A Tale of Two 2020s

Bridges DelPonte

“It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.” Dickens got this year right. Both great and awful things happened this year. From the stresses of COVID and political and social strife to positive life changes and home moves, 2020 has whipsawed me at every turn. I’m thankful to be happy and healthy and have nearby family support during this challenging year. As 2020 comes to a close, I’m trying to keep my focus on some of the good things that happened in my life as a writer. So here are some positives that I’m grateful for in a year of so many negatives.

After more than 20 years of searching, I had the opportunity to work with my agent, Kelli Martin, Wendy Sherman Associates, on substantive revisions to my women’s fiction novel, tentatively titled “Babeless Babes“. I’ve always had to go it alone in my authoring past so it’s been great to receive feedback from a seasoned pro.

After over 31 years in legal education, I turned my attention this past fall to my dream of writing on a full-time basis. I’m currently writing a sequel to “Babeless Babes“. I haven’t settled on a draft title yet, but I’ll keep noodling on it.

Although I relocated to SW FL in May, I continued to attend Zoom meetings and to handle social media posts on WordPress and Facebook for my pals at Citrus Crime Writers (CCW), a Central Florida chapter of Sisters in Crime. I even made a Zoom presentation for CCW on trademark basics for authors. Zoom helped to keep me in the CCW loop, despite no longer residing in Central Florida.

I applied to become a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association to plug into writers in my new local community. I’m hoping to meet lots of other writers and participate in writer meetings and seminars in my SW FL area.

I tried my hand at my first NaNoWriMo and posted to our SW FL community discussions. I had set a first-time personal goal of 30,000 words, and managed to reach 20,864 words, putting my sequel novel at 39,169 words. Not bad for a rookie try.

I’m also giving my writing brain time to rest and percolate with new creative ideas, by participating in more outdoor activities, like kayaking, walking, pickle ball, and golf (albeit pretty badly), brushing up on my Spanish language skills, and having fun learning a few songs on an electric keyboard.

I’m looking forward to new adventures and challenges in 2021 as a writer. Stay safe out there and wishing you peace and joy during this holiday season!