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.
