Elisa Lorello, Author and Writing Coach
  • Welcome
  • About Me
  • For Readers
    • The Faking It Series >
      • Faking It
      • Faked Out
      • Ordinary World
      • She Has Your Eyes
      • Love, Wylie
    • Standalone Novels >
      • All of You
      • You, Me & Mr. Blue Sky
      • Big Skye Littleton >
        • Montana Quarterly Q&A
      • The Second First Time
      • Pasta Wars
      • Adulation
      • Why I Love Singlehood
    • New Releases
    • Friends of Mine
    • Anthologies and Additional Publications
  • For Writers
    • The AI Author Assistant
    • The Writer's Habit
    • Tarot for Writers
  • Blog: "I'll Have What She's Having"
  • Contact Me
  • Media Appearances

2021: The Year in Review

12/28/2021

 
I wrote some reflections--lists, actually--based on journal prompts, and decided they would make a good end-of-year blog post. Here they are.

What were my biggest achievements for 2021?
  • Finishing my novel manuscript and submitting it to my agent.*
  • Getting vaccinated and boosted.
  • Going to Long Island and putting my toes in the sand.
  • Keeping up with my newsletter and welcoming new subscribers.
  • Completing NaNoWriMo just for me.
  • Starting a new side gig.
  • The new Duran Duran album.**

What were my biggest challenges for 2021?
  • Pandemic fatigue.
  • Homesickness.
  • Losing Jon.
  • Struggling with creativity.
  • Struggling with procrastination.
  • Struggling with weight.
  • Reconnecting to focus, direction, purpose, and connection.

How have I developed as a person?
  • I am reconnecting to my authenticity, my creativity, and my ability to manifest from intention.
  • I've come to rely on my intuition again.
  • I learned new things.
  • I pushed myself as a writer, especially when I lost confidence.

What did I learn in 2021?
  • I continued to learn about tarot and oracle card reading, Reiki, and starting a micro-business.
  • My services as a writer, teacher, and lightworker still have a place in this world.
  • I learned yet another way of outlining a novel.***

How would I describe 2021 in three words?
  • Transition
  • Disappointment
  • Recovering

What aspects of 2021 can I leave behind?
  • Cynicism and resentment.
  • Putting my life on hold.
  • Indecision and inertia (see above).
  • Fears about the future.
  • All the disappointment and heartbreak.

What aspects of 2021 can I bring with me into 2022?
  • I can bring the momentum that began in the Fall.
  • I can bring the ocean.
  • I can bring my creative ideas to fruition.

What seeds of opportunity are being planted?
  • The aforementioned new side gig.
  • Publishing the new novel, and writing another memoir.
  • Setting up some online courses.

So here's to gratitude and optimism. May they be the bridge from this year to the next.



Notes
*Update on said manuscript: I asked my agent if I could have it back for some additional revision and tweaking. She said yes. Now's a good time to do so because shopping for a publisher at this time of year pretty much grinds to a halt. The good news is that I'm still in love with the story and the characters, and it's already in really good shape. The other good news is that there is room for improvement, and it doesn't need much. (Biggest change thus far: the title!) I'm looking forward to spending my January 2022 on it.

**OK, so obviously this isn't my achievement, but shout-out to it being a highlight of 2021. It really is a great album, and was worth the wait.

***That might sound silly, but I like story structure. However, I like it in the revision stage as opposed to the pre-drafting stage.

Picture
One of my favorite photos from 2021. Spatz-approved.
Assunta M Riley
12/29/2021 07:04:07 am

Thank you for the beautiful Gift of you!
I love your honesty and your deep appreciation for the "little things" in our lives which truly are the BIG THINGS. Hugs and much love to you, in the new year.

Elisa
12/29/2021 11:44:50 am

And to you, my dear friend! Thank you for the beautiful gift of you!

Maurice Frank
2/8/2022 06:13:44 am

Thank you for sharing your year end review. Your format and list of questions or topics is outstanding! Thank you for sharing.


Comments are closed.

    Author

    I'm an author of commercial women's fiction and a writing instructor. My claim to fame: I can say the alphabet backwards.

    Archives

    June 2024
    February 2024
    June 2023
    May 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    September 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    2018 Goals
    Adulation
    Alice Osborn
    Ask The Author
    Author
    A Year With Nora Ephron
    Billings
    Blog Hop
    Book Review
    Books
    Carl Bernstein
    Chocolate
    Cover Reveal
    Craig Lancaster
    Devin And Andi
    Dove
    Duran Duran
    Duran Duran Appreciation Day
    Elisa Lorello
    Empire State Building
    End Of Year
    Faked Out
    Faking It
    Faking It Companion Novel
    Focus
    Friends Of Mine
    Friends Of Mine Cover
    Ghiradelli
    Giveaway
    Heather Grace Stewart
    John Taylor
    Judy Blume
    Julep Street
    Junior's Cheesecake
    Karen Booth
    Kristen Tsetsi
    Lancarello Enterprises
    Linda Yellin
    Literary Crushes
    Long Island
    Marriage
    Memoir
    Michael Tinker Pearce
    Montana
    Nanowrimo
    New York
    Nicole Mclernon
    Nora Ephron
    Novels
    Nutella
    Office
    Ordinary World
    Patty Palazzo
    Pop Tarts
    Pretty Much True...
    Reading
    Reese's Peanute Butter Cups
    Rereading
    Richard Russo
    Rob Kroese
    Schrodinger's Gat
    Self Publishing
    She Has Your Eyes
    Snacks
    So Little Time
    So Many Books
    Stephen King
    The Falow Season Of Hugo Hunter
    The Outsiders
    The Writer's Habit
    UMass Dartmouth
    Wellesley College
    Writing
    Writing Space

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Welcome
  • About Me
  • For Readers
    • The Faking It Series >
      • Faking It
      • Faked Out
      • Ordinary World
      • She Has Your Eyes
      • Love, Wylie
    • Standalone Novels >
      • All of You
      • You, Me & Mr. Blue Sky
      • Big Skye Littleton >
        • Montana Quarterly Q&A
      • The Second First Time
      • Pasta Wars
      • Adulation
      • Why I Love Singlehood
    • New Releases
    • Friends of Mine
    • Anthologies and Additional Publications
  • For Writers
    • The AI Author Assistant
    • The Writer's Habit
    • Tarot for Writers
  • Blog: "I'll Have What She's Having"
  • Contact Me
  • Media Appearances