After writing three novels last year, the most prose I’ve ever written at once and the ONLY prose I’ve written in over a decade, suffice it to say my current career aspirations are… confusing. And given the increasing professional slant to my NYRs these past few years, I’m definitely less sure of what I want to accomplish in practical terms in the year ahead! That being said, as an old married lady now, I suppose I could give a bit more thought to what I want my life, not my career, to look like by next December.
- Save $5000. With student loan repayment on the horizon again (though since the original drafting of this post, it’s been pushed back to June rather than January), I decided not to increase my savings goal amount from last year, but I do want to keep putting money away if I can. My savings account has never looked better, and I’d like it to keep growing before the inevitable dramatic income loss that seems to hit me every 2-4 years because I work in a very volatile industry that’s only getting less stable the longer I spend in it.
- Visit 5 National Parks. Because of our road trip honeymoon, Quinn and I asked for (and received) a National Parks Pass from our wedding registry. We only managed to hit 2 (Redwoods and Pinnacles) on that trip, but we’ve got a car, a National Parks Passport, and one year of free entry. Would be a shame to waste it!
- Introduce physical activity into my weekly routine. I’m sure the 20th time something to this effect is on my NYR list is the charm, right?
- Revise all 3 books I wrote last year. It’s polishing time, babes! And boy, do they need it!
- Polish and send out 20 literary agent queries. The worst that can happen is I’m in the same place I am now: with three unpublished manuscripts I had a lot of fun writing. While it’s absolutely frustrating to have so much work (screenwriting and prose) that I love that hasn’t ever been further than a few friends’ inboxes, I will never regret the time I spent composing these stories.
- Write 2 new scripts. Just because I’m back on the Prose Train doesn’t mean I’ve given up on the last decade of screenwriting and indie filmmaking. I’m hoping these two new scripts are a new pilot (I need new samples, as always) and the feature script I’m currently outlining with my friend Christina (also my filmmaking podcast co-host), but who knows!
- Continue to cultivate a social life that isn’t completely professional. Because “it’s who you know” is such a cliche/reality of the entertainment industry, much of my socializing since grad school has had some level of networking slant to it, which is, frankly, exhausting. I want to cultivate a social life where I see people without having to make it productive (23 year old me is screaming, but she’s got other problems that we don’t have time to get into right now), and more regularly open my home and life to fun things like game nights, holiday celebrations, and dinner parties.
- Finish my list of movies and shows people have recommended to me. Because I spent 2022 reading 300+ romance novels, I barely watched anything, and several people I trust recommended a lot of media I didn’t have time to consume because of that hyperfixation. Christine Cherry even made me a whole curated list of classic Star Trek TNG to help me understand the characters and tone well enough to start Deep Space 9, and I only made it through 3 episodes before abandoning all her hard work completely to read about yet another future duchess enjoying cunnilingus in the back of a carriage.
- Re-integrate non-reading hobbies back into my weekly routine. My Libby app also has audio books, so there’s no reason why I can’t listen to a new book (and then pick up the eBook to finish at my own pace later) while painting. I spent a lot of time curled up on my bed with my laptop this year while my poor paints and empty canvases wilted in a corner, and I really did miss it. I can do both!
- Focus on building a life I love regardless of career. Too long, my life, my decisions, and even my geography have been dictated by a career that feels, in some ways, further away than ever. I’m 30, married, and eventually interested in things like having kids, a dog, and a house with a yard in a state with seasons. I have to find things to care about and move towards that aren’t entirely consumed by my career, because, surprise surprise, that hasn’t made me very happy! In fact, last year’s resolutions that forced me to take a break and allowed me to do things like write 3 novels and read 300+ books and take trips with my husband made me happier than any number of career advancements in years prior. So I want to continue prioritizing my life first, and my ambitions second, because it seems that’s a far more winning combination.
Secret resolution: hit 100 subscribers on my romance novel recommendation newsletter! I send out three new book reviews a week, for FREE, over on my Substack, so join me, won’t you?
As I’m drafting the first pass of this list, I’m in a cafe near my apartment after finishing my NaNoWriMo writing for the day, and I need to head home to pack for my weekend trip to San Diego for Quinn’s birthday. As you’re reading the final draft of this list, I’m on a road trip from Dallas to Los Angeles with my friend Christine (the fabled Star Trek expert) to bring her new car from her mom’s place to the city we’re both still trying to find our footing in. 2022 was me giving myself permission to slow down, and I look forward to what 2023 has in store. It feels like the freshest start I’ve had in years, and I can’t wait.
