Writing a Novel, Moving to Edinburgh, and Other Things I'm Doing in 2024

It's a new year and on Wednesday I will wake up in a new city. We should have planned to move on the first, to bring a new level to the "new year, new me" sentiment, but the trains don't run until tomorrow.

As is always the case in January, but especially because I am moving to Edinburgh tomorrow, I am thinking of fresh starts and clean slates as I put my last few belongings in boxes. We all love a fresh start, don't we? I particularly love the feeling of turning over the first page of the calendar. And as I step outside, greeted with blue skies and crisp air, I am thinking about my resolutions, or goals, for the year ahead.

The Royal Mile on a previous trip to Edinburgh

I’m looking forward to the opportunities Edinburgh will bring, especially in the way of work. I hope that living in the city will allow me to expand my skills and industry knowledge as well as discover new passions while I finish out my time at the Links, and I hope that by the end of 2024 I will be one year closer to knowing where I want to go next.

I'll continue working with PRISMA, a free Scotland-based photography magazine that I have been involved with for the past year. I am so proud of everything that PRISMA has accomplished so far, and I can't wait to see how the magazine grows over the next year and beyond.

In other exciting news, I'm writing a novel! Or, to be honest, I’ve been writing a novel for ten years, but this is the year I plan to finish editing and close the book on it (pun intended). The story has lived in my mind and heart for a long time, and one day I would like to share it, but for now, my goal is to make it the best it can be before I do.

This year, I'll also continue working on two other writing projects, and I hope to have at least one solid first draft finished by the end of the year (bring on Nanowrimo?). I’ll also continue writing here, at least monthly, as well as continue learning about content creation and photography and sharing bits of that process on Instagram.

I'm also raising the stakes on my annual Goodreads challenge, raising my goal from 25 to 35 books. It's no big jump, but I want my goal to be achievable and based on my reading patterns this year, 35 seems like a good target to aim for.

Finally, I want to continue learning and growing spiritually, emotionally, and morally. For the past few years, I've been craving Christian community, and I'm looking forward to joining a new church in Edinburgh. I'm also planning to read more non-fiction on topics that will help me to grow as a person (in particular, I'd really like to learn more about working through anxiety and practicing sustainability, so if you have any great recommendations, please do let me know!).

Are you making any resolutions this year? What are you looking forward to in 2024?