A Writer's Resolutions for 2012

Just to be clear, I dislike resolutions. They reek of failure and political posturing. I resolve to balance the budget. We all understand it's not under the control of one man or woman. And there's part of us that believes the candidate doesn't even mean it. He/She is jumping on the bandwagon and making a promise that sounds good. Why should it be any different when the Average Jane makes the same kind of statement? I resolve to fit into my high school prom dress. Right.

I do, however, like to set goals. Actually, I'm anal retentive and like to make lists so I can experience the joy of crossing something off with my pretty new pen. Here is my list of hopes for 2012.

I hope to leave more reviews on Amazon.

Luck has been with me in 2011, and I've discovered authors who make me smile. It seems heartless and selfish to keep all that enjoyment to myself. Besides, I know how hard it is to get reviews. I've tried giving away free books in exchange for reviews. Here is the formula:

Dozens of Free Books + Requests = No Reviews.

If an author has made my day, why not give them something in return? And for all those Scrooges who say I already gave them my money, don't be so miserly. Spread the joy.

I hope to get my finished works up on Kindle.

I have several mysteries I've been working on for, hmmm, forever! I've rewritten, tweaked, torn apart, and tweaked again. In life, you can't expect new yummy things on your plate if you don't let go of what's already there. So I'm going to do it. I'm going to publish The Body Guy and Barking Mad About Murder. I'm even going to aim to get Civility Rules out by next Christmas.

I hope to get my Kindle books up on Create Space.

I'm tactile about books. I love to hold them in my greedy little paws. As intimidating as learning a new formatting process is for disorganized me, I'm going to do it.

I hope to interview more authors on my blog.

I love authors. I love their excitement, their insights, and their books. When I interview, I don't send a pat list of questions. I read the books and tailor to each author, so it's time consuming. But it's worth it. BTW, if you're an author who wants to be interviewed, send me a note with Author Interview in the subject line. I'm not a snob. In fact, I'm sometimes more excited about new authors I haven't heard about.

I hope to get up a new website.

My current website doesn't do it for me. None of the blame lies with the designer. It's all me. I'm the nightmare client who doesn't understand visuals. This year, I want a one-stop shop that reflects my books and includes my blog. And, hopefully, I won't drive my designer mad in the process.

The other thing about resolutions is that people overdo them. The list is an endless chain that can't possibly be conquered in one year. So I'm going to stop here. Literally.