Wait, when does it become too late to say that? For argument’s sake, let’s say anytime in January you see someone for the first time, it‘s appropriate to wish them a happy New Year. Now I don’t feel so guilty for having the flu and not writing as planned. So, on that note, Happy New Year!

Now that we’re almost two weeks removed from New Year’s Day, I look back at last year with neither the nostalgic power of champagne nor the unyielding drunken hope of the year yet to begin. I look ahead now with sober eyes and the understanding that there is so much to do this year, and 354 days left to do it.

First, the good: 2017’s high points include more original writing than I have ever done in any given year. I wrote a bunch of short stories, most of which I’ve put up on this site. I’ve blogged more than I ever have before. I’ve written more for public consumption than ever before. I did NaNoWriMo, and while I didn’t finish, I got much further than I ever had. 2017 was the first year I treated writing as a career choice. Also, my mother celebrated her 75th birthday, I had some incredible visits back home, and I visited a country I’ve never seen before. There are a lot of things that point to 2017 as a banner year.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I’ve had people cycle in and out of my life. I’ve had death in my extended family. I’ve had to delay the release of my next novel, and while I treated writing as a business this year, I had to learn exactly how to run a business. It’s a work in progress.

All of that bleeds into 2018.

I’m currently hard at work on a final edit of the book I was supposed to release last year, and I’ll be looking for beta readers by the end of the month. I’m going to continue the project I started last November, and I’ve got more short stories in the pipeline. I’m working on improving my overall health as I turn 40; I’d like to be as fit as I was when I was 25.

Hopefully, I’ll get everything done this year, but even if I don’t, I’ll get enough done to make 2018 the best year of my life so far.

And I hope you all join me; follow along and keep me honest.

Feel free to comment: What do you hope to accomplish this year?

#2018 #author #goals #resolutions #writing #novel