Making 2019 the Year of the Writer

Happy 2019, everyone.  Turning over the calendar to a new year tends to make me feel reflective.  Now that the holiday hoopla has settled, and I have recovered my from first New Year’s Eve in an urban setting (more on that later), I have been thinking about my goals for this upcoming year.
 
I jotted down a list of goals earlier today.  When I stepped back and looked at it, I realized most of them were related to my writing career.  (I also had the obligatory ones to exercise more and lose that stubborn ten pounds, but since I have those goals every year, I’m not sure they count anymore.)  The goals which resonated the most for me all could be loosely grouped into one category:  getting more serious about my writing.  Our interstate move last fall derailed me for much longer than I anticipated, and it is past time to resume a regular writing routine.
 
So, not surprisingly, re-establishing the routine of writing for several hours each morning was one of the goals on the list.  Another key goal was to get back to a serious hunt for an agent.  I have done this in fits and starts over the years, but I haven’t looked to any degree for months because I was wanted to first finish a new story to submit.  It’s time.  Another goal  I should add to the list is to review and refresh my social media strategy.  Again, it’s time.
 
All of this should keep me busy in the coming months.  I better get some good sleep each night! 

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Which leads me back to my funny story about New Year’s Eve.  Let me remind you, before this year I always lived in the country.  While old neighbors would occasionally get a little noisy celebrating holidays, they were usually far enough away that I didn’t really notice with the windows closed.  So imagine my shock this past New Year’s Eve when I was woken up shortly after midnight (no, I didn’t even try to stay up) by the rat-a-tat-tat of what I thought was sustained gunfire!  It sounded as though there was a old Western gunfight occurring just down the street!  Luckily, after a few seconds of panic , I remembered it was New Year’s Eve.  Someone in the dense cluster of houses on our street apparently rang in the new year with firecrackers.  What a relief to figure that out!
 
I hope your New Year’s Eve was fun and maybe even exciting, but with no unexpected noises to startle you.  And I hope 2019 will be good to you.  Do you, like me, get reflective with a fresh year ahead of us?  What are your wishes and dreams and goals for the coming year?

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