[Spotlight Post] A Look at 2013
This is the first Friday of 2014. It’s time for the first Spotlight post of the New Year, and no, it’s not going to be Wonderbook. That will be reserved for the Wednesday writer posts. So today’s spotlight is on 2013. I never did a “Year in Review” thing like everyone else did. This could be that post. And because I have post-Holiday/Friday Squirrel Brain today, that’s a plan.
If I had to sum up 2013 in a single word… Expensive. A lot of expenses (both planned and not so much) hit us this year. It wasn’t anything we couldn’t truly handle, but having that be done for a while would be nice – just to catch a financial breath. Though most were one-time things and shouldn’t have to be done again. That’s all to the good.
I did want to get down to TWO jobs (a “Day Job” and writing), I didn’t expect that to happen quite the way it worked out, but not looking the gift horse (so to speak). I do now have more time to write. I am trying to take full advantage of that (or at least be better). I am grateful to the publishers and editors who bought stories from me in 2013, I’m looking forward to working with you all again in 2014 – and with any other wonderful editor/publisher who comes along. I still joke that I’m “up for adoption” if any other writer wants to collaborate.
But the best part of 2013 were the awesome people I met and got to work with along the way. I started doing a local series of multi-media conventions here in DFW over the last year. Not only did I get to meet some lovely actors who’s work I admire and am inspired by, but also made some friends in the vendor and staff world. They’ve made working those shows totally worth it – or I wouldn’t have plied them with cookies in May (there will probably be more this year). The guests I dealt with at FenCon (and WorldCon) were a complete delight – and this year we had a bumper crop of truly gracious and lovely professionals, all of whom I would drop everything to work with again – in any capacity
I am truly blessed by the people around me. I couldn’t ask for a better support system. Well, I probably could, but it might be an utter impossibility. We were not without our losses this year. That’s the circle of life. We’ll miss those who have gone on ahead.
I can’t wait to see what adventure 2014 brings our way. It all starts on Sunday, January 26th – when I help support a new single day convention in Lewisville called Helio-Con. Then we hit the ground running in February. Hope to see you somewhere along the way.