Randoms by Rach

One Year On...

I'm writing this because tomorrow (21st) is my first WDC account anniversary. Can you believe it? A whole year! I've wanted to celebrate because it's had such a major impact on my life. I want to look back, and acknowledge everything I've done. I want to look forward, at the many things I will be doing in the future.

My enthusiasm for this post isn't as great as it was this time last week. So much has happened this last week, and none of it good. But I still need to write this. Probably, more than ever. For anyone who has read my previous posts, I apologise that this one is similar in many ways. This is the last time I do this for a long time. Promise

The first, and most important, thing to mention is the friends I have made. True friends, who enrich my life. QPdoll is Grateful , Whata SpoonStealer , Hannah ♫♥♫ . These are just a few of my closest friends, I'm going to be tagging a whole load of others later! I love speaking to all the talented, shiny people on WDC. They are what makes this site so awesome. They have given me some confidence, which I have never had before. They have taken away some of my self hatred that has always been so prevalent. Yes, the friends I have made are my favourite part of WDC.

But there are writing related achievements that I have to remind myself of. I am proud of these. This time last year I was a mess. Now, I have a reason for getting up in the morning. I love writing. I couldn't live without this outlet now. So. The achievements:

* I have had eleven newsletter features
* I have placed first in sixteen contests
* I have placed second in seventeen contests
* I have placed third in five contests
* I have had an Honourable Mention in six contests
* I have received fifty-five awardicons
* I have received 180 merit badges, including a Reviewing MB every month I've been on the site!
* I have given 302 reviews
*I have made 1,943 forum posts
* I have added 285 items to my portfolio - some are images, so they aren't all pieces of writing
* I took part in NaNo 2015, and completed my first 54,000 word book
* I have started guest judging on various contests
* I created and held a raffle for Newbies Academy Group, which raised 940,000
* I have undertaken various classes - PDG Rockin' Review Class, PDG Poetic Pen Class, New Horizons Grammar Garden Course
* I'm currently enrolled in the New Horizons Punctuation Inc. Class
*In February, I completed the Soundtrackers Challenge
* In March, I took part in the Pursue The Horizon poetry activity
* Other activities I have taken part in include WDC Does Pointless, Newbies Relay Review Race, It Takes Two, and Smiling Skies - I've thoroughly enjoyed all of these
* I have written, "Behind Closed Doors" . I never, ever thought I would be able to do this, but I'm so glad I did
* Lat month, I successfully completed every day of The Challenge. I'm on course to do this again this month
* I became a captain with WDC Power Reviewers, and I have credited during raids, and manned a three day shift on my own
* I have become a leader with Newbies Academy Group, and I've been running the Special Occasions Forum within that group
* I have taken over running the Verdant Poetry Contest. This is the first month of that.
* I have become a leader in the Paper Doll Gang, reviewing and helping update forums
* I have been nominated for six Quill Awards, not including the genre based ones

Whew. It's been a whirlwind. Just writing it all down feels kind of weird. You forget (or, I forget) just how the smaller things add up into one big sense of achievement. It feels like yesterday I joined, and I still feel like a newbie in a lot of ways. At the same time, this place feels like home. I'm utterly addicted to WDC. Some of my best friends are on here. I don't know what I would do without this site now. I know my life would be a lot less bearable.

So. Now for the mass tagging. I really hope I haven't forgotten anyone, but I know I probably have! This is a shout out to all these people, whom I have loved getting to know in the last year:

GeminiGem🐾 , sybarrios, Sally , Lyn's a Witchy Woman , Alexi , kerrimiller, Samberine Everose , Beautiful Candy , eyestar~* , Tiggy , Cinn , candiedinago, amyjo-Keeping it real and fun! , abbyer , Patrece ~ , Cubby , Shaye , Andy~hating university , Spacecat , Gaia Heap , Elle - on hiatus , ~ Aqua ~ , ~Minja~ , Pat ~ Rejoice always! , Sand Castles Shopgirl 739 , The Run-on King PDG Member , Joey' Falling for the Season , Bikerider , Cheri Annemos Charlie ~ sunnystarr, Sanita , Fivesixer , lazymarionette, Maryann , Marci Missing Everyone , Lornda , Nixie🦊 , Prosperous Snow celebrating , tucknits , Fran 🌈🧜‍♀️ , Word Warrior beating cancer!! , Angus , pinkbarbie, gardengirl, NaNoKit DollarDays is painting , Angels in my Ear , ~ IVELTAC ~ , 👼intuey , River , Lexi , Jellyfish needs more hours , harperpaul, seshat, Shana-Batgirl-Allen ~WeGotThis , ♥noVember tHiNg♥ , ~Lifelessons~ , Future Mrs. Boo , Tiger Cub 🔱 . I have to also mention Jen~ , even though she's no longer here to read this. She was a good friend, and touched my heart. So I have to include her name on my list.

All of you on this list have been an important part of my year here on WDC. Some more than others, some of you I didn't really meet until recently. But at some point, each of you has helped me in some way, or made me smile, or laugh.

So, my thoughts turn to my next year. Writing, that is going to be the main focus for me. I intend to take the Exploratory Short Story Workshop next term. I hope to take part in Nano in November. I have lots of ideas for stories. But I also want to continue reviewing as much as possible, and working with Power Reviewers, PDG, and NAG. I love this part of WDC. I love reading other people's work. Which leads me to my final point. I know I've already advertised this a couple of times, but just in case you've missed it somehow I'm holding an Anniversary Contest. All I want is for you to send me an item from your portfolio that you particularly like, or that you think I would like. Anything. Any genre, style; whatever. I will then judge them and choose twelve winners. One for each month I have been here. My favourite three will win an awardicon and a merit badge, and the other nine will receive either an awardicon or a merit badge. That's it. It's really that simple. This is my way of giving just a tiny something back to the community.

I think that's it. This has been a long post . I applaud anyone who made it all the way to the end. Thank you!

Choco