One Writer’s Resolutions

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Today I welcome Susan Paturzo as my first guest of 2012. Susan has accumulated houses during the economic downturn and to support her unfortunate real estate addiction turns to work as a software developer. When she manages to escape from a cubicle, Susan writes mysteries and has won awards for her short fiction. She also blogs about life – or the lack thereof – in corporate America. In today’s blog she shares with us her writing resolutions for 2012.

First of all, thank you for the opportunity to be the first guest of the year at Terry’s Place! I don’t ordinarily put much stock in New Year’s resolutions, but when it comes to writing I need all the help I can get. Herewith, one writer’s goals for the coming year:

I will put writing first instead of waiting until the email is read, the bills are paid, the laundry is done, the dog is walked, the web is surfed, and all the other myriad “necessary” tasks I reflexively put ahead of my creative life.

I will look rejection in the face and laugh. Or, at least not whimper. I have, as I write this, “only” been rejected by three agents. That’s nothing, a grain of sand, a proverbial drop in the bucket. When I’ve hit three hundred I can complain.

I will complain less. A wise friend once pointed out that the word complain shares the same root as the word comply. As long as you’re complaining about something you’re not ready to make a change. Here’s to more change and less complying in 2012.

Another Year

What I'm reading: U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton.

Thanks, Tory, for sharing your adventurous life. If you haven't read or commented on her post, you should--she's giving away one of her books. Scroll down and comment there. The winner will be announced next week at Romance With An Attitude.

Hard to believe another year has slipped away. Aside from an early dinner at our local favorite Italian restaurant, we don't normally go out to celebrate, figuring there are too many crazy people on the roads, but we felt "obligated" to go out on New Year's Eve when 1999 became 2000. Was it really 10 years ago?

It's the time of year when everyone is reflecting on what they've done, what they should have done, and what they're going to do. For us, on the real-life front,we dealt with hubby's retirement and with trying to sell a house. For my writing, I contracted two short stories as part of an anthology that's supposed to come out in 2010, and I rewrote a romantic suspense which is due out in July. I also parted company with my agent, and am stepping off the edge of the cliff in trying to begin all over and find a home for it. And, like everyone else, it's time to look at goals.

For the past couple of years, I've shared Roxanne St. Claire's goal setting strategy as it pertains to writing. I've also been seeing other advice, so I thought I'd share those as well.