The Naming of Years

I probably don't have to explain by now why 2012 was a bad year for me. I wanted to go into 2013 with an attitude that would combat the sadness of 2012, a manta I could use to remind myself that things change, they get better, and that I can do things to make them change and get better.

I can't remember now why I decided it, but somewhere along the line 2013 became Year of the Unicorn. The reasoning was simple: I love unicorns and they're magical. Magic was definitely what I needed in 2013, a personal magic to light up the personal darkness and keep me moving forwards.

And, although 2013 wasn't a perfect year, I did make some magic. I opened Common Brimstone, for one thing. I got the rights to my Urban Wolf series back and I found the books a new home. SILVER KISS won another award. Did those things happen because I named the year? No, but the idea and the mantra helped me, and that was what counted.

So I figured I'd keep it up. 2014 was the Year of the Kraken. It was a year about going balls-to-the-wall, grabbing at things I wanted and pushing myself forward. I started writing again after a year-long hiatus. I got UNDERTOW published, something I'd thought I would never do for various reasons. I polished up and republished some Ethan Banning short stories, works I'd pulled previously when I was pretty sure my writing career was worthless and pointless. I also republished WILD, a book that I can categorically say has made me both the happiest and saddest I've ever been as a writer. I started working on Nightmare Moon, a book I've wanted to write all my life and had been too afraid to.

Common Brimstone got bigger and, I believe, better and became an important part of mine and Kyle's life. On a personal front, Kyle and I moved house after years of having to put up with a crappy house and a crappier letting agency. Did I achieve everything I wanted in the Year of the Kraken? No, but I achieved a hell of a lot more than I'd expected.

2015 is going to be the Year of the Basilisk. Why basilisks? Look 'em up and you'll learn that the basilisk is the king of the serpents, with a lethal glance and a venom so potent, it leaves trails of destruction in it's wake. I'm basically translating that as "crush your enemies, dammit," and my enemies in 2015 are fear and self-doubt. I want to do things I've been putting off because of self-doubt. Some of them are writing-related, some of them are more personal. I want to stop saying, "I can't" or "I should" to myself and just start doing things. Take a few chances, make a few leaps of faith.

I've got plans for the Year of the Basilisk. It's probably too early to predict anything, but I've got a good feeling about all of them.