Did my year-in-review tracking today, with an eye to 2018 improvements. That was a full-day time suck, but it's a useful exercise. Horrifying in some ways, but ... the problem with going in 15 directions at the same time is you don't make much linear progress on any one project. You make a little bit of progress in a lot of directions. I'm adjusting to that being my style, although I am also learning that I can focus on one thing for a day/week/month at a time and actually COMPLETE something. Like this little review, which realistically took me six hours in part because I fell apart in tracking several times during the year.
From Jan. 1 through winter solstice
Classes:
Afrofuturism with Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes.
Eric Witchey's Fiction Fluency (long form),
Short Story SF Weekend with Nina Kiriki Hoffman at Blue River.
OTHER social/professional stuff
MV writing retreat.
Regular Wordos (put four? stories on table), crit group and Scriptwriters' meetings.
Wrote with Nina, Erin, Alexis and others both virtually and in person frequently; Accountability txts with Erin
READ MORE BOOKS THAN LAST YEAR
23 novels/novellas (two manuscripts), four anthologies and one nonfiction
(Started but failed to track short stories read; would like to do that better next year)
Finished rewrite of one novel in October (first pass)
Read it aloud in Nov/Dec and came up with a list of last revision passes for issues identified, including dialogue and world-building. (Tracked 358 revision hours for 2017, including ss revisions)
Wrote a novella draft (36K) during NanoWrimo.
Total new words in 2017: 90K; roughly 1.5k a week.
Submitted for publication six times.
25 skill building sessions, 108 critiques of other's work (flash, ss and two novels).
Total of 715 writing related hours in 2017
(does not include reading, but a place to improve; that's a mere 14 hours a week in 50 weeks. I'd love to blame that on bad tracking but I don't think I can. It's probably a good thing I can't track how many hours I spend on FB, Twitter and PvZ. I might ought to try).
NON-WRITING STUFF, summary
Took myself off antidepressants when they stopped working.
Avoided any major crashes (pulled myself out of a few minor ones)
Meditated semi-regularly
(average of once a week; could be better).
Walked and worked out some.
(I need to up the frequency of workouts and walking mileage next year for my mental and physical health)
Started physical therapy that has really helped my shoulder, back and elbow.
Worked on learning French (and started an attempt at Japanese)
Learned 20-ish new songs between choir and personal work; regular vocal practice.
Improved my range, volume and clarity.
Political work: several protests, vigils, many letters, emails and calls to legislators; donations.
About 31 (tracked) political acts. (more in 2018). Crocheted about a dozen hats.
Two large-ish house maintenance projects completed.
Did fun and supportive stuff for friends and took some time for self at coast and in E.O.
(more forest time next year please)
ECLIPSE!!!!
PARIS!!!!! and Iceland!
