So, I decided to keep numbering my days, just like I have for the past year. Day 366 it is. But, it’s also day one. Day one of the second year of the daily blog. It’s the first day today of the home-stretch to the end of the year as well.
I have to confess that I feel a bit lost today. Or overwhelmed. Things are not falling the way I had planned at the moment, and I mean that literally, like, today and this week…not so much in the grand scheme of things. In that regard, like I wrote about last night…I have so, so much to be grateful for and proud of.
I’ve done SO MUCH this year. First and foremost, and it still pains me that it is first and foremost considering my heart is so firmly placed in the creative realm…first and foremost, I will make more money this year than I ever have before. And, because of that, I am on the brink of financial recovery. And, now that I’m married that means WE are on the brink of financial recovery, both the Ho and I. It’s been a haul to get here, and it’s not over yet…but it is close.
Same thing with my writing, the creative side of my needs. I will finish this year having done more work on my career than in any year since I graduated from college, acting or writing combined. As of this moment, I have 2/3 of a novel written, and a third draft (really a second, but that’s complicated) of an original pilot, PLUS the beginning at the very least of my short story from earlier this year. I mean, I definitely *definitely* wish that it was much more than that…but that is still so much more than I’ve ever done before.
I have this daily blog to thank a lot for that. But, tonight, rather than dive into my past, I’d actually really like to look ahead. Speak, if I may, to my one-year-older self. To that version of me, I would say this: I hope that you have continued to work through your feelings and goals and challenges on a DAILY basis, whether it be writing this daily blog or some other newfangled way to find this catharsis that present-me hasn’t even fathomed. I hope that Starstuff is written, and made good (please god, let it be good), and that you’ve cranked out at LEAST another pilot that you love and are sharing with people who can give you a job INSIDE, where the magic really happens. And, if it hasn’t happened yet, make it happen NEXT year, where you finally make the leap inside…just keep writing. Every day. I hope you are BETTER at writing than I am, because you’ve written every day. Because you’ve learned every day. And, I hope you haven’t been too hard on yourself about when you fell down or failed.
I know I have felt those points over this past year several times. I’m not sure if they’ve made me stronger, but they’ve definitely not stood in my way. This blog has so much to do with that, and I just want that to continue.
Practically speaking, I have some goals for the next two months. FINISH. It’s as simple as that. I want to be celebrating Christmas with a pilot script sent out for trusted eyes to read, and I want a finished manuscript ready for editing and re-writes tucked warmly under my arm. AND…I want to have finished my editing work RIGHT ON SCHEDULE, and the paychecks chinging into my joint checking account, putting our savings back up where they need to be.
Making all that happen starts tomorrow. Ryan and I didn’t get to play golf yesterday, so we’re going to fix that tomorrow. BUT…before we go, I want to have 12 minutes of editing done and in the can. I’ll make up the remaining 6 minutes on my next day off (Monday). So, yeah. That’s what I want. It starts tomorrow, which means I need to go to bed now.
My review of Ringworld *finally* got posted tonight. It was almost completely written. I honestly don’t know why I waited for so long to post it, except for the fact that doing those reviews just took a back seat to other interests. But…I also have to confess I really LOVE having them on my blog. I love writing them, I really do. So, yeah. I’m glad it’s finally up. Rendezvous with Rama is next, and I’ll get on that tomorrow. This week didn’t play out the way I wanted it to for numerous reasons, so I can tell you know it’s not possible that it will be POSTED tomorrow, but I think I can get the majority of it *written*. We’ll see.
Night, guys. Watched the Giants win the world series with Ryan tonight, so congrats to them, the lousy bastards. Three world series wins in five years is ironclad. Can’t argue against that, they’re having a golden era right now. I hope my team gets there too some day soon.