When I think of this time last year, my life is so much better. I had a lot of work stress and I had the RSI at this time last year. The year continued to drag and I was down. I went on a writers’ retreat in January, for the first time without a writing goal because of the aching hands. The year got slowly better, but it wasn’t until the latter part of the year that things looked up in many ways. I still managed to do my uni course with an HD in English Grammar and a D in Writing for Young People and I applied to do a Masters in Creative Writing, which I will finish this year if all goes well.
The RSI settled. I’ll always have it, but it’s not acute and I have to exercise at the gym to keep it at bay and use dictation software and take breaks. It could be worse but it’s not. I’m grateful for that and for the support I received.
I changed work areas and I really like my new one and I’m looking forward to my new project. This makes a huge difference to me and the future outlook.
Somewhere during the year Nicole and I put up our hands to run a natcon (actually did we do that the year before?). It could have been insanity, but hey we are so looking forward to it and also looking forward to when it is over. Mostly because both of us have had excellent news on the writing front.
Since August I have been writing like my life depended on it. Lucky for my sanity that is slowing a bit. I will be writing until January 14 and then it is full work, Conflux Natcon and study mode. Writing will go on the back burner until May and then I’m off on a week long writers retreat/Conflux wind down, before really getting into the year. Looking back over the year, I revised Dragon Wine and cut it back by around 50,000 words, I revised and cut back, Argenterra, not by as much but I did it. I completed a novel (first draft), called the Sorcerer’s Spell and it is on the to be revised/polished list, I also revised Ruby Heart. I wrote a couple of short stories but only published two during the year. However, I need to get those stories out there and not take rejections so hard. I also started a short novel called Bespelled. I hope to finish the draft of that by New Year’s Eve.
In August, I discovered my romance writer side and embraced it. I enjoy writing romance and particularly cross genre works. I feel like a dam has burst and all those ideas that were in my head for ‘one day when I become a full time writer’ are now climbing over one another to be written. I don’t need to wait I just need to do. It’s a great feeling really. To be here where I feel my writing has come into its own.
Who knows I may get more publications or I may get none. I have to look to 2013 for that, but in 2012 I’m not saying to myself: another year and no novels picked up.
I have appreciated the support of friends, family and the bigger writer circle. A particular shout out to Nicole Murphy, Matthew Farrer, Ian McHugh, Kaaren Sutcliffe, Maxine McArthur, Sam Phillips. Russell Kirkpatrick, Kylie Seluka, Glenda Larke, Trudi Canavan, Kaaren Warren, Ingrid Jonach. Chris Andrews and many of the tribe. There are too many to name.
I went to some great conventions/conferences during the year and met new people and caught up with old friends. Continuum, Conflux 8, Genrecon, Romance Writers of Australian Conference. Each one provided me with new learnings and new opportunities. Maybe next year I’ll get to World Fantasy in Brighton UK, but I’ll have to dramatically change my spending habits and convince Matthew to come too.
On a personal level, I’ve had my ups and downs. My body is changing, winding down and that provides its own challenges with hormone swings, weight gain, fatigue among other things. Keeping positive and appreciating those around me is something I’ve been trying hard to do. I can’t help but at times to be anxious (about work, manuscripts, family members, the state of the economy and even politics) but I do try to control it.
Perhaps I have even discovered that I’m a bit OCD. This relates to the sheet set episode where I couldn’t make the bed with odd sheets and had to go buy some.
My credit card is a basket case. Savings have been hit hard. New central heating unit and just life really. It’s been a tough year for the spendthrift me. I’m hoping things will improve during 2013. Finance and 2012 have been a bugger.
Some people close to me have been hit by cancer. That is hard for them. Also hard for me as I am powerless to help. I think that is where I get challenged when I can do nothing, just be there, be positive and that’s sometimes the hardest.
There is probably more I can say, but 2012 you’ve been difficult and brilliant. Here is hoping 2013 is better and brings new hope to everyone.
Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing 