Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, etc, etc…
OK, let’s get to business.
I ran on a little bit yesterday about Vision 2020 and all that nonsense but I’m sure many of you were left wondering – what does this mean for my weekend? Well, in short, it means less. Let's get all the details out there in a bid to clarify that thought.
First, 2020 means the end of the daily schedule, effectively immediately - no post tomorrow. This is TOA, not TMZ. Daily was a nice thought a year ago and I am pleased to have accomplished this goal but it's like going to Foxwoods, I've done it once and now it’s out of my system. Trust me, no one's happier about this decision than me, but feel free to rejoice in public, tired reader, if your inboxes had felt the strain in 2019.
The posting schedule will retain a loose commitment to word count (I did this last year, I swear). In 2020, it’s going to involve some rules of thumb that I'm currently finalizing. My current idea is to have the average word count per day hit between 250 and 300 words which means a day off anytime I post 500 or more words. Readers interested in the specifics should just get in touch next month. I'm going to continue posting my longest work on Sundays (1000+ words). The newsletter will probably go up on the 1st of the month (unless it's a Sunday, then who knows, or cares). I'm not pulling the plug on 'Tales of Two Cities' but it probably won't be the last Wednesday of each or any month.
Those who might miss the daily posts should consider a look at the archives. There's a lot there, kids. I'll do my part and add some organization to the back catalog. For the past year or so, I’ve included tags on new posts and I’ll make some time to go back into the archives to tag some of the older posts. At some point soon I will also add a search feature to the main page that should really simplify the lookup process.
Those who read yesterday may be sneering - isn't this what and when? Yes, yes, very good. One aspect of how will involve continuing the recent pattern of reduced reading reviews being posted with links to my more extensive notes. This should fit the how and why of my reading a little better as I almost always read for strength yet my 'reading reviews' skew toward thorough. The new style of reading reviews is more focused on what the author or the book did well and I hope I can continue refining my delivery of those strengths for the sake of brevity, clarity, and sanity.
Before I wrap up today, I had one last comment on yesterday’s post. ‘Vision 2020’ isn’t my expression, I borrowed it from a friend, but I liked it because it implies that the wisdom glimpsed in hindsight is what makes me better at seeing things in the future. The more I see, the more I know, and with an emphasis on keeping my eyes open for learning opportunities I envision a great year on the horizon.
So, here's to Vision 2020, the next best year of my life, as every year should be.
