The Year that Was
Good thing I keep a blog (woefully neglected the last three months) or I’d have no idea what I got up to…. please let me know if there’s anything I forgot that was interesting! I am constructing this from records, this year has been such a blur! I thought I didn’t do much this year and while there are many things I’m sad I didn’t achieve it’s good to know why I feel a little tired and have been enjoying a month or two without work related travel. There is so much value in lists.
Scrolling back through my posts I discovered I made a New Years Resolution last year. My plan was to cultivate the beginners mind. I think I did that pretty well in the world of roller derby and comics. I struggled a little bit more in the land of prose, bobbing in and out of that place like an reluctant hedgehog having a bubble bath.
Publications:
Things Without Arms and Without Legs, created comics 81 through to 225. I created my first minicomic, the content voted for by wonderful readers. My sweetheart gave me a spanking new iPad to draw comics on and it has been a delight. Yay Things!
Mermaid’s Hook – print and audio
Blunt Force Trauma Delivered by Spouse, one of two thousand submissions. It appeared in This is How You Die with Grand Central Publishing. It received many kind reviews.
One of my blog posts was reprinted on the Science Fiction Writers of America website! Jealousing is the new writing exercise.
I gave Apex publications sage advice on how to survive a convention.
I drew a visual poem about The Tick on the back of a placemat… it is now in the anthology “Flying Higher”
Increased the number of letters I wrote AND posted!
Workshops, retreats and challenges
Experienced the awesome that is Rainforest Writers Retreat. Wrote my best short story this year while I was there.
Launchpad Astronomy Workshop – download all the astronomy into my brain!
Participating in a month of letters. It’s good for the soul and I’ve written letters just about every month this year!
Participated in the Clarion Write-a-thon, as I do every year. I raised $300, drew comics, wrote words and created 20 units of awesome.
Participated in Nanowrimo… did pretty abysmally, but it’s got my brain rolling in new directions, so I think it was worthwhile challenging myself in a place of deep discomfort. The word count is not quite as terrible as my profile says, but it’s pretty close.
Conventions:
Emerald City Comicon – I worked the Rat City Rollergirls booth and we had a grand time.
Wiscon (and afterwards a water bottle was posted to me with so much awesome I almost exploded!)
Sakuracon – I didn’t attend Sakura con so much as was Totoro’s guard AND then got to don the enormous structure myself and be Totoro. Kinda completely awesome.
Norwescon – popped in and hung out with folks.
Live tweeted the Locus Awards, as is my custom… I love the Locus folks (a Hawaiian shirt chucked over my sweaty derby gear as I’d come straight from trying out for Rat City!)
GeekGirlCon – popped in and hung out with folks! Love this convention.
World Science Fiction Convention – many complex panels requiring lots of prep and my first one hour reading!… afterwards exploring Austen & New Orleans with my sister.
Orycon – many panels, lots of fun!
Roller Derby
As Ichabod ‘Splain I was an announcer at the Big O, as well as announcing London vs Oly and Taco Kickers vs Bad Reputations
I tried out for Rat City until I was blue in the face (and a photo of me featured on the tryout page!) and finally got on to Rat Lab (Rat City Roller Girls’ new skater program). Achievement unlocked!
I played in the mightiest roller derby bout of all time! NSHOBOS vs NSOOOOO GOOD LOOKIN‘ – it was hilarious and lovely.
I think I only NSOed one tournament in 2013! The PNW Juniors Championships… I could be wrong though.
NSOed a bunch of Rat City bouts, probably NSOed my last ever Key Arena bout (sniff).
I was runner up at the NSHOBO Awards for best NSO turned skater… if I work reeeeeaaaaaallly hard who knows, maybe I can claim first place next year.
Retired from the Lightning Fists of Science (Rat City’s Non Skating Official team) so I could focus on skating & not get confused by too many hats… though as Lightning Fist Alumni I still help out from time to time and they’ll never fully get rid of me.
Lost my first toenail.
Attended my first ever Halloween Party and haunted spooky thing (there were zombies, a gorilla suit and a chainsaw… the gorilla with the chainsaw in an enclosed space may have made me scream a little). I feel like I dressed in an adequately horrifying and spooky manner.
Went to Hawaii for the first time. This is under the derby section because we stayed with two referees AND Mike head refereed a bout and I skated in it. I sliced open my knee just before the game, but three stitches had me ready to hit the track. The stitches were applied by a nurse who had been one of Birute Galdikas‘ research assistants – ie involved in pioneering research about orangoutangs!
Became a much better skater.
And that’s it for the year… and it doesn’t mention any of the people I am privileged to spend time with, met, hung out with or admired.
Phew! I’m glad I got 2013 off my chest and got a little perspective.
Now what on earth do I do with 2014…?