Weeknote 49: A Whole New Year

2 January 2023 IST

2023! A whole new year! I have the same new year’s resolutions as I’ve had for the past decade: continue to exist on this corporeal plane, try not to have a complete mental collapse, write a thing or two, and find true, lasting love.
On NYE, I had a small, quiet, grown-up party with some of my favorite people in the world, and I was in bed with my cats just as the clocks struck midnight. As perfect an evening as I could ask for.
But the evenings that preceded NYE were a little bit wilder. The football World Cup as well as a bunch of birthdays happened to fall within the week before Christmas, which meant someone was throwing a party pretty much every night during that time. While I enjoyed the festivities in the moment, it took me until Christmas morning to realize the impact all the drinking and sleep deprivation was having on my health. On the morning of the 25th, I woke up to find that my thoughts were hazy, my body was slow and sluggish, and I had fallen into a deep pit of depression the likes of which I haven’t experienced in years. I enjoy a good party, but alcohol has clearly started to have a strong negative effect on my mental health, especially when I consume so much of it in such a short time. I’ve decided to stay away from it for a while — perhaps forever.
I’m still trying to get my daily schedule under control so I can sneak in a writing session early in the morning before work. Waking up at 7AM is not hard for me, but forcing myself to get into bed at 11PM at night is a real chore. Every atom of my body resists this. As I’ve discovered, I’m simply not the sort of person who enjoys sticking to a schedule. One day I’ll write a bestselling novel that will sell a million copies and then I’ll never ever have to worry about getting up on time ever again.
I struggled with Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch for a week before putting it on my DNF pile. I would’ve absolutely devoured this book if I’d started reading it at any other time, but I’m currently not in the mood for fiction. Whether in literature, film, or video games, I can’t bring myself to care about the fates of made-up people right now. My interest in reading fiction waxes and wanes, just like my interest in any other hobby I have. I’m more interested in playing on my Steam Deck at the moment. In a few weeks, I’ll be bored of murdering hordes of enemies and hunger for a good story again. C’est la vie.
I’ve been listening to an episode or two of Writing Excuses before bed every day, especially the ones that pertain to writing good characters. A single fifteen minute episode of this podcast contains more practical writing advice than some 300+ page tomes I’ve had the displeasure of reading. If you’re interested in writing fiction, or just enjoy learning how stories are put together, I recommend giving Writing Excuses a listen.

Links of the Week

Media Diet

Playing Hades on Nintendo Switch
Playing Children of Morta on Steam Deck