Farewell to 2011

The last month has been a bit odd for me in many ways.  I've been rethinking Forward Motion and Vision, of course.  The moderators there have been working out some great ideas.  I think 2012 is going to be a lot of fun -- and work -- at the site.  I took time away from the sites, which was a good plan. 

I've been looking at my writing, which has made vast improvements in some areas this year.  Other problems I'm starting to identify.  I did come to realize one thing -- I am past the stage where I can write anything long without an outline.  Or maybe I should say where I want to write anything long without an outline.  I can do it.  It's just a hellish amount more work to write the story and then even far more work to edit it and make certain things work well together in the end.

So yeah, I'm not going to be doing that experiment again anytime soon.

Russ came home for the last week of the year.  Yay!

And the day after he arrived I got miserably, horribly ill and could hardly leave the bedroom for most of the week he's been here.  I feel better today.  Not great, but better.  I've lost a considerable amount of weight, and I'm annoyed that I missed out on most of the fun stuff with Russ.  We might try to go to Squaw Creek Wildlife Refuge tomorrow (January 1), which will be at least something fun for me.  He won't be back until April.

But, back to looking at the end of 2011.  I've done some interesting things this year, I've put a number of books out for publication and though the sales are not outstanding, they have been growing steadily through the months.  Next year, quite honestly, I hope to focus on me and my work for a while.  It seems as though I get moving on something, I'd get pulled off into some other work.

So, part of 2012 is going to be about focus again.  I'm real good at focusing on the small, day-to-day things like getting X amount written, or X amount edited.  However, things that spread out over time and that are not linear, will often get half done and forgotten until they happen to come into my view again. This is going to mean a schedule with things that slip off my sight on it.  Once some things become habit, I'll be better about them.  If I can work them into some sort of daily ritual, all the better for me.  I'm good at that sort of thing.

And the rest?

I am going to do more photography-related things.  I am likely going to buy a new camera this year, too, and I might move on to a DSLR, if I can truly save up the money.  That would be fun.

I will start writing Water/Stone/Light in a few hours.  The outline is about 2/3rds done and I'm just going to finish in the last part with a few notes as I see the storyline out as I think of them.  This should be interesting.  I'm looking forward to it.

So, happy New Year, everyone.  Have fun in 2012!