I postmortem each month shortly after it ends. Previously, I used these posts to hold myself accountable on progress toward my annual goals. Starting in January 2023, I broadened these posts to address more generally my observations and experiences for the month. (To read previous months’ reviews, click here.)

Reviewing my goals for the year ahead of drafting this month’s write-up, I see that I’ve yet again completely faceplanted when it comes to planning social events and activities. So many excuses I could give, all of them legitimate, yet I know how much I value social engagement even when I have to yank myself away from work and to-dos to make it happen. I’ll have to do better in the two months we have left remaining in 2024. (Eep.)

I did, though, have a massive deadline for October 31 set on my two fiction projects, and though meeting it meant no minor amount of stress, especially as the end of the month neared, I met it. By golly.

Meeting it meant that I finished a massive overhaul of the novel I have in revision. Before I can even assess whether I think it’s worth anything more than a place in the drawer with all the other shelved manuscripts, I still have a massive amount of work to do on it. Each pass and each step teach me a ton, though, so the gain is worth the pain.

For the other project, meeting my goal meant finishing the plan for a novel I’ve been concocting since last year. I really wanted to have the plan in place by the end of 2024 so that I could begin the drafting work in 2025. And I did! But wait until 2025, I will not. I’m going to take advantage of hibernation season and get started on the draft work in November. Wish me luck. My favorite parts of writing are planning and revision—so heading into a brand-new draft is not my happy place.

Otherwise, I’m now either in crunch time for many of the projects and plans I had set for 2024—or I’m in face-the-facts time for coming to terms with the reality that certain things just will not get done, not with the few weeks we have remaining in the year.

Always something to consider when, in late November, I sit down to create a first draft of my goals for the year ahead.

I still can’t believe that time is almost upon me again.