New Year, New Me Bullshit

And I’m back again. Of course that means confession time.

I was doing really well. I was writing every single day. At the start of November, I started NaNoWriMo with a bang. I was meeting my daily word count with ease. Some days I was doubling, or even tripling it. As a matter of fact, I was so far ahead that when Thanksgiving began to approach, I gave myself a day off to get ready for it. This, of course, was my ultimate downfall. One day off became two. Two days off became three, etc. I saw my huge head start began to dwindle. Before I knew it, I had fallen behind. I told myself it was okay. I told myself that if I could meet the word count for multiple days in a single day, I would be able to catch up quickly. I told myself this all the way to December. I was under the delusion that I just needed to let it slide until after Thanksgiving. This was a lie.

I am an avid believer in refusing to even think about Christmas until I actually see the fat man at the end of the Macy’s parade. Of course my resistance to celebrating early usually means that once the turkey has been eaten, it’s a mad dash to get ready for Christmas. I spent the last month or so doing just that. All the time, I was nagging myself to sit down and write, but it seemed there was always some holiday-related thing I had to do first. Before I knew it, the presents had been opened, and the new year was only a week away. Of course, this meant I might as well just let it ride and start the new year fresh.

So here I am. Sitting on the edge of the new year, ready to get back to work. The only holidays in sight are my birthday and V-Day. I should be able to handle both without breaking my writing stride. Of course, to be honest, I should have been able to write the last two months, but there was always a convenient excuse.

I’m usually not one to make New Year’s Resolutions, but this year I do so out of necessity.

First of all, I will finish a book. I don’t mean a first draft, (although the first draft has to come… well… first.) I mean a fully formed and heavily edited finished novel. I also have to have at least one other first draft ready to go. Both of these have to be done by the time I take my trip to New York City to meet with agents. I am not going empty handed. I must have a finished novel to pitch, as well as a back up. Just in case they don’t bite at the first.

Second, partly as a means to accomplish the first, I am pledging to write at least one page every single day. Of course one page a day won’t meet my goal. The idea is that once my ass is in the chair and my hands are on the keyboard, I will continue past that first page.

Third, I plan to be more regularly active on my social media pages. More checkins on Twitter and Facebook , and the occasional picture on Instagram. I will also resume posting YouTube videos. Mostly they will be video versions of what you read here. Of course I’m hoping to post here on a weekly basis as well.

I am also accepting a friend’s challenge to read a book a week for the next 52 weeks. I always seem to get more words on the page the more I read. Besides, maybe I can get through some of my TBR list. There’s nothing good on T.V. anyway.

Finally, I am vowing to never have to work New Years Eve again. I am scheduled to be off next year. That gives me the next two years to make things happen.

That’s about it for now. I will see you next week and let you know how well I’m keeping my resolutions.