Reflections

I have half a cup of tea left and am feeling reflective. It must be that time of year again.
Its been a funny old year and not all the ha ha variety.
Writing wise, the ability to write fiction seems to have deserted me but that's okay as I've been trying my hand at more journalistic/feature type stuff which is what I wanted to do for a living when I left school so to a certain extent I'm living the dream.
I only had one short story published this year but all that I have out there are two stories with Jill Finlay and one to an American market that I think may have gone bust. They were all sent in September and while I haven't given up hope on them, they are at the back of my mind and will be a bonus if anything comes of them.
Non fiction wise I had my first ever travel feature commissioned by a magazine this year which was quickly followed by another. Yay (I thought) I'm on a roll - only to be informed by the editor that they are changing style and have enough material in stock to see them through to that change. She said that she would be in touch when they had more work for me but so far I haven't heard anything. I also had several pieces in the local paper mainly around work and what was happening there - sort of promotional stuff - which gave me great satisfaction. Latterly I have been writing for an American outlet and that seems to be going okay but doesn't leave a lot of time for the book that has gone back into the drawer.
However I have to say that I am more than happy with the way that the writing year hss turned out. It didn't take the direction that I hoped it would at the beginning of the year but life has a way of doing that. Maybe I'll look back on what I wrote when I was feeling reflective last year and see just what I did hope the year would turn out like.
I don't know what I want from 2011 other than we get through it in one piece. Writing will be what it is and I'll enjoy the ride most of the time (hopefully). I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully make more time to work on the book because I have too much time and effort invested in that to just give up because I haven't found anyone who believes in it as much as I do - yet.
Anyway, the tea is now gone and I have presents to wrap and stuff do do in the kitchen so I will wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I'm hoping to have all my men with me on Saturday and that will make me happy - I hope that something makes you happy too.
One final thing which I wasn't sure I was going to add but once I've typed it its said and it will have to stay said.
Lou, I miss you, we all miss you and you are the one red bauble amongst the silver ones on my Christmas tree.