I can’t believe that 2017 is over.The year has passed so quickly, and unfortunately I’ve not gotten nearly as much writing done as I would have liked.
2017 started out rough for me. I started the year in the middle of what I can only call a mental break. I knew there was something wrong, but I didn’t know what. I was lucky, as I was able to get in to see a psychiatrist in January. For the first time I got a formal diagnosis; severe OCD and generalized anxiety disorder.
My future wife went to school for psychology, and even she didn’t realize that my symptoms were related to OCD. That’s because my compulsions were all mental. I was quickly put on medication and started seeing an OCD therapist. Now, a year later, I no longer need therapy and I’m down to one medication. I am amazed to think about how I felt a year ago compared to now. I’m certainly not completely better, but my mental health is manageable.
On a happier note, I married my wife in 2017. September 23rd in Wisconsin...and it was 90 degrees. Our outdoor wedding was very hot, but beautiful. I’m sure every bride thinks her wedding is the best, but our wedding simply...was. To me. There was so much joy. Nearly everyone danced. The food was great, the venue was lovely, and the day was pretty much free of drama. We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and it was more beautiful than I’d imagined.
So it was an intense, busy year for me. My writing really fell by the wayside and I didn’t get much done until October, when I really started to take my craft seriously again.
So this begs the question...what are my resolutions for 2018? I have personal ones of course, but writing wise, what do I want to accomplish? By writing them down and making them public, I am hoping to hold myself accountable so I can take steps to achieve my goals next year.
Finish editing my novel Seeking Utopia. This story began in college, about five years ago. It started as a short story for a fiction class and has turned into a trilogy, though only the first book is fully written. I’ve been working on this on and off for years, and I want to finally finish giving it a final round of edits.
Begin the query process by summer 2018. I got the 2018 Writer’s Market book for Christmas and I’m so excited to get to work. Once I finish editing Seeking Utopia, I can start looking for an agent.
Finish the first draft of FanFact. For those of you on my email newsletter list, you’ve already read a short story about this book. The novel is about half done, though I’ve decided to go back and start to edit as I go so I don’t get overwhelmed later.
Submit short stories to literary journals. This is something I’ve been meaning to do for years. It would be a great way to get my work out there to a larger audience.
Perform at an open mic night. I’ve already been in contact with a local organization about this to check the parameters for short stories. I hate public speaking (despite being in choir and theater for years) so this one will be a big challenge.
Blog more often. I want to get content out to you guys, and I want it to be content you enjoy. So please let me know what you like and what you don’t. Do you want more excerpts? Book reviews? Life updates? Let me know!
Attend a writing conference. Due to money, this may be the hardest one to accomplish. I’ve wanted to go to a writing conference or retreat for years, but I’d have to get the time off and have the money to do so.
I want to connect with more authors. There’s so many of us out there working on so many amazing things. I want to meet new authors and get to know them and their work.
I also want to connect more with readers. I want to talk to the people who read my work. I’m planning to start a Facebook group people can join to make that easier.
I want to write every single day, even if it’s only a couple hundred words. I want to establish a routine so that I work on my writing every day. I think this will end up being the most challenging of all, because life is so busy.
.
What are your writing resolutions? If you don’t write, what are your personal resolutions? Let’s all work hard next year to accomplish them!