It’s a Wrap!

As this is my last blog post for 2011 before we go on winter hiatus (or in my case, summer hiatus!) for a couple of weeks, I want to wish everyone all the best for the holidays. We’ve had another amazing year blogging at TKZ. For me 2011 was a period of readjustment – to life back in Australia (still a challenge as I miss California!) and to my sons starting school. It took a while to get back into my writing routine since the move, especially with all the work that was done to the house after we flooded in February, but I think I am finally on track…just as my boys are off on holidays for 8 weeks:)

One of the greatest things about this year is watching both my sons become avid readers and lovers of books. From being engrossed listening to Harry Potter in the car to sitting reading in bed at night, they have both embraced literature in a way that has amazed even me (especially given all the negativity in the media about children and reading). It has also been exciting for me to discover a new generation of children’s books (and a great excuse to read them for myself!).

The year also brought with it the challenge of dealing with people who have a less enlightened view of the world of literature and writing. Just yesterday another mother said to me (when we were trying to arrange picking up a lost sweater) “unlike you, the rest of us have day jobs.” That brought me back down to earth with a smack!

So what was the most memorable thing about 2011 for you?

What writing success will you celebrate?

These holidays I am going to celebrate nurturing a love of reading, the fact that I am at page 230 of my current WIP, and that I get to pursue my dreams every single day – all it takes is a blank page and my imagination (take that day-job naysayers!)

16 thoughts on “It’s a Wrap!

  1. Well M’lady, my memories of 2012 are as of yet rather limited. I am assuming that unless you’ve been hanging out with my cousin Leonard in his time machine you meant to say “what’s your best memory of 2011.”

    In March of 2011 my entire family was able to take our first ever vacation outside of Alaska. During the weeklong trip to Florida my 10 & 13 year old got to experience for the first time in their lives, an airplane ride, roller coasters, an outdoor water park, crickets and frogs making noise at night, and summer, darkness and heat at the same time (remember Alaska is the Land of the Midnight Sun).

    2011 was a good year just for that. And on top of that I got to spend some good time with you folks.

    Oh and by the way, Leonard says hi from 2334 where he is dating the clone of Hedy Lamarr whom he verifies is exactly the same as the Hedy Lamarr he dated twice in 1934, even down to the irritating habit nibbling the edge of her champagne glass when she’s with a guy that makes her nervous... or maybe that’s just when a red-headed guy with lips appears wearing a an old leather flying hat & goggles and claims he’s from another time and thinks she’s gorgeous, would she let him have this dance.

  2. I must be getting way ahead of myself – though as I have a cold I shall blame my medication. Sounds like 2011 was a lot of fun – even outside Alaska:)!

  3. I see no reason for you to be upset with the woman for the comment she made. Just be thankful that you are in a position where you can arrange your own time. It can be hard when you have to be at one place for a certain number of hours every day of every week. Often, people are already frustrated that they can’t do as much as they would like and then someone who has more freedom comes along and implies that they should be able to be somewhere else.

  4. Clare, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am celebrating 1) my younger daughter’s academic success and 2)the fact that at this stage in my life my feet still hit the floor in the morning and my parts are all still in working order.

  5. My favorite part of 2011 is that I found you guys and you let me chime in with writing on this blog.

    Like Joe, I’m glad my parts are still in working order.

    I polished and e-published two novels, created my own website, and learned so much about writing maybe I should write a book about it.

    Clare, like that harried woman you mentioned, I too have a day job that takes me worlds away from writing fiction but, I remain thankful because I can pay the bills, and I cherish every scrap of writing time I can find.

    She sounds like she’d make a good character in a book.

    I’m grateful that I can find inspiration all around me.

    Enjoy your holiday!

    Paula
    http://www.paulamillhouse.com

  6. Most memorable: Cataract surgery that improved my vision to 20/25.

    Writing success: Putting my first novel (WILD BILL) out as an ebook.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Clare,

  7. I was sitting here freezing my keister off in Arizona (close your ears Basil, I know Central Arizona doesn’t know REAL cold as the rest of the country knows it) thinking that despite the fact that all the snowbirds come here to winter, it’s so cold, I’m thinking I need to go summer in Australia until the weather warms up. 😎 Yes, I’m a wimp.

    Best thing about 2011 for me was that despite a ton of stressors and thinking the year was a loss in the writing column, I tallied up this past week and found I’d managed to write nearly 125K this year! Unfortunately, that was on 4 different projects so I didn’t finish any one manuscript, but still, that was more than 3 times what I wrote last year!

    75% of that word count came out of two months of the year, so I’m hoping for more consistency in 2012.

  8. This year has been a plus for me with writing. Thanks to my sister-in-law Paula Millhouse, I now come to TKZ a lot. I have moved into the world of e-publishing and have been rewarded by that new adventure. Plus my son, who is 19, has discovered his passion for writing and is pounding away on his keyboard as I type this. I look forward to 2012 with high hopes. Happy Holidays everyone.

  9. 2011 was a whirlwind of starts and finishes.

    1) Got some #$%^ in my personal life squared away. Still dealing with the fallout (mostly financial) but my heart and head are where they need to be.

    2) Moved forward in writing. Became a reviewer, proofer, and a regular blogger. I should see my first check as a “paid blogger” in early 2012 (woo hoo, pizza is on me). My fiction voices were kind of quiet in all the din in my head, but their whispers make it through from time to time.

    3) Made a bunch of the best friends ever! Also made cool places like TKZ and Janet Reid a regular hangout for comraderie and inspiration.

    4) Rediscovered my political chops and will be hitting it hard in 2012

    Here’s to 2012 and it being better in every way for everyone!

  10. Wow! We have lots to celebrate! I remain ever thankful that I can juggle writing, motherhood and not going bankrupt:) my pants are sadly a little tighter the last week or so with all the holiday celebrations that are already occurring. I should have also thanked my gorgeous collie, Hamish who came into our lives in February. He is an ideal muse as he loves to lie right next to me while I write, requiring only an ear rub now and again. This year he has listened to many plot conundrums and helped enormously:) …the fact that he has also chewed half my sock and underwear drawer up…well, I guess that was memorable too!

  11. Oh and the day job comment was more of a humorous aside. I wasn’t upset and certainly don’t presume to understand anyone else’s situation. I’ve had plenty of other people assume that being a writer and a mother equals slacking off:)

  12. Hi, I normally lurk around enjoying the kz bloggers, but had to comment on this one.

    I’ve just recently moved back from the UK to Aus myself, and having just moved house (still boxes around, probably with some writing stuff in it, too), find myself with my daughter to tend to for her own summer holidays, while trying to also maintain a writing regime.

    As for other mother’s comments – ditto. Most can’t believe I have all that time doing nothing, bless ’em. On the good side, I can volunteer to help out at school (or not!) and on the bad side – I can’t easily get out of having to attend yet another violin concert for Year 3 kids. *Grins*

  13. Hi Hunter – your life sounds remarkable similar to mine:)! Here’s hoping we can get the boxes aside so 2012 will be a great writing filled year!

  14. I’m with you in that I get to fulfill my dreams by writing full-time. You’re very fortunate that your children enjoy reading. Let’s hope they don’t get distracted by all the electronic gizmos as they get older.

    This year was good re the writing career. I just finished the third book in a trilogy at 479 pages. Still have to polish it but that’s on my New Year’s resolution list.

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