Nothing summarises a year in your life quite like a series of bullet-pointed sentences beginning with action words. Here are my 2015 Highlights:
- Launching my third novel, The Chain
- Publishing my first short story in Headland:Literary Frontiers & Emerging Voices
- Winning third prize in the NZSA Central Districts short story competition
- Writing several more book reviews and blog posts
- Conducting more interviews including my first on live radio
- Reviving the Murrihy River Tour at the Whanganui Literary Festival
- Accepting an invitation to act as a panelist at next year’s Ruapehu Writers Festival
- Creating a new Facebook group to complement my author page. It’s an open group, so anyone can join.
- Researching new ideas for my next two novels
- Submitting multiple short stories to journals – adding to my rejection collection, but also still waiting on responses
- Reading (not quite enough) books and logging them on Goodreads
- Farewelling William Taylor at his very moving funeral in Taumarunui
- Completing a challenging and enlightening year teaching at Taumarunui High School, including helping with the THS News Organisation
- Judging this year’s speech competition at Ngakonui Valley School
- Watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Cheering my Montreal Canadiens through another great season which included Carey Price winning all the major awards a goalie can win
- Cheering the All Blacks to another Rugby World Cup victory as well as watching the Black Caps bowl their way into the Cricket World Cup final
- Mountain biking more trails, including the Old Coach Road. Photos taken by my daughter on this trip are appearing in various places
- Rebooting with a much healthier diet of primarily vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, inspired by Joe Cross of Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead fame
- Announcing my new blog feature, Weekend Name Drop, to start over the first weekend of 2016.
- Seeing my son navigate another successful year at university and add to his growing collection of brilliant songs he’s written and performed
- Celebrating my daughter’s first year away from home and her completion of an Arts diploma
- Learning to live child-free at home with my wonderful and supportive wife
Here’ my favourite version of this annual hit. Happy New Year – Bring on 2016!
See the stats I created by blogging on WordPress in my 2015 annual report.
Antony Millen is a Canadian living and writing in New Zealand. He is the author of three novels: Redeeming Brother Murrihy, Te Kauhanga and The Chain.
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