i think we got stuck with a used year

[sab]

In the broader, sort of, holistic sense of it all, 2009 doesn't impress me more than 2008 did, mostly because all these years in the Oughts seem fake and imaginary and all blend together into one big post-apocalyptic borrowed Oooooooo in my head. Then again, normalcyispasse said This is the last year people will be able to wear those goofy novelty glasses with the "200(number)" to inaugurate the new year, which at least seems like something.

However, we've got the even more important Presidential inauguration coming up in 20 days and we can only hope that the next one's better. So, here's to 2009!




A couple weeks ago I got this LJ comment from a stranger. If you aren't writing professionally then you are wasting time here having fun with your fanfics, she says. Seriously. Consider this a wakeup call. You do not need any more practice. Just write.

First off, thank you, otrame. I hope I can live up to your estimation. I'm going to work on original stuff this year. I'm going to take a page from Betsy Ray and send stories to magazines, and I'm going to forge past rejections and keep writing and submitting and developing my professional canon. I think the short story is a pretty awesome art form and it's been way too long since I've used it for anything other than fannish purposes.

Beyond that, my resolution is simply to be a better person, because I'm surrounded by great people and, as always, have things to learn from them all.

Thanks, thassalia and lizlet for looking after me this year and being such marvelous friends. Thanks to furies for always being just a phone call away even when we couldn't actually get it together to talk. Thanks to runpunkrun for a decade of friendship and all the weird and wonderful business that exists in our shared brain. Thanks to the rest of my friends, local and broadband, fandom, England, Hamlet, Tennant, Canada, the Hold Steady, all the stuff we rolled around in this year. I'm honored by the opportunity to spending the new year, and beyond, with you.

Happy New Year, my friends!

Comments

[svilleficrecs.livejournal.com]

FWIW, there is a decent sized paying market out there, these days for novellas in ebook-country, especially for the gay-romance-with-sexxing sort. Short stories in magazines is totally awesome, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to getting cash for your smaller-than-novel-sized work, ebook land is a viable and growing option.

Best of luck with the efforts to go pro, I'm pushing that way myself, and it's hard, but I think it'll be worth it.

P.S. You could see it as powering past rejections, or you could see it as *collecting* rejections. :) You could set a goal of getting, like, 25 rejections this year! I mean, to get a rejection you have to write and finish and send out stuff, and if the editors in question have any taste, they'll probably screw up your 25 rejections plan with an acceptance or two.

[ainsley.livejournal.com]

Happy New Year, you!

And knowing you is always both honor and pleasure.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

It's not something you have to thank us for, you know. And I'm often, often grateful to have you in my life. Even when you WON'T ANSWER YOUR PHONE.

Also, I agree that it's time to be brave again, to use those words you're so good at. It's something on my own list.

Which begs the question of a writing day, or evening. We did pretty well with Yuletide! Also, sake!