The Practical Free Spirit

New Year’s Eve.

I’ve been waiting for this day for what feels like a very long time.

If 2012 was a year of internal change for me, then 2013 was the year of actually making that change happen. A year of logistics. A year of stress and uncertainty. A year of trial and error. Sometimes lots of errors. Learning isn’t always a graceful process.

It was a hard year. But I did what most needed to be done. I tried out some paths I wish I hadn’t taken, and was tempted by more that I wish I hadn’t been tempted by, and had more difficulty making different choices than I wish I had to experience. But in the end, I made those different choices. That is what really matters.

As a result, I’m moving into 2014 with my life perhaps as clean as it has ever been. Not spotless, no, and frankly, I don’t think it ever will be. But clean, with plenty of space. I’m no longer squashed into the corner. It’s a good feeling, and it brings with it the happiness from having accomplished something.

Nala is excited for 2014, too. Especially now that she has TWO dragon squeaky toys.

In 2013, I:

• Received several partial and full requests from agents for Academy

• Completed a fairly sizable rewrite of Academy

• Wrote 75% of a science fiction novel that I ultimately determined wasn’t working as it was

• Began conceptualizing the next novel on my slate

• Attended five writing events and one World Domination conference

• Continued regularly blogging (WordPress tells me there were 95 posts this year)

• Moved

• Traveled to France!

• Read 50 books and 16 plays

• Played several games of BSG, several sessions of Spirit of the Century, and a short Exalted reunion campaign

• Made new friends and became closer to old friends

• Went to several plays and musicals and attended a fabulous New Works festival

In 2014, I hope to:

• Continue to query Academy until I reach my target number of queries

• Write my next novel

• Put that novel through a few revision cycles

• Continue my blogging here

• Attend at least five writing events (ConFusion, the Rainforest Writing Retreat, FOGcon, the Nebulas, and WFC)

• Either travel to London for a dose of my favorite city and Worldcon, or travel somewhere else exciting (I’d really like to go to NYC this spring, for example, to see a bunch of new shows coming out. Or Iceland. Or Harry Potter World. Or Japan. Or have a lovely Seattle writing retreat. Or go to some other conventions. Or who knows!)

• Spend lots of quality time with my friends. See non-local friends I haven’t gotten to see in too long. Make new friends.

• Strengthen my pesky left ankle

• Go to a few local museums (the Tech, the Exploratorium, the California Academy of Sciences, the Walt Disney Museum)

• Throw a party or two

• Get back into singing shape

• Continue having adventures

What do you want to do next year? Have any goals or hopes?

Here’s to a wonderful 2014!