It’s Dec 20th already! How did this happen? They say time flies the older you get. Well, I celebrated my 50th birthday in July this year, and I swear it seems like it was only a few weeks ago!
In August I got a brand new granddaughter who is beautiful and perfect, just like her mother. Wink.
In October I began planning and plotting my first novel.
In November I completed the first draft of said novel. I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and managed to stay sane. It was a crazy month, and I learned a lot about myself. For one, I am most creative at night. Sure, I get up early, have my coffee and appear to be a morning person, but appearances can be deceiving. The only reason I get up early (usually between 5:30 and 6:00 am) is because my body hurts and I need to get up and move around. Fibromyalgia and hip bursitis sucks! I tried to write in the morning, and I would just end up staring at a blinking cursor. When 9pm rolled around, I was a typing machine, lol.
Some other things I accomplished this year were learning to use my new MacBook, took a creative writing class, learning to do digital planning with apps like Goodnotes and Procreate, learned to use a writing app called Scrivener and made dozens of new writing friends! I also got an Apple Pencil and started creating artwork that I never dreamed I would be able to do. I even designed my own book cover! Another accomplishment was reading a whopping 50 books this year! Whew! I’d say this has been a great year!
Now it’s December, and I am taking a breather. I’ve been reflecting on the year as a whole, and I’d say it has been rather eventful. If you had asked me last year what my plans for 2018 were, I would have said, “same ole same ole.” Little did I know that my daughter had a bun in the oven and I was going to write a book! I am so blessed!
Now it’s time to look ahead to 2019. I wish I knew a secret to make it slow down. I know one thing for sure, I’m going to spend more time doing things I love and less time feeling that life is passing me by with no rhyme or reason.
In January, when I get back from my holiday vacation, I will pull out that messy first draft of my novel and begin the editing process. I’m kind of nervous to go back and actually read the words I put down. I hope it’s not all crap and I can actually turn it into a published romantic suspense novel one day. I also want to transform a messy spare bedroom into a new office where I can be productive and have a place that is pretty and all mine! I’m thinking white, pink and gold for my color scheme. Yes, I need more pink in my life! Maybe if I make it pretty, girlie and feminine the man in the house will stay out! Ha! I hope to post some pics here of my office transformation as I go. I created a Pinterest board full of decorating ideas because, well, doesn’t everybody do that when they feel inspired? I really need an intervention for my Pinterest addiction. Feel free to follow me on Pinterest but be warned, I pin some crazy and completely random stuff! https://pin.it/t5t5gkha3svlhw
I’m really excited about the new year, and I hope to get my creative juices flowing again and who knows, I may start writing novel number two! Wish me luck!
D Jill Schock 
I have found that the theory of making it too girlie for the man to want to be there…works completely in the opposite way! There is altogether too much bonding time in my office, especially if the door is closed! It is bright orange, hot pink and accented with every color in the rainbow by the way! If you figure out the secret sauce, please be sure to share!
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