Plans for 2024

This path I've been on for the last handful of years has not been quick or easy. Up until the Pandemic reared its ugly head, I still didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. To be honest, I didn't have much of a life at all: I was on the cusp of my thirties while still clinging fast to my twenties, nowhere near ready to let go, and stuck in a job that caused me so much stress and anxiety I wanted to throw up when I woke up every morning. I had lived nearly a third of my life, but I hadn't really “lived", and I still had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. In a way, the Covid-19 Pandemic was kind of a Godsend for me, because if it hadn't happened, I'd still most likely be in that miserable place physically and emotionally.

Ever since I was a little kid, I'd always loved stories: reading them, watching them unfold in movies and on TV, making up my own make-believe worlds with my sisters. I dabbled with writing throughout middle school, high school, and in my early college years, but I never really took it seriously until after the Pandemic. To start with, it was a coping mechanism: creating my own world with characters I could control, to distract myself from what was happening in the real world. I'll tell you right now, those first few drafts of fanfiction were the best of the worst kind of cringe, and none still exist to this day. If I hadn't written them, however, I never would have come up with some of my favorite original characters, and it wouldn't have led to the creation of my first book.

That first book sparked my love for stories and storytelling anew: I went back to college to become a better writer, I delved deep into creating short story after short story, I tried journaling and poetry… and, I did something incredibly crazy: I made a Vocal+ account. I never thought I'd make any money on Vocal, and to be fair I still haven't, but having it as a platform to upload my work and spark my creativity with its challenges has been an intriguing and wonderful experience. This year, I think, some of my best work has been uploaded to Vocal, and I'm proud of the handful of cents I've made from them. So, here I sit in the second week of January 2024, with my bachelor's degree, over 80 stories, poems, and articles I've created… and one question on my lips: “what's next?”

There is one aspect of Vocal that I haven't really been too involved in, frankly because I don’t know how it works: connecting with other creators. I'm not a very outgoing person online or IRL, so connecting with people is not something I've ever been very good at. This year, I'd like to try and change that a little, if I can, starting here on Vocal. On this platform, I tend to stay in my own lane and not really pay much attention to the other creators here. From the challenge winners I skim over every few months, I can see just how much talent there is on this platform, and it intimidates me a little. In 2024, my goal is to not be so intimidated, and to grow not only my audience for my own work but try to be a part of other creators' audiences… if that makes sense. I hope it does. I feel like I'm not explaining it well.

In truth, I don't know what 2024 has in store for me. As far as personal goals, I do intend to have my first book published before the end of this year (as soon as I finish editing it), and to have the second book in the series mostly complete. I suppose we'll see next January if I manage to accomplish those goals. To my peers here on Vocal, I wish you all luck, and a very happy and creative New Year.