Ringing in the New Year!
*I'm so excited to have an excuse to include a gif of Leonardo DiCaprio!
It's hard to believe that 2018 is coming to a close. Another year is gone and the future awaits. What's in store for us? Will there be ice cream and accolades? Travel and adventure?
I hope for all of the above, though the ice cream is sounding like a good starting point for success - the chocolate with peanut butter variety. But hope will only get you so far in life. In the end, our lives are what we make of them and the dreams we attain are usually the result of hard work.
At a basic level, I can grab hold of the ice cream dream by hauling my butt to the grocery store. Actually, I'm more apt to open up my grocery app and order online. Yes, I will have to wait 24 hours for the delivery, but I can remain in my pajamas while 'shopping' and totally avoid the hell of meandering down the grocery aisles putting stuff I don't need into the cart because I should never go to the grocery store while hungry but always do.
I digress. What were we talking about? Ice cream? No. That was my stomach.
Hopes and dreams for 2019. Yeah, that was it.
*shovels a spoonful of Americone Dream into her mouth because, alas, there is no chocolate with peanut butter in the house*
2018 is the year that two of my dreams were realized. I published a book, two actually, and won a book award. The latter achievement was not something I had seriously thought would become a reality. I simply entered a few competitions and tried to forget about the announcement deadlines. As for publishing, this was something that took many years and multiple late nights and long weekends to come to fruition. Dreams can be like that - pinnacles of achievement that elicit everything from elation to morose, self-doubt along the way.
Now that 2019 is around the corner, what's on the horizon for this indie author? More published books, of course! And if the fates are with me, damn fickle things, an award or two to validate my work and help me reach a broader audience.
What are your goals/dreams/hopes for 2019? Are there achievements you reached that you wish to build upon? Are you planning on a new venture? Or are you keeping 2019 dreams simple, think 'What about Bob?' and his babysteps?
Is writing a book one of your aspirations? If so, I would love to hear from you! I've gone through many ups and downs in self-publishing and continue to learn and branch out, connecting with amazing authors who embody one of the most supportive communities in social media.
At the moment, writing is my biggest hurdle and most important goal for the new year. While I haven't experienced writer's block, I have fallen, headfirst, into procrastination mode more often than I care to admit. But never fear! I'm working on my manuscript and plan on finishing my first draft in the early part of the new year. I haven't set a firm deadline yet but fully intend to. Soon. Like, within the next few days or weeks or something.
My current work is a combination of SciFi, fantasy, and a touch of romance all intertwined in an environmental theme. Here's a taste of what's to come...
Beneath the rock and soil
Trees and Oceans
Concrete jungles
And poisoned rivers
Under the milling
Mass of humanity
It waited
Watching
An omniscient eye
Seeing into our hearts
The greed
Hate
Indifference
It was an easy judgment
When it came
Cleanse the earth
And begin again
In closing, let's look back on 2018 while looking toward the limitless potential of 2019. Whatever you wish for in the new year, know that you can make it happen. All things are possible when we put our minds to it.
Happy New Year!