And the word is...
New year, new meaningful places to explore
Happy 2024, friends! We’re here. We made it. It’s going to be one helluva year, I believe. But it’s already starting out better than 2023 did for us, personally, so I’ll take what I get!
I participated in Jen Fulwiler’s Word of the Year generator and my result for 2024 is PURIFY. Like last year, when I received VISTA, I had very little thought about this word other than I didn’t like it. Purity, purify, purification, always makes me think of religion and I’m not into any sort of spiritual practice. So maybe that’s exactly why I received this word, maybe it’s time to not be so closed to all spiritual ideas. I’m starting yoga next week, so that counts, right?
I’m thinking about what kind of content to share this year, what would be interesting for you to know, read, explore with me? I tend to share a lot of myself here, but I’d like to also provide something more dynamic than just my personal life. If you have suggestions, or questions, please leave some in the comments. I’ll continue to talk about my indie-publishing venture, which is moving along mostly okay, (more on that later) and I’ll share more traditional publishing news, tips, thoughts as well.
That leads me to share my most recently published piece The Girl in the Window, which won the Katherine Paterson prize through Hunger Mountain Literary Journal. This is an excerpt of a middle grade novel that I would love to publish traditionally so if anyone has editor/publishing house suggestions, please let me know. It’s an upper middle grade, haunted house story about domestic violence and it’s a more literary piece which, of course, is always harder to place, but I still want to try. I’d be so happy to have my award winning writing get published, but isn’t it funny how that doesn’t happen very often. (Not once for me, yet)
Lastly, Joe and I will be traveling this year. We decided to use a chunk of savings and do something we’ve been talking about for years: Visit Scotland. Spending money always scares me, to be honest, even small amounts, because I come from a pretty poor beginning and never really succeeded in becoming financially stable. (A major 2024 goal!) But spending it on something so meaningful and different is beyond worthwhile, so plane tickets are purchased, a couple Airbnb’s are booked, and we’re working on the rest of our itinerary. It’s going to be amazing.
Wishing you all a healthy 2024, filled with new experiences and intimate connections. <3