Progress Report: January 2023

Hey everybody! Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season complete with laughter, warmth, smooth travel, and family time. Or football, basketball, drinking, solitude, or whatever it is you like. The point is, I hope the last few weeks were what you wanted.

Our holiday has been quiet. After a whirlwind trip to New York over Thanksgiving, our planned Christmas trip to Boise was derailed by the winter storm that hit the northwest over that time. We found ourselves with a full weekend of unallocated time, and we made the most of it. New Year’s Eve was also a quiet, pared-down affair where we hung out at home with a couple of friends and played Mario Kart. It’s been pretty amazing.

I’ve had 2022 on the mind as the year ended. I’m proud of it; I lost my drive to write early in the year but found it again at the tail end of summer. I almost won NaNoWriMo, writing more words in November than I’ve written in any month, ever in my life. I fell in love with writing again, and it feels amazing. And for 2023, I’m looking to build on the progress made last year. So, here’s what’s going on:

· I’m going to continue the writing habit. Over the last few months, I have gotten into the notion of writing something every day, even if it’s just a journal entry. It’s rebuilt my love of the craft, and writing has emerged in my mind as a priority. I like it, and I’m going to keep doing it.

· I’m going to finish some stuff. I have a couple of projects that have been at the forefront of my attention, and I’m making it a point of getting first drafts completed, sooner rather than later. I’m also editing a piece now; my crimefighter noir story, Urban Legend. Hopefully, I’ll have some good stuff to say about that soon.

· I’m going to share more on this site. I’m bad at self-promotion. I don’t just mean bad at marketing; I’m bad at being outgoing, sharing my work, and reaching out. I’m striving to change that. So, watch this space: I’ll be sharing some stuff with y’all soon. It might be some short stories, or a sample chapter, or just rants about writing. But you’ll see more here.

· I’m going to play basketball again. This one clearly isn’t related to writing, but in my 20’s, even into my 30’s, I played a lot of pick-up basketball. Am I a great ballplayer? No. Am I good? Probably not. I haven’t played in four years. But after going to a 3-on-3 basketball tournament in August, I realized how much I not only miss competing, but how much I miss being in shape to do so. A goal I have for this year is to play in that tournament. It’s going to take work—I’m nowhere near in basketball playing shape right now—but talking about it encourages accountability, right?

· I’m going to find time to read. One of the great joys I have in life is reading; it feels like I haven’t been able to lately. So, I’ve got a list of books, just sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read. Might as well start there.

I hope you guys attain everything you desire in 2023. I’m rooting for you. Cheers!