Winter Doldrums

Mid- to late January... I'm usually broke (after holiday presents and unpaid days off of work), tired, and stressed out. I'm actually slightly burnt out after 2012's NaNoWroMo- only managed to write one and edit two stories in December, and January's output thus far is a handful of extremely flash flash fiction. Better than nothing, though!

Here in the Pacific Northwest, winter means the sun is out from about 8 am (I guess - I'm never up that early!) till 3 or 4 pm. It's now extending until about 5pm, but since I get up between noon and two, I'm not seeing much of it. Plus, what sun there is is usually obscured by heavy grey cloud cover, drizzling rainy mist, cold damp fog, and haze. It always looks to me like the great Nothingness from the Neverending Story. Ho hum. 

Don't get me wrong- I wouldn't trade this for the icy blasts of winter I grew up with in Maryland for the world. It's just that my body seems to want to go into hibernation all winter! I'm less motivated to do... well, anything, really. For many, this weather is the ideal cocoon in which to write away the days and nights. But, for some reason (could it be that pesky NaNo project each Nov.?) I've been letting days go by without so much as OPENING my laptop. Very unusual for me, but that's what it's been. Lots of movie and Netflix watching, and reading, and cuddling with my kitties (I adopted a new one- just under a year old- last weekend! He's a long haired dark grey kitty with a slightly silvery nose and pale green eyes. I've named him Frankie Fourpaws, and he's been getting along famously with my two year ole Scottish Fold, Rory Calhoun.)

I think it's a good idea to track the cycles and patterns in your life. If you are a writer or artist, which season is your most productive? Which months? Are there periods of inspiration and idea incubation before output? it makes it easier to stay unworried if you know what your cycles are. I think I may do best in Spring and Summer, and maybe even Fall. Summer is probably the number one season for me all around, because there seems to be so much more time for everything! An illusion, perhaps, but nonetheless, I usually work out more, get out more, write more, and everything else. 

Only another six months to go.

Happy New Year's! 2013 Goals

I hope you are all feeling well, on this first day of 2013! I'm a little fuzzy in the head, myself, but this second cup of coffee should be helping soon.

Resolutions are a tradition, but I find the word sounds hard, to me. Resolve is something some dudley boring middle aged dour man-in-a-suit or woman-in-layers-of-foundation-garments-and-petticoats has. 

I like the word "intention", but New Years Intentions sounds too soft. Like they;re too easy to not get done.

So I settled on "goals" a few years ago. It fits, it's unpretentious, and goals are doable. Here are mine for 2013. (Some are not writing related, but I'm including them here anyway.)

1. Finish Revisions (3rd/4th draft) on How I Spent My Zombie Apocalypse novel.
2. Take HISMZA to the PNWA Conference - buy tickets in March.
3. Send out Query Letters for HISMZA.
4. Send out 12 Short Story Sumbissions.
5. Enter 3 writing contests.
6. Get a kitten!
7. Organize Home...Bedroom, closets, bookshelves, desk, kitchen...
8. The Spare Room.
9. Put together under-the-sink caddy.
10. Get new regional DVD player.
11. Get regular with the workouts.
12. Find a damn dance class that I want to take (Could someone in Seattle please start a Broadway class or an Angie Dickinson 60's Style Jazz class?!?)
13. Continue Language Skills... Brushing up on French & Japanese
14. Start Italian lessons.
15. Start using Juicer again.
16. Work on Non-Fic Massage Manual Book.
17. Submit two articles on Massage/IFR.

Okay, then. I may make adjustments to this list, but this is the list for now. 17 items - I like the number 17, always have. And... it's the number of my favorite tarot card, "The Stars". Destiny, Fate, Kismet... here I come.

Addition: I forgot to update my reading goal!
   18.  Read at least 30 books.