Today was the first day of 2016, and I spent it with my family. Liz, Coops and Coco. That was really, really awesome. We ate fun food (I went and got donuts for the first time in months), we went out for dinner/lunch, took a nap together, played some Skyrim together, watched a little of Lord of the Rings together…it was really nice.
I also spent time in my office today taking down the Christmas tree (his name was Nord this year, by the way) and cleaning everything up. That was also awesome. It feels like my space in there now, for reals. I can’t wait to get a writing/reading/panda-visiting chair. The space for it is all cleared out, just have to find the right one now.
I did a lot of thinking today, particularly on the nighttime walk with the pups about what I want this year to be about, and I think it really comes down to dreaming big. Going for it. When it comes down to it, what do I want to do with my life? Right? Who do I want to be? And I think the answer to that is a writer, and not a work-at-home editor. So…2016 is the year where I take the next step in that transition. And that means less hours spent editing.
I haven’t figured out exactly what that means, how much paring back of those duties I’m ready to enact, but I do know this: the writing goals this year are going to be more ambitious. And those goals start with writing every day this year. Every. Day. For 5 minutes or 5 hours…but every day. It also means that more hours will be scheduled during my work days for writing.
I have a novel, you know? It’s on its way to being publish-ready…I need to make that happen, and I need to write the other two books in the series. I have two other book series ready to go, more or less, I need to start those. I also have a pilot script that nearly in a shape to be sent out to contests; that needs to happen this year as well. If step one is writing every day, step two is getting that writing out into the world so “people” start knowing my work. That’s the formula this year. Write, send. Write, send.
I’m going to do a retrospective on 2015 next week, and I’ll also do a “goals” entry…but I know what I want. I want to make the change that I’ve been working towards. I’m ready. Scared, but ready. It really shouldn’t be so scary, I know I can do it. I really do know that. It’s the right decision. Deep down, I *do* have faith in myself. I have faith that I can put in the work to actually finish things, and I have faith that there will be enough people interested in reading my work that I can make a living from it. It’s going to take time, of that I have no delusion…but I have faith it can be done.
Today was Cooper’s birthday. Not his biological birthday…he’s a rescue, so we don’t know exactly when that is…but his birthday for us. I gave him lots of snuggles today, and some extra treats here and there. The Ho and I were actually talking as we took him and Coco out for final pees that he looks a little larger than normal. I think we need to cut back on his food. But today, none of that matters. It was his birthday, yo! I love him very much. He’s 3. Still such a young boy. I will treasure that, youth is a wonderful thing.
The Ho just farted so hard, it made the bed shake. I’m not making that shit up, that just happened in real-time. I felt the vibrations through the bed springs. This woman. I lucked out, y’all. She’s currently cackling and asking me if I’m writing about it. I said “yup.”
That’s it for tonight, guys. 2016 is going to be a good year. I’m very excited. 2015 gave me a lot of perspective, and for that, I am very, very grateful.
Good night.