10, 9, 8....
by Charlotte Bennardo
It's been a GREAT YEAR. Honestly, I'm filled with trepidation for 2024, because I fear my luck and good fortune may be all used up. Here are the good things:
1. My oldest son graduated from Rutgers (Go R U! my alma mater) with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with High Honors.
2. He got a job at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, FL and moved into his first apartment.
3. My youngest son married a wonderful young woman whom we adore. They had a beautiful civil ceremony, officiated by my nephew, in my meditation garden.
4. They had a touching and elegant religious ceremony in Ecuador, and we explored the country and culture for eight days with our new family members.
5. I finished my Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing with a Certification as a Professional Writer.
6. My thesis novel was only an idea with a few bare scenes when I started my coursework two years ago. Now it's out on submission.
7. My MFA was broadly based; not only were there literature courses, but practical courses such as Editing and Revising, Social Media Marketing, Short Story Writing, Content and Copywriting, and business courses like how to run my writing or editing business, and... which will assist me in advancing my writing and helping me with the business aspects.
8. I've gotten back to short story writing, which is where I started my fiction writing. Fridays are for writing, revising, and subbing them.
9. My middle son is doing well in his computer engineering classes and has a new confidence about his abilities and future.
10. The hubs and I got Trek bikes and have been cycling and hiking all over (even hiked in Ecuador!).
There are many smaller joys that I am just as thankful for. I wish you all a New Year filled with good things small and large. See ya next year!
Charlotte writes MG, YA, NA, and adult novels in sci fi, fantasy, contemporary, and paranormal genres. She is the author of the award-winning middle grade Evolution Revolution trilogy, Simple Machines, Simple Plans, and Simple Lessons. She co-authored the YA novels Blonde OPS, Sirenz, and Sirenz Back in Fashion. She has two short stories in the Beware the Little White Rabbit (Alice through the Wormhole) and Scare Me to Sleep (Faces in the Wood) anthologies. Having finished her MFA, she's applying what she learned and is working on several children's and adult novels, along with some short stories. She lives in NJ with her family and her floofy cat. When they trimmed the backyard tree, the crazy squirrel couple had to move out.
What an amazing year you had!
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