michaeljasper.net

"Another Wrecked Web Site"

THE YEAR IN REVIEW


The Numbers:

129,000 words written.

One novel co-written.

One novel revised.

5 new stories written.

1/3 of a new novel written.


The Publications:

4 pro story sales.

2 semi-pro sales.

7 story pubs (non-paying e-zines).

2 stories accepted at pro rates.


The Bottom Line:

$1,492.20 paid for my fiction this year.

$801 forthcoming for my fiction sold this year.

Not bad for a "hobby," eh?



HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

This is it, the last day of December, the last day of the year 2000. What a year.

It's been an amazing year for me both personally and as a writer (what I consider my real job. I know I sort of did a summing-up type of entry back in November, and I'll try not to repeat myself too much here, but I like to look back at the end of every year and summarize all that's happened. Gives me a good perspective as a new year starts. Again, it plays into my love of deadlines and my need for nice, tidy closure.

Here's what I've done, writing-wise this year:

  • Rough draft of a collaborative horror novel
  • Revision of The Prodigal Sons, a literary novel
  • "Mother of the Bride," a horror story
  • "Natural Order," a fantasy story
  • "Working the Game," a SF story
  • "A Feast at the Manor," a horror/fantasy story
  • "Last of the Hand," a fantasy novella
  • Draft of Last of the Hand, the first 100 pages of a fantasy novel

Also, I've gotten some stories published, probably the biggest being the Writers of the Future story. And my week in LA to work with the other writers and go to the awards ceremony was definitely the highlight of the year.

I went a little overboard when I got back from LA and tried to do too much writing, all the time, and learned my lesson there. I also pushed too hard this past summer while I was trying to finish the horror novel by a predetermined date so I could jump into the revision of my mainstream novel. Push push push. Call me Sisyphus, rolling that rock up the hill, only to have it roll back down again once it reaches the top (I can just see me justifying that, too - "But at least I'm working hard!").

But ultimately, coming to terms with the whole writing vs. working conundrum was the hardest lesson of the year. After coming off a week of being treated like a Real Writer, it was hard as hell to go back to my day job and my long commute and try to achieve any kind of focus. Nothing seemed as important as me being a published writer. Didn't these software people understand that??? Eventually (and it took probably a month, if not longer), I realized the rest of the world didn't really give two craps about me being a Real Writer, and my head returned to its normal size and I could see clearly again. What a crazy predicament!

Best of all, though, I learned all over again - after a lot of grumpiness and tension in the Jasper household - what the most important element of my life is: my wife Elizabeth. Our shared happiness is of the highest importance, and I think we do a damn fine job of enjoying every minute we're together. Not to mention our wondrous pets Whit and Pumpkin (yeah, I know it's cheesy, but hey, we don't have kids, so they're our kids for now!). Happiness with my loved ones can never again take a back seat to writing or anything else in my hectic life. And that was by far the greatest lesson I learned in the year 2000.

You know what? I just know 2001 will be even better. Happy new year.

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