Not the start I was hoping for

I’m hoping the start of 2013 isn’t indicative of how the rest of the year is going to go. It started with 3 rejections in the first 3 days. Now, rejection is something we all need to get used to as writers, but usually the form emails come in dribs and drabs and I have plenty of time between them to pull my socks up and dust myself off, ready to face the next one. Not this time. Such quick fire shots!

Still, I didn’t really have time to wallow in self pity as I was then struck down by what the chemist said was food poisoning! Her “diagnosis” was based on hubby’s description of my symptoms (I’ll leave those to your imagine as I don’t want to gross you out, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty). Hubby’s grasp of what goes on around him is tenuous at best, so Lord only knows what he told the chemist. I could very well have had Ebola and he would have described a mild cold. He managed to bring home some medicine, though, and it did kinda help.

So after a night of unspeakable horror in the bathroom, I spent the whole of the next day sleeping. As a … I was going to say “sleep-deprived mum”, but as any of you mum’s out there know, the descriptor is redundant. As a mum, the chance to sleep should have been a welcome reprieve. Which it was. I just wish it didn’t have to be punctuated every hour or so with a dash to the bathroom.

I did, of course, recover. Only to get another 3 rejections. Clearing out inboxes for the New Year people? But, still no time to dwell. No. Turns out it wasn’t food poisoning, as I’m pretty sure food poisoning isn’t contagious and next thing you know, Miss almost-7 wakes up at 10pm and begins to empty her stomach in the most un-ladylike of ways. And continues to do so until 10am the next morning!

In the midst of all this pleasantness, hubby flies off overseas for work, leaving me to deal with my own sickness ‘hangover’ and a very sick and miserable little one all on my own. Thanks honey.

So, not exactly the stellar start to the year I was hoping for. Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Both Miss almost-7 and I are now recovered and given the nature of our illness I pretty much didn’t take any notice of the last few rejections. Nothing like the worry of your baby-girl projectile vomiting for 12 hours to keep things in perspective, right?

But, perhaps the year is about to turn around for me. Hubby is back. Miss almost-7 is back to normal (I think that’s a good thing!), there's been no more vomiting (touch wood) and just the other day I had a partial request. My full is still out there, too, so no news still leaves room for hope, right?

I hope your 2013 is shaping up to be a great year. And even if it started off a bit shaky, I hope it sorts itself out soon. Hold on to happy thoughts. The dawn will break. At least that’s what I tell myself.

S

keep chasing those pavements

No Resolutions Here

No New Year Resolutions here. Nope. I never stick to them. Always fail. And, as I'm a Mum I spend an awful lot of time feeling like a failure, so I don't really need to add to that burden.

So, this year I'm going to try something different. Two somethings different. 1. I'm going to set a small amount of goals instead of resolutions. 2. I'm going to write them here, for all the world to see (or ignore) in a hopefully not vain effort to make myself more accountable.

Personal Goals
1. Get Healthy - deliberately not saying 'lose weight' as the focus should be about health not size, and you know, the failure thing again.
2. Not let others take their own insecurities out on me. You know the type - try to make you feel bad/less just to make themselves feel better. There are a few in my world, not by choice so I can't actually get rid of them. But maybe I can turn their volume down.
3. Read the 25 books on my bookshelf that have gone unread! (yes 25 - I just counted them and then picked myself up off the floor). I have a terrible habit of buying a book I really want to read and then never getting round to it.

Writing Goals
1. Hunt down every agent/publisher lead for "The Point" until someone falls in love with it.
2. Write every day. Using an idea I heard about from a writing friend Vicki Thompson on not 'breaking the chain'.
3. Really work on getting my head round this blogging and twitter thing and support as many of my fellow writers as I can (technology and I don't normally see eye to eye so it will take some doing before I get into the groove with this one!)

Oh boy! I've done it now. Put it in black and white (or charcoal and beige as the case may be) and put it out there for all and sundry. Hopefully this will be the extra motivation I need to see at least one or two of these goals achieved.

Happy New Year to you all. May 2013 be everything you are dreaming it to be.

S
keep chasing those pavements