Midway Point

We’re halfway through the year.

This is exciting on many levels, not least of which is that in 43 days, I’ll be entering the UK for a glorious five months. Already, so much of significance has happened in 2009 – Solace and Grief being accepted for publication, joining the excellent SuperNova writing group, planning our trip – that part of me finds it hard to believe how much else is yet to come. Tomorrow, for instance, I’ll be meeting my publisher at Ford Street, Paul Collins, face-to-face for the first time. Later this month, I’ll be attending my first ever event as a writer, the Pan Macmillan winter sales conference, about which I am both exhilirated and nervous. Once we’re in the UK, Toby and I will have our second wedding anniversary in Bristol; we’ll be in Scotland for winter and Surry for Christmas, which will be a new experience for both of us. I’ve started writing short stories, which is a new and fascinating thing – not that they’re brilliant so far, but I’m working on it, and the more I write them, the more confident I feel. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been blogging less: my strange ideas are ending up in stories rather than expository posts, refracted through a fictitious lens instead of a journalistic one.

I’m loving 2009. My only worry is that so much will have happened by December 31 that the sheer volume of significance will cause a mental implosion – that it will be too hard to remember each little thing, and so I’ll forget everything instead, swept away by the Big Event of 2010, which will be the book release itself. But at least I’ll be able to use my blog as a reminder. After all, that’s part of why it’s here.

Simple Pleasures

It’s the afternoon of New Year’s Day, 2009. I’m writing this on my laptop, which, appropriately enough, is resting on my lap, being as how I’m stretched out on the lounge. We came home by cab at 5am this morning and fell into bed; I slept for a bit, then fell out again around midday. I’ve made it as far as the dressing-gown stage, but no further. I consider this to be a satisfactory state of affairs. Despite having consumed an appropriately broad range of liquor last night, I’m delightfully unhungover – just lazy and cotton-mouthed enough to condone a day of indolence and carbohydrates. Love Shack is playing on iTunes. I’ve already Facebooked my photos from last night, despite the wavery nature of today’s internet connection; since then, I’ve sat through the first half-hour of Tropic Thunder (crap), read Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader (ends well, but feels odd throughout) and watched all of Pineapple Express (weirdly, stupidly wrong, with funny bits). Also, I fed the cats ham.

The new year hasn’t sunk in yet. There’s always a strange, anticlimactic irony to January 1st, given that most people trying to start health and fitness regimes in the fledgling annum wake up feeling, despite their best intentions, seedier than an overzealous pomegranate. Me? I’m just happy to be here, liver intact. And in that spirit, here are my plans for the rest of the evening: to do my jigsaw, watch some cartoons, work on my novel and maybe play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Simple pleasures, now.

But tomorrow – who knows?

Resolutions

As 2008 draws gracefully to a close, one is lead, somewhat inevitably, to confront the imminent prospect of its replacement. Next year, for instance, I will turn twenty-three, complete my Bachelor of Arts and celebrate my second wedding anniversary. Steps will be taken which might, possibly, result in an eventual move to China. Possibly – and very hopefully – someone might offer to publish my book. Regardless of whether this happens, the likelihood is that I’ll finish writing the sequel. I may also get drunk. And so on.

2009, therefore, is clearly a year for productive resolutions. Ignoring the typical-but-inevitable desires for better health and athleticism, here are mine:

1. My rolemodels for 2009 will be Zoe Washburne,

Zoe Washburne, 2iC on Serenity (Firefly class)

Temperence Brennan

Dr Temperence 'Bones' Brennan

 and Jane Lane

Jane Lane, of Daria fame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

– because fictional or not, these ladies rock.

2. After a five-year hiatus, I will take up tennis again. However, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, I shall refrain from sulking when it turns out that I’m nowhere near as good as I used to be, because the point is to have fun, and also because I’ll get better again with practice. See that, universe? That’s growth.

3. I will write more short stories, because they’re enjoyable, and because they’re a good way to figure out where the hell my writing style is headed. 

4. I will maintain and broaden my addiction to awesome TV shows, because a little immaturity is an excellent thing.

5. I will endeavour to surprise myself – and others – as often as possible. This may involve props.

6. I will reupholster my armchair anarchism.

7. I will find my poetry, and run with it.

8. I will do more jigsaw puzzles.

9. I will locate a second pair of comfortable pants, delight in getting caught in the rain, listen more, talk less, sing shamelessly in public and wear crazy hats.

And:

10. I will give thanks to Vizinczey.

You’ve been good to me, 2008. I’ll remember you fondly.

2009? Bring it on.