A Quick Look Back At 2012

Well, I won't lie to you (Isn't that exactly what people say right before they lie?). This year has been a mixed bag at best.

The road behind looks disturbingly similar to the road ahead.

I started off with a half-assed attempt at writing a short story that ended up dragging on until early this month, when I finally decided to scrap it. I started a YouTube show in May (CLICK HERE to go to my channel, if you dare) that consumed my time, drained me creatively, and interested nobody. During the YouTube months (May - August) I got exactly ZERO fiction writing done. I submitted stories for publication far fewer times than I should have. I managed to make only negative headway at paying off my credit card. And, to top it all off, my daughter (who officially became a teenager this year) refuses to hug me anymore.

Not exactly the end of the world, but still kinda crap.

But it hasn't been all bad. Though the YouTube channel never did any business, it gave me an excuse to have some fun with my brothers and some friends. And since quitting YouTube, I've finished 3 short stories, and am halfway through a fourth. My wife graduated from college and will end up earning a better wage on her date of hire than I make after working at my company for 10 years. And though my daughter refuses to hug me, all of my children are healthy, happy, and continue to maintain 4.0 GPAs.

So, yeah. Ups and downs. What can you do?

I hope 2013 is a good year. My wife will start her career, my kids will get another year closer to starting their real lives, and I intend to start work on my first novel tomorrow morning. I really want it all to be great, but I'm also a realist. In all likelihood, by this time next year I'll be in the same place writing the same thing about ups and downs.

What can you do?



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