Reflect and Aspire: Twin Mirrors

Pratchett says, through his witchy characters, that you should never stand between two mirrors.

But here I am, doing exactly that. He also says there is magic in it, and I think he's right. I can feel it.

I look back over my shoulder, and there I am. I turn and face what's coming, and there I am again. Different, yet the same. Infinite versions of me spilling out in an endless curve. And me again, the real one - maybe - balanced on a knife-edge of potential in between both glittering arcs.

Here I am, stuck in the middle with you

A tangent: like a stuck pig refers to someone who is bleeding. Not just a papercut either; it comes from the slitting of the pig's throat. We are talking about a lot of blood. All the blood there is in the pig. I've compared writing to bleeding before, and I'm surely not the first or last. It's possible I will bleed out completely here in the reflection of your eyes. The price, then, for standing here between twin mirrors.

Mirror One: Reflect

• In 2023, I published 104 stories. That's a lot better than I thought it was.
• 30 of them were Top Stories.
• My most-read, most-liked story last year is my most-read, most-liked story ever: The Worst Heist
• Vocal gave us 46 challenges, if I've counted right
• I entered 14 of them, including an entry in the Vocal Awards

• I placed twice as Runner Up; in the Passing Ships challenge with The Future Tree, and then in the Unexpected Uncoverings one with The Scientist's Daughter.

• I got first place twice; once in the Tales Retold Challenge with Run Run As Fast As You Can, and once in the Vocal Writing Awards with Meat,Walking (in the Fantasy category).

• Off Vocal: Got a book out, dint I.

That's the cold nuts and bolts of 2023, but there was more. The support shared amongst us isn't expressed in paltry numbers. The encouragement, feedback, inspiration, and whatnot. It's definitely whatnot that I'll carry with me into 2024.

I was going to put some shout outs here, but honestly I don't think I'd be able to stop, and I'd hate to leave anyone out. I think you know who you are.

Mirror Two: Aspire

I'm going to preface this next bit by saying that I don't like telling people what I'm up to. Not the big stuff anyway.

I read a piece (right here on Vocal) last year which stayed with me. I'd like to link to it, because it's been valuable advice, but for the life of me, I can't remember who it was by. But it's left a stamp on me. (Yes, people do read your stuff. You are not shouting into an abyss. Your words echo through their days and whisper in their ears.)

The advice was: don't tell people your plans. When you get a big idea you fizz with it, and you channel that energy productively, towards accomplishing your goal. When you tell people, the fizz dissipates. That valuable energy is dispersed in the telling.

With that in mind, I approach this next bit with reservation. Still, I crack out my hairbrush-cum-microphone for the second time in a week, lean forward with a smile on the virtual armchair, and assume an attitude of humble attentiveness. If it helps, I'm imagining Vocal as Michael Parkinson, but feel free to choose whichever TV host in your country has an air of friendliness and gravitas that puts has-beens like us at our ease and makes us feel slightly more important than we are.

V: How has the past year on Vocal shaped your goals for this year?

Me: I learned that the spring doesn't run dry when I'm here. Writing begets writing. That is why I am submitting a microfiction story to Vocal every day in 2024.

V: What genres or writing forms do you wish to explore?

Me: I expect I'll be swimming in microfiction, paddling in nonfiction, dipping my toe in reflection, and occasionally splashing about in writing about writing.

V: What skills do you want to hone?

Me: Cutting back ruthlessly. World building. But above all, consistency. Showing up and creating, expressing, every day.

V: How often will you write?

Me: Every day.

V: How often will you read other creators' work?

Me: I'll do my best to do that every day, as well. Without reading, you don't have the tools to write, right?

V: Who will you collaborate/connect with on Vocal?

Me: I'm not sure. The demands of people's lives mean ebb and flow. It will depend on who is here.

V: How will you support other creators?

Me: Reading their creations, and tipping them when they inspire me.

V: How will Vocal challenges help shape your creative journey?

Me: I have no idea, I haven't seen them yet. I hope Vocal give us more fiction challenges.

V: Is there a specific piece you want to finish or work on?

Me: On Vocal: yes, I want to maintain a perfect daily writing streak. Off Vocal: I have a novella planned for the spring and possibly a self-published work in the autumn.

V: What do you want your impact to be on Vocal?

Me: I hope I encourage people.

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Reflecting on my reflections, it occurs to me that I have committed the same sin I apparently do on my C.V. I'm a doer, apparently, not an achiever. I haven't set myself the task of winning something, or making X amount of sales. Just show up and write, and try to sprinkle a bit of encouragement to others also on the same crazy horse. If that's all I do, I consider it a big "all".

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Edited to add my Reverb in there!

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Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment so I can reciprocate.

I wrote this for Vocal's #200 challenge:

On the subject of mirror magic: