My Word of the Year + Comp Winners

Dear Reader,

As I closed the 2023 chapter I looked back at all I had done. It was a crazy year filled with many memories. But now that it’s the first day of 2024 I don’t want to slow down, not for one moment. That’s why today there will be two other emails besides this one you’ll receive. It just so happens that the first of the year coincides with the first episode of my mystery serial, Sleight of Hand. If you haven’t heard about it, might I suggest reading this or this. And as is my daily habit for the last 7 months, a 100 word story is coming. For the next 31 days of January I’ll be taking a look at my favorite Twilight Zone episodes (some well known, others not so well known) and using their title as a prompt for my story. I hope you’ll share with me if any of the episodes I select from the original 156 are favorites of yours as well.

Before I share with you my hopes and dreams for the year, as well as my Word of the Year, I want to first say thank you for making last year so great. I got my first paid subscriber, I was consistent with my writing for the first time in a long time, and I found a great group of fellow writers just by spending time in Substack Notes.

I’ve made some major changes to Paid Subscriptions, mainly the amount and rewards. Read all about them HERE. And consider becoming an annual subscriber to get 25% off:

RESOLUTIONS

*I try not to put too much pressure on myself with these resolutions and you shouldn’t either. What’s important is to have a plan whether it’s followed or not.

• Write and release one serial weekly.

• Write 366 100 Word Stories. One for each day in 2024.

• Release at least 3 100 Word Story collections to Paid Subscribers and for purchase online.

• Read-Along for Books 5 – 8 of The Famous 40 Oz Series.

• Read-Along for The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.

• Enter one reputable fiction writing contest.

And that’s it. Anything else that happens will simply be icing on the cake and I will be all the more grateful for it.

WORD OF THE YEAR

Every year I like to pick one word to help me navigate the year with. One word that will not only prop me up when I’m feeling overwhelmed or like I can’t do it but can also remind me of what I’m hoping to accomplish. It might seem like a heavy burden for one word to carry but when I set out to find the perfect word for me this year it came to me in an instant…

Cornelius: No, I didn’t figure out my word of the year for Substack in just a day. It was much quicker than that. An hour – no, even that’s too long! What’s less than a minute?

Man: A second?

Cornelius: Less than that!

Woman: A moment.

Cornelius: That’s it! That is it!

And now, ladies and gentlemen (and everyone in between), I present to you 🥁🥁

noun

1a: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks

b: the encountering of risks

2: an exciting or remarkable experience

verb

1: to expose to danger or loss : VENTURE

2: to venture upon : TRY

I look forward to 2024 being an adventure for me. I intend to write what I’ve never written before. Learn things that motivate and excite me. And when opportunity knocks I want to be ready to answer.

THE WINNERS ARE…

It was around Thanksgiving when I decided to give away as many comps as I could for as long a period of time as I could in 2024. I wanted to give thanks to the community and so, here are the winners and the length of comped time they won.

Thank you to all of you for your participation and for taking the time to indulge my imagination with your own storytelling talents. If you’re wondering how long your comp is, find your name below:

3 MONTHS COMP

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

6 MONTHS COMP

, , ,

1 YEAR COMP

, , ,

2 YEAR COMP

,

EDWs CHOICE (1 YR COMP)

&

This went so well I intend on doing it all over again in November 2024. Till then, I hope all the stories I create and the reading you undertake will make this year an adventurous one for us all.

#PENTOBER52 REMINDER

Just in case you forgot, if you are a subscriber (I suppose you must be if you’re receiving this message in your inbox) and you want to participate in this years Pentober52 then you need to OPT-IN as that is the ONLY way to receive these weekly Wednesday emails. Click the button below and make sure to turn on receiving emails from #PENTOBER52.

JANUARY 2024 CALENDAR

Dates and emails are subject to change.

HEARD ROUND THE STACKS

In November I was interviewed by of Plotted Out. I meant to include this in my December 2023 First Edition and for some reason I completely forgot. I hope you give this a listen because it was a great interview and the first one I’ve ever been asked to do by a fellow Substack fiction writer.

Plotted Out

An interview with Erica Drayton

Good afternoon, readers, writers and friends. This is my third podcast post with the talented Erica Drayton. She has five – yes, FIVE Substacks, with her 100-words stories perhaps being the most famous. Erica generously shares her time with us, revealing the secrets behind her prolific publishing, her passion for magic and…

Read more

5 months ago · 3 likes

If you’re wondering why I’m mentioning this interview to start the new year, there is always a method to my decisions and to find out about this one you’ll just have to stick around to find out…