It's a new year, so I thought I'd lay out what I hope to accomplish in 2017. Perhaps it's better to call these "Goals for 2017" rather than "New Year's Resolutions" since I'm not normally a fan of resolutions(I think you should be moved to something by your own internal motivation rather than an arbitrary calendar flip). However, since it's January 2nd...
1. Complete blog posts on time. Granted, I'm only a few hours late, but you'll note that this post didn't come out on the schedule it usually does. To be honest, I was tired and lazy this past weekend, so I sat on my ass and didn't feel like posting. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that has happened. I need to get back to writing my posts in the middle of the week so I don't hit a time crunch in writing them. That's more trying to get back into good blogging habits rather than any major change.
2. Get back to three posts a week. Speaking of changes, I will try to get back to posting three times a week. I went to a single weekly posting due to two things - lack of time(caused by a variety of factors), and not having much new to say. Topics began to repeat, and my job made doing three a week a bit daunting. However, as I move forward to May 18th, I need to get back to my old ways. I'll have plenty to say as my debut novel gets published, so topic diversity should increase. I don't know when this will happen, but I'll target April to get back to three times a week. I know y'all have been eagerly awaiting that.
3. Publish my first two novels. May 18th is the publication date for Akeldama. This will be my first published novel, and there's LOTS of work to do to get started. However, I put off publishing it last year due to some out-of-country job pressures, and I now have no excuse. Still gotta get a cover and self-incorporate, but May 18th is the date. I would like to publish Salvation Day about six months after that. In short, the dream has arrived, and it should be a busy year.
4. Get back to writing. I haven't written anything substantial since April of 2017, and even that needs serious work. I took time off to recuperate(my last two novels showed major signs of burnout), and getting into my new job has been challenging. I'm also concentrating on my first release, so that doesn't allow me to write like I want to. All the same, a writer writes, and I wonder how much my skills have atrophied. Just like going to the gym, you need rest so you don't overwork muscles(in this case, the brain), but "resting" for too long means starting over once you finally get back to it. We'll see which stage I'm at.
5. Do a book tour. This doesn't mean going to bookstores all over the country and sleeping in sleazy motel so that I can read my work to a crowd of four. It means getting on others' blogs, going to some bookstores and local libraries, and giving away free copies to strategically placed people. The key is publicity so that more people will be aware of, and hopefully buy, my brand. Still working on the details, but it's a must - I can't just publish and hope people find me by some strange cosmic karma. There are too many out there, so I've got to find ways to break through the noise.
Okay, that's it for now. Five "resolutions" is a good goal, and I want those resolutions to be achievable rather than overwhelming. I think that's part of our problem in our goals - too many make is seem to be too much. Keep it simple, and do what's achievable. What are your resloutions?
1. Complete blog posts on time. Granted, I'm only a few hours late, but you'll note that this post didn't come out on the schedule it usually does. To be honest, I was tired and lazy this past weekend, so I sat on my ass and didn't feel like posting. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that has happened. I need to get back to writing my posts in the middle of the week so I don't hit a time crunch in writing them. That's more trying to get back into good blogging habits rather than any major change.
2. Get back to three posts a week. Speaking of changes, I will try to get back to posting three times a week. I went to a single weekly posting due to two things - lack of time(caused by a variety of factors), and not having much new to say. Topics began to repeat, and my job made doing three a week a bit daunting. However, as I move forward to May 18th, I need to get back to my old ways. I'll have plenty to say as my debut novel gets published, so topic diversity should increase. I don't know when this will happen, but I'll target April to get back to three times a week. I know y'all have been eagerly awaiting that.
3. Publish my first two novels. May 18th is the publication date for Akeldama. This will be my first published novel, and there's LOTS of work to do to get started. However, I put off publishing it last year due to some out-of-country job pressures, and I now have no excuse. Still gotta get a cover and self-incorporate, but May 18th is the date. I would like to publish Salvation Day about six months after that. In short, the dream has arrived, and it should be a busy year.
4. Get back to writing. I haven't written anything substantial since April of 2017, and even that needs serious work. I took time off to recuperate(my last two novels showed major signs of burnout), and getting into my new job has been challenging. I'm also concentrating on my first release, so that doesn't allow me to write like I want to. All the same, a writer writes, and I wonder how much my skills have atrophied. Just like going to the gym, you need rest so you don't overwork muscles(in this case, the brain), but "resting" for too long means starting over once you finally get back to it. We'll see which stage I'm at.
5. Do a book tour. This doesn't mean going to bookstores all over the country and sleeping in sleazy motel so that I can read my work to a crowd of four. It means getting on others' blogs, going to some bookstores and local libraries, and giving away free copies to strategically placed people. The key is publicity so that more people will be aware of, and hopefully buy, my brand. Still working on the details, but it's a must - I can't just publish and hope people find me by some strange cosmic karma. There are too many out there, so I've got to find ways to break through the noise.
Okay, that's it for now. Five "resolutions" is a good goal, and I want those resolutions to be achievable rather than overwhelming. I think that's part of our problem in our goals - too many make is seem to be too much. Keep it simple, and do what's achievable. What are your resloutions?
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