Resolutions

I came across my New Year's Resolutions for 2014 the other day, and was pleased at what I had completed. True, there were some pretty important ones that I botched, but all in all I thought I did pretty well. Here's what I accomplished:

1. Edit and publish Dragon's Destiny. Been there, done that, felt awesome and then depressed and then awesome again. :)
2. Visit my best friend I did that in April, and it was a blast.
3. Read five books of the Bible. OK, I didn't achieve this, but I did put in a solid effort by reading the first 100 Psalms or so, plus another of the shorter books. I also did a devotional for a couple of weeks. I think I'll have a better plan for next year...
4. Edit and submit Shifter. Partly done, I got to Chapter Six in edits. But really, I think I needed another six months...
5. Complete one item off my bucket list.  Completed several, actually, including building a bear at the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Secretly, the real reason I enjoy writing children's books is I'm kind of a child at heart.
6. Work out more at the gym or at home. No, this did not happen. I may have done it three times...
7. Write a new novel. That's what National Novel Writing Month is for. This year's project was called Royal Blood.
8. Hike the real Ruby Dome. Done. Note: I hiked the wrong peak last year due to poor navigation. Peak of failure, I know.
9. Eat more fruits and veggies. I'm not sure if it was as much as I'd have liked, but I put in a real effort to add carrots to my lunch or eat a little salad, so I'm saying it counts. I would say I ate more than last year.
10. Drink more water. I'm still working on this, but I put in some effort.

So, six out of ten have been a success, which I think statistically is probably pretty solid. For next year, I thought I would expand on my resolutions and separate my writing resolutions from my personal ones. Here's what you can expect from me in 2015:

1. Edit and submit Shifter. The plan is to edit it in time for a contest by the end of February. This will require a lot of dedication on my part, but I'm confident I can swing it. Either way, if I fail in the contest, I am planning of seeking out a smaller publisher to pitch my book to.
2. Finish Royal Blood and begin editing. While I may have reached my 50K, I sort of left it hanging. There's much to be done with the plot here as well.
3. Write more. I don't care if it's a novel in November or some poetry, I've got to keep up the pace.
4.  Attend writer's group. Having suffered from a sort of post-NaNo exhaustion, I have failed my fellow writers for the past several weeks. Here's to a new start and new friends.

OK, readers. It's up to you to keep me accountable. I will keep you updated on my progress throughout the year, but can promise you no more than what I have in this list. As much as I would love to write novels for a living, I am required to have a real job while I try and get by. Thanks for the love.

Heather Kennison,
Author