December | 2012 | Graphomaniac – A. Elizabeth West

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Yay! See it below.

A big thank you to everyone who dropped by this year. I’m hoping to share a bit more of my writing process with you in 2013, because I’m planning not only to start a university writing program in the next couple of weeks, but have my NaNo book to edit and revise.

And not only that, but I want to write a sequel to Rose’s Hostage, even though I can’t seem to sell it yet. I’ve begun gathering material on that already. Then there is the Blogging from A-Z Challenge coming up in April.

Happy New Year, everyone. Let’s hope like hell it’s better than this year.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 9,800 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 16 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

I’ve been quiet since NaNoWriMo. The only writing I’ve done is a blog post over on Clerical Chick, some chatting, a few tweets, and cover letters. Yes, I’m still job hunting *GROAN*.

While I feel a bit lazy right now, after finishing a project that huge I definitely think some relaxation is in order. You may be compelled to continue, but I am going to take this time before I actually get a job to enjoy my lack of responsibilities.

In no particular order, here are some ways I have relaxed after NaNoWriMo.

#1 – Watching TV series I never saw

I’m working my way through The X-Files on Netflix right now. I’m up to Season 5, and just watched the one where Scully finds the little girl she thinks is her sister’s daughter. This show is hilarious. I don’t believe in alien abduction, so I have to really work to suspend disbelief, but the intentional humor is excellent.

Netflix is awesome too. I love being able to watch back-to-back episodes of TV shows, except it backfires with How I Met Your Mother, since that show is still airing and I’m behind. I’m watching faster than they’re posting.

Digital content is much more entertaining when you pause it than videotape ever was. Check out this ridiculous Mulderface shot:

AAACHOOO!

#2 – Reading

I’ve hauled out some old favorites, but in the next couple of weeks I’m going to tackle the two remaining novels in Robert J. Sawyer‘s Neanderthal Parallax series. I read Hominid and loved it, but I haven’t gotten around to the other ones. Sawyer is an excellent writer, and a nice guy too. I emailed him once and got a very gracious reply.

Last year, when I had two jobs, I wrote way more than I read. I would like to remedy that. I’ve missed reading. So an early New Year’s resolution: to read more books in 2013, as well as write more.

#3 – Attempting to create handmade Christmas presents since I’m broke

The less said about this, the better.

#4 – Reorganizing the house

Good luck with this one, self. No one wants the furniture I put on craigslist, and I have TOO MUCH STUFF.

Not quite, but getting there.

Image: Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I watch Hoarders to remind myself of what can happen when I’m too lazy to do this (yes, I know it’s a severe anxiety disorder, and I have anxiety issues, so yes, I watch it to scare myself also). Plus, there’s the added what-if-I-can’t-find-a-job-and-have-to-move motivation. I actually donated eight boxes of books to the library sale recently, so I’m doing pretty well.

None of these activities takes the place of the job hunt, or getting my ducks in a row for a possible return to school in the spring. Things are changing little by little. Let’s hope next year they’re for the best, because this year sucks.

Whatever you’re doing to celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo, I hope you enjoy your holiday. We’ll all gear up for a visit the Ghost of Editing Yet to Come.