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Another decade comes to a close.
Ah yes, the Gregorian calendar year. Makes basically no sense, has to be adjusted ever four years, and puts the new year in the silliest place imaginable. Anyway, let's reflect on the year, shall we?
Last year I vowed the following:
Podcast A Stabbing for Sadie as an audiobook.
Write a complete zombie novel.
Publicize the hell out of Kiss Me Like You Love Me.
Write at least one strong short story every other month.
Bump the number of times I do Yoga a week up to four.
Order delivery food less often (no more than once a week).
Sweep, vacuum and mop at least every other week
Podcast is going okay despite a host of personnel issues, time constraints, and technical hoosefudge. We started with one podcast a week and quickly bumped that back to every other week. Once a month would probably be better for everyone, so I may end up doing that this year.
Zombie novel still in progress, and has a tentative production schedule of fall 2012.
Yeah, I'm working on it. Sales are pokey, even with Kindle. Haven't had a new review for KMLYLM in some time. Drag.
I have written two fairly good short stories this year. I've also written a bunch of articles, over 20. These are pretty good and are posted at weblogs and sites that I do not run. That was unexpected and a lot of fun. I hope to continue to do more of this, concentrating largely on well paying or well traveled sites.
Yoga. Now that I have these sweet exercise balls, I'm doing it every day. Go me!!!
Delivery food still gets ordered a bit too often, and I never really made a dent in the sweeping/mopping/vacuuming thing. Once a month is about all I can muster. Good news is that our implementation of puppy pads has saved our relationship with Pentelope.
This year I will:
Finish writing and rewriting The Finster Effect by the end of August.
Continue podcast schedule of 1 per month min. Also offer downloads of the scores.
Devote myself to at least 4 hours a day of real work on writing and/or marketing stuff every day that I am not working, and at least 1 hour a day on days when I have the day job. My habit is to slack off and then cram. Not ideal.
Find more paying markets to freelance for--preferably things related to horror, women, mental illness/addiction, media, or something else of genuine interest to me.
Figure out why the hell my podcasts have been skipping and sounding crappy lately.
The year in TV had a few highlights. Unlike a lot of people, I loved the LOST finale. Still haven't bought the last season. I need to though, not like I have time to watch it.
Season 3 of True Blood was delightful. I adored seeing Denis O'Hare all flamboyantly jazzed up and creating discord. Even more fun than the fantastic Michelle Forbes last season.
The Walking Dead has lots to like about it. But not a whole lot that's new. Really, the most unique thing about it is that it focuses on the drama rather than the horror.
Caprica was well written and acted, not really sure why it was cancelled except that SyFy is probably trying to save up to buy more wrestling shows. Jackasses. That they have the nerve to show CGI crapfests all weekend long and then cancel the smartest show they had does not bode well for their future as a nerd approved network. Then again, neither did spelling their name with 2 Y's.
I discovered Criminal Minds this year, bidding Law & Order a fond farewell; and Dexter which made me realize that KMLYLM is darker than I realized.
The year's low lights include season 2 of Hung, V, The Event, and anything FOX plays on Sundays that is not a cartoon.
In movies, I really enjoyed The following new movies:
Inception
Harry Potter 7.1
Piranha 3D
Iron Man 2
Shutter Island
I also dug a few movies I'd been meaning to watch:
Let the Right One In
REC
Martyrs
Home Movie
The Road
No Country for Old Men
Inglourious Basterds
I also discovered Jack Ketchum this year. God damn, he is like the find of a lifetime. He has altered the way I look at horror and the writing of it, the creation of fear, boundaries, how to take people along for the ride, how to build suspense without the reader even realizing. He is just fucking incredible. Not being him, I just don't have the words to fully express the profundity with which I adore his work. I was also reminded that some fantastic novels have been turned into some bland, awful films. Sadly, The Girl Next Door is one such instance. I still don't think the people who made that movie understand why the book is good.
As for me, I turned 40 this year without incident. I had a tiny cancer scare and learned that all my friends are wonderful people. My third horror (and best to date, if I may say so) novel was published. I produced my very first audiobook CD which a great many amazing talents supported and participated in. I appeared in my third published anthology and my first hardcover. I had my first classy book release party, and got my first bit of hate mail based solely on one of my books.
Happy Pretend New Year, Everyone!
As the late, great Carlin would say "Bye Bye! Don't let self doubt interfere with your plans to improve your life!" Well, some people need practical advice.
Last year I vowed the following:
Podcast A Stabbing for Sadie as an audiobook.
Write a complete zombie novel.
Publicize the hell out of Kiss Me Like You Love Me.
Write at least one strong short story every other month.
Bump the number of times I do Yoga a week up to four.
Order delivery food less often (no more than once a week).
Sweep, vacuum and mop at least every other week
Podcast is going okay despite a host of personnel issues, time constraints, and technical hoosefudge. We started with one podcast a week and quickly bumped that back to every other week. Once a month would probably be better for everyone, so I may end up doing that this year.
Zombie novel still in progress, and has a tentative production schedule of fall 2012.
Yeah, I'm working on it. Sales are pokey, even with Kindle. Haven't had a new review for KMLYLM in some time. Drag.
I have written two fairly good short stories this year. I've also written a bunch of articles, over 20. These are pretty good and are posted at weblogs and sites that I do not run. That was unexpected and a lot of fun. I hope to continue to do more of this, concentrating largely on well paying or well traveled sites.
Yoga. Now that I have these sweet exercise balls, I'm doing it every day. Go me!!!
Delivery food still gets ordered a bit too often, and I never really made a dent in the sweeping/mopping/vacuuming thing. Once a month is about all I can muster. Good news is that our implementation of puppy pads has saved our relationship with Pentelope.
This year I will:
Finish writing and rewriting The Finster Effect by the end of August.
Continue podcast schedule of 1 per month min. Also offer downloads of the scores.
Devote myself to at least 4 hours a day of real work on writing and/or marketing stuff every day that I am not working, and at least 1 hour a day on days when I have the day job. My habit is to slack off and then cram. Not ideal.
Find more paying markets to freelance for--preferably things related to horror, women, mental illness/addiction, media, or something else of genuine interest to me.
Figure out why the hell my podcasts have been skipping and sounding crappy lately.
The year in TV had a few highlights. Unlike a lot of people, I loved the LOST finale. Still haven't bought the last season. I need to though, not like I have time to watch it.
Season 3 of True Blood was delightful. I adored seeing Denis O'Hare all flamboyantly jazzed up and creating discord. Even more fun than the fantastic Michelle Forbes last season.
The Walking Dead has lots to like about it. But not a whole lot that's new. Really, the most unique thing about it is that it focuses on the drama rather than the horror.
Caprica was well written and acted, not really sure why it was cancelled except that SyFy is probably trying to save up to buy more wrestling shows. Jackasses. That they have the nerve to show CGI crapfests all weekend long and then cancel the smartest show they had does not bode well for their future as a nerd approved network. Then again, neither did spelling their name with 2 Y's.
I discovered Criminal Minds this year, bidding Law & Order a fond farewell; and Dexter which made me realize that KMLYLM is darker than I realized.
The year's low lights include season 2 of Hung, V, The Event, and anything FOX plays on Sundays that is not a cartoon.
In movies, I really enjoyed The following new movies:
Inception
Harry Potter 7.1
Piranha 3D
Iron Man 2
Shutter Island
I also dug a few movies I'd been meaning to watch:
Let the Right One In
REC
Martyrs
Home Movie
The Road
No Country for Old Men
Inglourious Basterds
I also discovered Jack Ketchum this year. God damn, he is like the find of a lifetime. He has altered the way I look at horror and the writing of it, the creation of fear, boundaries, how to take people along for the ride, how to build suspense without the reader even realizing. He is just fucking incredible. Not being him, I just don't have the words to fully express the profundity with which I adore his work. I was also reminded that some fantastic novels have been turned into some bland, awful films. Sadly, The Girl Next Door is one such instance. I still don't think the people who made that movie understand why the book is good.
As for me, I turned 40 this year without incident. I had a tiny cancer scare and learned that all my friends are wonderful people. My third horror (and best to date, if I may say so) novel was published. I produced my very first audiobook CD which a great many amazing talents supported and participated in. I appeared in my third published anthology and my first hardcover. I had my first classy book release party, and got my first bit of hate mail based solely on one of my books.
Happy Pretend New Year, Everyone!
As the late, great Carlin would say "Bye Bye! Don't let self doubt interfere with your plans to improve your life!" Well, some people need practical advice.