A New Beginning

The beginning of a new year is a time for reflection and resolutions. I ask myself: How much did I accomplish in the past twelve months? Should I make the same resolutions for this year or do a reality check and scratch a few things off the list? I never beat myself up if I haven't achieved last year's goals, mostly because I usually set too many!

I love to sit down during the first week of January and plan (on paper) what I want to accomplish during the new year. Not only my writing goals, but personal ones as well. This year I feel I have a good chance of attaining most, if not all, of my goals. Okay, I'll admit I usually feel optimistic about my writing in January, but pessimistic writers just sit at their desks and moan.

Personally, I would like more time to write and I hope to take some time off in the spring to do so. A month off work would allow me to get a good head start on the novel that needs to be completed. I have another completed novel that needs a little tweaking before I begin querying agents.

In the last week, I've heard from two of my editors in Great Britain, who publish my short romance stories in their magazines. I didn't write any last year, and subsequently, I didn't have any published, which was a major disappointment to me. I have a few ideas kicking around and I've added them to my list of goals.

There's another novel (actually it's a quartet) that I intend to start this year, regardless of my other goals--even if I have to start it on December 31st. It's the one that everyone keeps telling me needs to be written, including several psychics I've encountered throughout the years. How the heck they know about it beats me!

January is almost over and I'd better get cracking if I want to accomplish my list of goals.

I think I need to sit down and make a writing schedule. Or maybe I should just sit down and write!

Cynthia