Tuesday, January 1, 2013

What's Your Dream for 2013?

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There's something very special about getting to write a blog post for New Year's Day.

On the last day of the old year we look back: to what we've done that rocked during the course of the year, and to what maybe could have worked out better for us. But on the first day of the new year we start with a blank page, which is still ours to write on as we will.

A universe full of possibility; 
There's a considerable degree of excitement in that, the effervescence of the champagne cork popping and the bubbles rising in the glass—and no small degree of magic as well. The new year, after all, stretches ahead of us ahead, full of the unknown sure, but that very unknown is imbued with the magic and promise of one of the universe's great infinities: possibility.

Now we could talk resolutions, but somehow that seems to move us just a little away from effervescence and magic and possibility, into a more mundane realm of duty and—dear me!—self-improvement. (Not to be confused with home improvement and d.i.y., but close, dear readers, very close…)

I would far rather talk possibility and magic—what we would love to see written on that blank page of our new year. For the New Year is also the realm of wishes and the hope of dreams come true. And as the famous lyric from South Pacific goes: "If you don't have a dream, how're you gonna have a dream come true?"

So here we stand, on the threshold of a brand new year—and if we could each have one starshiny, rainbow-tinted dream come true in 2013, what would it be?

Here's my dream:

Recently, I was re-reading Friday's Child, one of the many delightful romantic-historical novels by Georgette Heyer. Something I learned about this novel from Miss Heyer's biography, was that a group of women who were imprisoned as political prisoners kept their spirits up by telling the story to each other. When finally released, the chief storyteller wrote the author to tell her how significantly Friday's Child had touched her and her fellow prisoners' lives. Not surprisingly, this became one of Georgette Heyer's most treasured fan letters.

As an author, my dream for 2013 is that my books may reach out to, and touch readers in as profound a way.

How about you—do you have a dream for this new year you’re willing to share here?

In any case, a very Happy New Year to each and every one of you. :)

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Credit for supernova image to: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Richard Cool (University of Arizona) and WIYN/NOAO/AURA/NSF.

6 comments:

Nix the Ever knowing soothe sayer to the stars said...

Happy New Year too ^.^

Terri Garey said...

Beautiful post, Helen! FRIDAY'S CHILD is one of my favorite Georgette Heyer novels, as well. What an inspiration she is as a novelist and a person! My dream for 2013 is the same as yours, in the hope of telling wonderful stories that readers can escape to.

Happy New Year to you!

Helen Lowe said...

Thanks for the best wishes, Nix! :)

Helen Lowe said...

Happy New Year, Terri!

I totally agree, Gerogette Heyer rocks--still, after all this time! (Which could add up to another writerly dream, in and of itself--to write stories that endure.)

May the Muses all be with you in 2013. :)

June said...

Happy New Year.

I hope to be able to read a few more of these stories than what I normally can do in a year.

Helen Lowe said...

That's a good goal, June--thanks for commenting.:)