Friday, December 28, 2007

The Un-Resolution Post


Back in December 2005 I started my Un-Resolution Post tradition. I gave up making New Year’s Resolutions years ago and have been much happier for it. Instead I look at each New Year as a time to look back on what I’ve accomplished the previous year rather than set up what usually become unattainable goals for myself in the coming year.

This year has been a good one career wise. I signed with a literary agent, I released eleven titles [among them anthologies of previous published stories included in two print books.] I attended my first book signing at NJRW in October, and I was interviewed for Romance Novel TV!

If 2008 sees as many firsts as 2007, it will be a banner year, so I can only hope my career continues its upward climb.

Over the previous twelve months I’ve learned a few things about writing. Working as an editor has helped me hone my craft, taught me things about commas I never knew {LOL} and gave me a keener eye for detail. I’ve learned some about the publishing process [chiefly that it’s slow, time consuming and frustrating] and about my own weaknesses as a writer. [I start strong and then I doubt myself when I hit the sagging middle of the manuscript.] I’ve learned that a good portion of promotional activities are a waste of time [gasp!] and the best way to further your career is to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE. Blogging, podcasting, designing fancy book trailers, chatting until my fingers fall off or running contests until I go broke on postage are not productive for me. [No offense to authors who work hard doing those things. They’re fun and creative and they often do endear you to readers], but the best way to be a writer, is to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE, then submit and WRITE some more.

So, if I must resolve anything for the coming year it’s this: I resolve to waste less time on the Internet [gasp!] and spend more valuable time writing.

I’m vowing to drop in on my loops less often [I may devote one day a month to messaging]. I’m not going to spend endless hours tweaking MySpace. I’ll update when I have a new book coming out] and I’ll also spend less time aimlessly surfing and hopefully spend less time playing Alchemy at Yahoo Games.

Here’s to 2008, may it be a banner year for everyone.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

But not less time blogging, right? ;-)