It’s a winter wonderland outside my house right now.
Winter is my favorite season for numerous reasons, beginning and ending with my love of hot chocolate and warmth. That probably sounds a bit confusing — if I love being warm, why would I pick winter? Easy. The kind of warmth that summer shoves down our throats is sticky — gross, hot, sweaty. But winter’s warmth is cozy. Fireplace, hot cocoa, kitty cuddles, thick socks, warm blankets — these things all provide a level of comfort that is unparalleled by any other. Sure, I use blankets and drink hot cocoa and cuddle with kitties at other times of the year, too (read: ALL YEAR), but the maximum level of comfort can be achieved from these things in the winter. Because, you know, science.
Along with the beauty of the snow outside, the new year is starting out wonderfully. I got to spend New Year’s Eve with some of my favorite people (and, of course, Husband); I finished a chapter of my novel yesterday, effectively closing out the second section of three; and today the sky is blanketing the world in fluffy white goodness. Not to mention all the kitty cuddling I’ve been doing.
One of my good friends has started a new blog today for the new year as well, a daily journal project wherein she hopes to learn more about herself and learn how to not worry so much about things she can’t change — a lesson I think we all could benefit from (me especially). Check her out here and let her know that we’re all in this journey together.
I’m going to try something new this week, too. My friend Jessica McHugh, a horror writer who is incredibly productive and whom I admire fiercely, does a thing sometimes called the “24-hour Writing Challenge,” which is basically NaNoWriMo in a day. She is going to do another one next week, but I’m thinking this weekend, I am going to make an effort and lock myself in a room with some booze and see how many words I can crank out. Probably nowhere near the amounts she gets (I think last time she had 12k or something ridiculous), but anything will help where my WIP is concerned. Wish me luck!
I started reading The Hero With A Thousand Faces, too. And took a hipster photo to prove it.
On a related note: this year will also be the year I receive my master’s degree in creative writing from Miami University of Ohio, which will mark a new era in my life. The current plan is to job search anywhere and everywhere — with the eventual goal of getting a job in editing or public relations or something that I can use my writing skills for. I can’t wait to get started.
All in all, this year is off to a great start! Not to mention that NEAT. seems to be barreling along at a nice clip, gaining followers and exposure from every which way. Sometime this week our call for submissions will be up on the website of The Review Review, and Poets&Writers put us in their database a couple weeks ago — which has already yielded fruit. If you haven’t already checked our call out for this Winter 2013-2014 issue, please do so! I’m trying not to gush all over the place about how great this project makes me feel, but as you can tell, it’s a real challenge.
What about you, dear Reader? How has your year gotten off on the right foot?
Liz Makes Stuff 