I've done some of these year-end posts before---mostly in answer to whether or not I managed to fulfill my resolutions for the year. But, this will be the first post I've done that really puts everything out there, in black-and-white, that I've accomplished/failed at over the last 365 days.I didn't really make any specific resolutions for 2013. I knew I'd never meet them anyway---which is strange since I enjoy challenges. You'd think I could rise to my own challenge, but..... I've yet to ever, EVER, achieve a single year's resolution(s). Oh, I'll start with every good intention and earnestly fight to maintain whatever resolution I'm attempting until it becomes habit, but, it has always been for naught.
So, this year...or, at this end-of-year, I thought I'd try something different---
I've never really catalogued the material I've produced in a specific time-frame--- outside of challenges that mandated I do so. But, I really wanted to get an idea of where I was headed, creatively--- if indeed, I was going anywhere. And, what better way to see the truth of it all, than a list of my grand, and not-so-grand efforts.
So, without any more ado, my writerly stats for the year 2013 are:
Total Word Count: 88,411 words (give or take a few hundred words that I'm sure I missed)---- that's 67,791 words in collected stories, 2,845 words in poems, 17,775 words in blog posts
Total Poems Written: 37
Completed Short Stories: Yeah, we'll come back to this one... (in other words, zilch) *key word is COMPLETED---actually have half a dozen in various stages of completion*
Blog Posts: 58 (59 if you include this post)-- better than most years, ridiculously shameful for an aspiring writer
Books Read: Utterly shameful amount of reading completed---- a mere 5 books total
The Tattooed Girl, Joyce Carol Oates
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman
House of Silk, Anthony Horowitz
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien..... (Re-read for Movie)
Drop City, T.C. Boyle... (In Progress)
Novels/Novellas Written: 1/2 of one completed during NaNoWriMo---- meh
Challenges Attempted/Completed: 2 --- A-Z Blog and NaNoWriMo-- both completed successfully (the small shining ray of accomplishment)
Number of Works Submitted: 0
Number of Works Accepted/Rejected: 0---see number of works submitted to understand why.....
In many ways, not a bad year. I did write. 88K isn't too shabby-- though, it would have been better if that 88K had been all one novel (complete, edited, and ready to mail off). So, not a bad year...but, definitely, not a great year. Here's hoping this time next year sees a marked increase (as in more than 0) in submissions and an improvement in overall just-getting-my-act-in-gear-ness.
Who else fails in resolution achievement?
You know, I've been meaning to write a post about resolutions and why I never do them. See, my dad was one of those over-achievers that checked off EVERY SINGLE of his resolutions before the end of the year. EVERY year. And yes, he was extraordinarily successful, a great example... Maybe a bit too great. Because somewhere around age 12 I tried it. Then I failed. And I never managed to live it down. So no resolutions. Which, when I think about it, is stupid (for me). I'm goal-oriented, deadline-driven, love challenges. I think it's time to get over that aversion. Maybe next year :D
ReplyDeleteYeah, I gave up "official" resolutions a long time ago---
DeleteI think my problem, and perhaps yours as well, is we succeed in a goal-driven environment, IF and that's a big IF, someone else dictates the goals for us. At least, that's how I've come to think of it for myself. I seem to let myself get away with not doing a lot of things that I would have no problem completing if someone else was expecting me to do so.
But, yes.... let us persevere to overcome this issue.... next year! :-D