I had 4 or 5 different stories bumping around in my head and would switch around. I finally found one that has legs on it and have been working on it exclusively.

I’ve also started writing more poetry. And submitting it! I’ve never submitted to an actual poetry market before, but I’ve done it now lol. And it feels good.

Really good.

Tomorrow will be time enough to reflect on goals for 2025. Today, I’d like to bask in what did go right in 2024.

Happy New Year’s, my Lovelies!

Recap of Reading Goals for 2024

Nov11

I don’t remember what my original reading goal was for 2024. I know I’ve changed it on Goodreads quite a few times. As of right now I’ve read 280 books out of 220. Maybe I should try for 300? I don’t know. I’m re-reding a lot of books, but I don’t count them towards my goals.

I did start a reading journal this year, which I love! I made a place for one of those hand drawn bookshelf drawings (done alright by myself!) to write in titles. I created my own book bingo card– which I won but did not do a black out on. There are pages for bookish activities (St Louis book fair), books that I really really loved, and other odd thoughts as they pop up like books that I want to try.

I have discovered that I am reading a ton on my phone using the different apps instead of paper and ink books. Part of it is just convenience. A lot has to do with my KU subscription.

I still don’t roam Facebook often but when I do it’s mostly for book recs lol. I have found that I prefer the book ads on Instagram as opposed to Tiktok. I’m going to look into that, see if I can figure out what the difference is. Because hopefully in 2025 I will have something completed and ready to go out into the world. We will see.

I am much better at hitting my reading goals than my writing goals. I’ll give myself a pass for this year– I have been consistently trying at writing and now I just need to buckle down, choose a story, quit deleting it and finish it

As for my reading goals of 2024….

I think I completed the quest lol

How did your reading go in 2024? What were your favorite books?

First Rejection & Snow

Jan8

Of the year. And it’s fine, it’s part of the process. It’s fine. I read somewhere once that being rejected just means your story has not found a home yet.

What hurts is that in the midst of the s**t show of the last few years, I lost both my physical log and the computer log of where I had submitted which stories.

In the rejection letter they were absolutely both extremely professional and kind. Especially since I had apparently submitted that story to them in 2021.

Sigh.

So many emotions are swirling in me right now. A morass. Not because of the rejection of the story. It will find its home.

And it hit hard because I’m trying to find my footing in my new home. Most of that is working through the mental state that I arrived in. My home is still in disarray, and when I lay in bed and close my eyes I see my old room. My old life.

Friday night & Saturday morning we experienced our first snowfall that stuck. My son still calls California home. Sunday we went to lunch with my niece & her family, and I borrowed a shirt for a wedding next weekend. Wednesday I put my kid on a plane to our old home to visit– and I’m hoping he gets on the plane back 12 days later. I’m hoping he doesn’t get into trouble.

I’m also looking forward to time without him. Time to make a freaking mess of the house so I can put it together the way I want to.

My words are messy, but they are coming out. I’ve got 2 stories I’m working on because well, messy. I wrote a poem.

I talk to my bestie on the phone everyday. She’s still in Cali, and is my backup with the almost adult boy I’m sending out there. I miss her. I have family here but haven’t made friends yet. I also don’t really go anywhere– haven’t even been to the library yet. I do recognize the cashier at the Dollar General, but I’m sure I’m just another face in the day to her.

Well. This has gotten a lot more personal than I thought it would. Hope you don’t mind. My brain doesn’t feel as messy.

Until next time, my lovelies!

New Year- New Intentions

Jan2

Happy New Year, my lovelies! I hope you had a fun, safe New Year’s Eve and are having a great start to 2024.

Last year, I went whole hog. I set goals for reading and a trifecta of types of writing: fiction, letters and this here blog. I wrote them down, had a “Word of the Year” and shared my goals.

Then my year went to Hell in a hand basket. I didn’t know where to turn, and I pretty much had a break down. The good news is I listened to the right people and ended up exactly where I needed to be. I’m starting to remember who I am.

I’m starting to want to write again.

I’m also kinda gun shy about those goals now. So instead of quantifying my resolutions, I’m setting intentions.

I normally run 2 planners, and I use them mostly as. Creative outlet. In addition to keeping track of things, I also throw quotes in there, poems, stuff about the books I was reading. I still have 2, but I created a third out of a notebook. A reading & writing planner. Just for me.

I had made a 2 page book review document for Fantasy books– and it worked really well! I did Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree on it, and I have enough to do a review (forthcoming, I promise!). I also made my own book bingo page and ways to keep track of what I’ve read for the year.

For my wiring, I have a section where I work on what I like to write, what makes me love a story I’m telling. Added to that a stat tracker (word count beginning and end of month ), blog posts (this one is my first to go in! Whee!), and also submission tracking. I had started doing that, but lost the book in the move. I am crossing my fingers tightly that I don’t resub to same markets).

So. I have intentions. Not resolutions. I think doing these things with intention, paying attention to how it goes and what works and what doesn’t, I think that will make all the difference!

At least I hope so!

Here’s to a New Year! May 2024 be kind to all of us.