Thursday, December 27, 2012

Winding Down and Revving Up

I've pretty much stopped making official New Year's resolutions. Instead, I choose certain areas of my life and certain things to make priorities, places and activities where I want to put my effort and energy. I tend to do this more around my birthday month - October - although I do find January a good time to re-focus on those plans.

Some of them are concrete and specific:

* Finish yet another draft of my Horror/YA Horror novel by June 

* Read 100 books

Others are more generalized, ones where I have notes to check in with myself to see how I'm progressing:   

* Read and study more books about the craft of writing

* Read  - and reread - more horror

* Continue to be open and ready for more Year of Yes opportunities 

How about you all? Do you make resolutions? Anything in particular you're looking forward to in 2013? Any recommendations for horror novels or Year of Yes activities?

11 comments:

  1. I don't set resolutions as much as I set goals. I have a few set for next year, but a couple require thought and a decision.

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  2. Alex - good luck on achieving your goals in 2013!

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  3. My new year's resolutions are always weight loss. I guess that tells you how successful I've been :(

    I hope you succeed in all of your goals in 2013.

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  4. Michael - I hear you about the weight loss goals. The thing is, they're always ongoing - once you lose, you still have to maintain so you don't gain it back again!

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  5. As you've already commented on my blog, you know I don't make resolutions at the same time as everyone else. It's always good to have goals to strive towards though - keeps us on our toes!

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  6. Annalisa - I can't imagine not having something to work on or towards. :)

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  7. I second Alex's comment, in that I rarely make resolutions. This year, I'm making plans/setting goals for 2013. I pray I'm able to keep the ball rolling. Even if I fail, I want to round off next year knowing I stuck to my plan and did my best.
    Some Dark Romantic

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  8. I'm a goal-setter, and Write1Sub1 has kept me on track. I'll stick with the monthly challenge, but I'm planning to write more novellas -- just because they're so hard to find markets for. Gotta love a challenge, right?

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  9. Mina - if you at least tried to do something different, then that, in a way, is a success in itself. How many people don't even bother to try, right?

    Milo - if anyone can get novellas out there, it'll be you. :)

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  10. Hi Madeline,
    Wow! I admire your resolution to finish your draft and read 100 books.
    Rather than make resolutions I come up with goals. I read a definition for goals as "dreams with deadlines," and that got my attention.

    Some of my goals for 2013 are:
    Eliminate clutter.
    Organize my office.
    Throw out unnecessary paperwork.
    Lose weight.
    Exercise more.
    Write six new short stories.
    Write six new essays/creative nonfiction works.
    Attend at least one out-of-town writing conference.
    Blog twice a week.
    Visit friends' blogs at least once a week.

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  11. Donna - I like that phrase, "dreams with deadlines." Good luck on all of yours for 2013! :)

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