Start Of A New Year

Hello everyone! I'm a little late with this but Happy New Year!

Still, the reason for this journal, despite the title, is not that. In fact while I have nothing against the New Year celebration I don't really feel the year has started (Despite the new calendar) until the 6th of January. Some of you may already know but the reason for this is that it marks the anniversary of the first story I ever submitted, the day I decided to be a writer.

It's hard to believe 5 years (5?! Really?!) have gone by since then. Feels like yesterday and like a whole past life at the same time; some things have changed while others have remained the same. I'm not sure if I can say I've grown because of this, but I can say I've experienced things I wouldn't have had I not taken that decision, met people I would have never have met and do things I wouldn't have dreamed of when I first started. At the end of the day it has taken some of my time, but knowing that you've been able to create something out of nothing instead of just appreciating what is out there and be able to see things from a different perspective is a satisfaction that has no comparison.

If anyone reading this is even remotely interested in starting to write I say go for it. The first times is hard but at the end of the day it's worth it.

Still, you can't never really tell how far you're gone until you see where you were before so here's a few yearly comparisons:

2010: fav.me/d2gzptt (First submission).
2011: fav.me/d354xjw (Submission mentioned in that year's Journal).
2012: fav.me/d4lilon (Submitted exactly on that Journal's date).
2013: fav.me/d5pvg6q (Submission mentioned in that year's Journal).
2014: fav.me/d6z9mw3 (Submission mentioned in that year's Journal).
2015: fav.me/d8cwdrt (A bit rushed but submitted today).

Results: Drastic improvement on the first year, improved grammar punctuation after the second. After that for the next three years it's only looking very closely that some slight improvement is noticeable, and it's only in certain word choices. In fact it almost seems I've gotten worse over the last year but that could also be that I'm being harsh on myself (Creator Syndrome?). Perhaps I've just reached the writing level any "writer" should have and it's not so much about the writing itself anymore but the topics and how the skill is used.

In fact, this last year there is an alarming amount of stories that were started but left unfinished if anything. Four short standalone stories do not make for four "series" left unfinished. Also, the short stories keep turning into multiple-part ones that never reach a conclusion so last year's milestone of reducing the word count wasn't met. Let's see if I can make it this year.

On the bright side, over the last year I've come to realize I'm not so much of a loner as I thought I was and have been able to "break out of my shell" a bit more than before. Sadly, this at the same time means less activity here, my ever-increasing inbox is a proof of that.

That said here's this year proposition: I will check on at least 3 things a day this year. 3 things may not sound like much but it's a start.

On an unrelated note, "Feliz Dia De Reyes"! (Or "Happy Epiphany," though not sure if that's a thing). For those wondering, it's another of the winter catholic/christian holidays regarding a biblical event about 3 Oriental Kings bringing gifts to the Messiah (Jesus). In Mexico it's celebrated along the lines of Christmas: lot's of food, family get-together and "Rosca de Reyes," a traditional cake made specially for the day.

Is Epiphany celebrated anywhere else though? Make sure to let me know if it's celebrated where you live, and how it's celebrated.