There has been lots of the old wine swilling and cake and pie troughing of course (and carol singing, barefoot dancing, paper chain making, walks in frosty woods etc) But there has also been a shed load of work with an impending deadline of February and my novel edits. I have been writing from 6-8 every morning and then working at the computer til 5 or 6. So sadly I have not been feeling up to blogging (my eyes scream at me 'No more screen, please, no more screen.')
I've popped back in today because I've had a day off from both writing and working (Long walk among frost-dipped trees, pint in tinsel dripping pub and New Years Day tea with friends) and suddenly realised that I would actually quite like to spend half an hour or so at the computer.
Lots of other people have summarised/reviewed their writing year and it's been fab reading about everyone's efforts and successes and determination.
Personally I have had my best writing year ever - having finished the first draft of my first novel, submitted 14 stories to women's magazines and had a story shortlisted for the Fish Prize. My only (!) resolutions for 2009 are to get the final draft of the novel finished and sent out to an agent, to get back on my womag story writing horse and to survive my current work contract (only 2 months to go!).
Last year I made two resolutions. The first was to write a novel. It's the same resolution I have made every year for ever and I'm chuffed as chuffed that I actually acheived it.
My second one was not to buy any new clothes. Lots of reasons for this one, including - having too many clothes already, being skint, and guilt about the exploitation of labour generally involved in clothing manufacture and its environmental impact. And I did it. A whole year without buying new clothes. Emphasis on the 'new' as I was allowed as many secondhand clothes as I liked, because only the the first reason counted against it (and I made up for that by bagging up lots of clothes I no longer wear and taking them along with me to the charity shops.) I didn't go quite as mad in the charity shops as I thought I would though, although there were a few bargains (and a couple of non-bargain but fabulous vintage dresses) that I couldn't resist.
So now its 2009, am I going to go on a shopping blitz? Probably not, I've sort of gone off the idea. It was really liberating not even being tempted by the outfits on display in shop windows and I've enjoyed rediscovering items that I had shoved to the back of the wardrobe and forgotten about.
Also the combination of work and writing is going to keep me at my desk and away from the shops the next couple of months. Maybe after that a shiny new pair of boots wouldn't be too bad an idea.
Happy New Year everyone, hope it brings good things to you all.
9 comments:
well huge congrats on achieving two big important resolutions from last NYE! i am so impressed. you wrote a novel - wow - let me know where to find it, i'd love to read what you have written. I love that photo too. and you def deserve some shiny new boots for 2009
all the best, xV
Hey, Happy New Year! What a brilliant writing year you had last year... I suspect 2009 will top even that.
I love your idea of not buying 'new' clothes - no sure I could manage to resist but I bet you look all the more groovy for not wearing the same as everyone else.
Wishing you many words and successes.
X
Proof that sometimes resolutions are a good motivator! I'm determined to get my novel finished and sent off this year too - no more procrastinating. Lovely photo by the way!
Here's wishing you more of the same in 2009 :o)
You too! How are you doing fellow writer!!!
Love the idea of buying no new clothes for a year. I've just bagged up loads and freecycled them.
Well done on completing a novel last year. That'll be a resolution for me some time - but not until I feel I can realistically achieve it.
You've done fantastically with your writing, Jumbly, and your chuffedness is entirely justified. Very, very well done. And here's to an equally successful (or more so if you're a real glutton) 2009!
Happy New Year JG. Hope you get a few more gaps in the writing/working slog to visit blog-land. Well done on finishing your novel. It's easy to get so caught up in the next stage that you forget to celebrate such a momentous achievement :-)
Well done, both on your writing successes and on the 'no new clothes' issue.
It's great to have a whole book in front of you, even if it's a first draft. You've written a whole book! Fabulous!
Every success with it in 2009.
Wow thanks everyone. It was lovely to pop back into blogland and find all your lovely comments. Good luck and wishes for happy and successful writing and blogging to you all for 2009.
Val - novel is only finished in a first (well actually now 2nd) draft form but it's almost ready to be sent out into the big bad world. I''ll keep you posted in its progress
Spiral - Thank you. Hope you have a fab new writing year too. Not sure about me looking groovy in my none new clothes - 8 yr old daughter says I don't know the meaning of the word, and a for 'cool'...
Karen - Let's both get them out there this year (I'm talking novels here not body parts in case your brain wandered as my v. tired one just did).
Leon - Hi! Thanks for popping by
Womag - Freecycling is fab isn't it. Must remember it next time I have clothes to pass on.
When I resolved to write my novel last year 'realistically achieeving it' didn't seem very likely at all. Have faith :o)
Leigh - thank you and thanks for your lovely comments during the year which have really helped me along. Looking forward to more happy blogging in 2009
Tam - I'm usually quite good on the old celebrating front but even now I've finished the 2nd draft there still seems a lot more to be done - still a small glass of bubbly wouldn't go amiss at this point, after all its almost still Christmas
Bernadette - Thank you. I'm exhausted and scruffy but all in all pretty damn happy - not a bad result.
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