2017 was by far the busiest year I’ve ever had. I have obligations almost every night of the week (either writing or dancing) and many creative projects that have kept me in a constant state of productivity. I can honestly say I’ve accomplished more in the past year than I have in the past five years. Or, at least that’s how it feels.
Writing Recap: For my second draft of Tree Dragon, in addition to drafting a complete story board, I’ve written 101 pages (32,094 words) of my novel in progress. Also, four short stories were posted to the website.
Reading Recap: I’ve gobbled up 43 books (Audible and Playster), some of which I’ve noted in my weekly/monthly 7-Butter-flydays. I’ll list my 2017 reads in a separate post.
Blogging Recap: While I strive for consistency, my blog suffers when my life gets busy. (So say we all.) I’m proud to report that in 2017 I’ve posted:
– 133 – Kaleidoscopes with quotes
– 24 – Butterfly Quotes
– 23 – 7-Butter-Flydays
– 9 – Butterfly of the Week
Top Blog Posts: Here are the top seven most viewed blog posts from 2017:
– Breathing Underwater, a short story
– 7 Bullet Friday – A bit of fun
– Schrodinger’s Pocket, a short story
– Quote of the Day – Don’t cry because it’s over…
– Potato Dreams, a short story
– Honey/Sheahanna/Chicory, a three-perspectives short story
– Quote of the Day – Success begins…
Movies Recap: I didn’t blog about this, but I did see a fair number of movies in the theater in 2017. I thank my boyfriend, Greg Smith, movie critic and writing coach extraordinaire. Thanks to him, I saw 33 movies. I’ll list these in a separate post, most likely ranked in order of my favorites. Check out Greg’s websites, Reel Heroes and Agile Writers.
Travel Recap: I didn’t travel much in 2017, but when I did, I went places:
– Shawsville, VA – my home town. I got to visit four times last year.
– Chicago, IL – July, 2017 for a family reunion
– Buffalo, NY; Glens Falls, NY; Philadelphia, PA – December, 2017 the holiday visit tour. Greg and I visited his family before the craziness of the holidays set in.
Closing Thoughts: My goals for 2017 were high and for the most part I succeeded. I intended to move forward on revising my novel and that’s going well. I hope to finish the second draft by May 2018 or so and then prepare it for a beta read by the end of the year. Another goal was to blog more regularly. I’ve managed to get a good start with a daily post and hopefully, when my life evens back out again I can start layering on my regular posts again.
Best wishes for a bright, shiny happy New Year!
Denise M. Sessous: writer, artist & dreamer 