Dear Me

Dear Me,

I live in a Writing Jungle, fraught with creatures. Every year I must navigate the Writing Jungle, but it has ups and downs and every so often those dratted Dust Bunnies throw me a curve. They are always trying to get in the way of my accomplishments.

The Writing Jungle
Complete with Hummingbirds

Ah, the Writing Jungle – willed with lush green trees and big fat flowers. There’s also a couple of snakes that slither around. I tipped my jungle hat up, looked at my calendar, and discovered it’s the Year of the Snake. The Chinese say the year of the Snake is about wisdom, passion, and determination. I chuckled. I gotta watch out for dust bunnies while trying to channel my inner snake. I marched off into the Jungle, found my watering hole and pulled out my journal.

Let’s assess those 2024 reading goals:

#1 – Read 7 books by 31 DEC and one must be by Shana Galen my favorite romance author. and a ½

#1 – Following Attitcus
#2 – Going Rogue, Steph Plum #29
#3 – Hillbilly Elegy
#4 – Michael Landon
#5 – The Woman in the Attic – VC Andrews story
#6 – Little House in the Big Woods
#7 – Tulsi Gabbard – For Love of Country

#2 – Finish reading The Thorn Birds.

Okay, so I didn’t Shana Galen, but I will this year. I PROMISE. Double Pinky PROMISE.

2024 WDC Goals:

#1 – Write 5 items for WDC Contests, Write 3 contest items before 31 July.

I wrote the following 3 contest items:

STATIC

The Cutting Edge  (E) Who's the best Ice Skater? #2313648 by StephBee

STATIC

Spices, Jerk, and Chili   (E) Junior is happy enough to let Derice lead, but when it comes to chili... #2316949 by StephBee

STATIC

A Moment in Time  (E) Josie needs to find something for Emma #2321631 by StephBee

But I didn’t get to 5. Sigh….

#2 – Grow the Bee Hive.

I added a couple more Bees: Sharmelle's Welcome 2025 Jellyfish Hello 2025 🙂 👼intuey and Innerlight Author

I commission 3 Bee Hive Merit Badges by the end of the year:
Smiley Bee
Lil Bad Bee
Buzzy Bumblebee

Honorable Mention: iKïyå§ama recruited me to House Targaryen in Game of Thrones. It was the most intense April of my life, but I'm really proud of the work I did during the time and I was honored to work with some great teammates: iKïyå§ama Choconut GERVIC and JACE

2024 Publication Goals:

1. Finish editing and publish “The Wolf’s Torment.”
2. Contest edit my short story, “Gifts.” Still working on that ½ checkmark.
3. Work on “Legend of the Lighthouse.” – Didn’t touch it.
4. Work on “Matchmaking Amusement” – Didn’t touch it.
There’s still work to be done.

I paused to take a sip from my water bottle. Looking up, I spied the hippos playing in the water hole and Baby Fufu was blowing water from her nose. I did good on some goals, but I maybe I need to temper expectations for 2025.

Glancing around, I didn’t see any dust bunnies or snakes so I wrote in my Journal.

2025 Personal Goals:

1. Continue on the Weight Watcher journey. When I have a bad day, don’t beat myself up. Buckle down the next day. Do my best to make the meetings.
2. Work on my Spiritually. I enjoy learning about spiritually, but every concept builds on the other and it takes time to let the concepts sink in. Spiritually can include reading from my Bible, and studying past life regressions. Delores Cannon has a book where people recall their time with Jesus. Recently, I went to the Ronald Regan Library and studied the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit.
3. Learning more about crypto currencies, and saving cold hard cash using an envelope system.

2025 Reading Goals:

Read at least 5 books and Shana Galen or a Romance must be one of them!!

2025 Writing.com Goals:

1. Visit every day.
2. Check out the Newsfeed.
3. Check out my favorite forums as often as I can and stay active with the Bee Hive.
4. Write at least 5 stories for WDC Contests.
5. Review for Anniversary and Angel Army Reviews.
6. Continue to pick up extra newsletters to go along with my Romance/Love NL duties.
7. Get in at least 2 blog entries a month in my WDC Blog, Gemini Rising.

2025 Publication Goals:

1. Finish editing Gifts and self-publish.
2. Work on “Feast of Candles” for self-publication
3. Continue to market my work on Fussy Librarian, Kindle Book Review, and Written Word Media. Develop one more marketing website.


Baby Fufu started making noise, so I glanced up. She was running toward her mama shooting water off at the spout. The Dust Bunnies were on the opposite shore throwing coconuts at her.

Well, the Writing Adventure is on. I tucked my water bottle in my backpack and slid my journal into my back pocket. Glancing down at my boots, Sir Hiss looked up at me with a smile. Hands on hips, I stared at the Writing Jungle, took a breath, and parted the lush green leaves in front of me.



Signed,
With love and adventure
Steph Bee

Word Count: 797
Written for:

SURVEY

Dear Me: Official WDC Contest  (E) What are *your* goals for the new year? Think it over, write a letter and win big prizes! #597313 by Writing.Com Support