Happy New Year

Welcome to a new year. Considering that I’m still being plagued by the same wicked old cold bug that I had yesterday and all last week, 2007 doesn’t feel much different than 2006.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I get rather melancholy at this time of year. Yesterday, I tuned into CBS Sunday Morning, which has long been one of my favorite TV shows, and watched as they paid tribute to those who passed on in 2006. As usual, I got weepy watching that segment. I had a few personal losses to add to the list this year. Those names didn’t make national coverage. But the family reunion will be a little smaller and a little less bright in 2007.

I take my kitty, Samantha, to the vet tomorrow for another check to see if the cancer has come back. If he gives us a good report, then I’ll be ready to shout Happy New Year from the roof tops. Until then, I remain subdued.

But I am thinking of the year ahead and goals that I want to attain. Personally, I want to spend more time with my husband and maybe take the camper out more than twice. I’d also like to discard this vacation jinx we both have going on. So far…well, we’re both on vacation and we’re both sick.

I’m determined to continue my attack on clutter in my house. Last night I started going through old photographs and organizing them. I bought a plastic photo storage box to put them in. I can already see that I need more boxes. But the stroll down memory lane provoked some laughter and some tears along the way.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my goals for 2007 where my writing is concerned. Professionally, 2006 was pretty good. I had a non-fiction article published last summer in Pennsylvania Magazine. I currently have the two short stories published in e-zines Spinetingler Magazine and Mysterical-E. Last spring I signed with an agent to represent my novel. Although the news on the New York publishing front hasn’t been what I’d hoped, all-in-all, I’d have to rank 2006 as a success career-wise.

For 2007, I’ve decided to press on and finish the second novel in the series. I figure I can get the first draft completed in a month, maybe six weeks. Where I go from there remains up in the air except that I know I will begin work on another novel. What novel? Good question.

While I take a break between the completion of the first draft and the rewrite, I plan to work on a short story or two and get those out in circulation. And I have a couple articles sitting here collecting dust that need to be re-worked and submitted to some new markets.

There you have my goals for the year. Oh…and getting over this cold bug is tops on my short-term priority list at the moment.

What goals (or resolutions) have you made for yourselves?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hey Annette,
First of all I'm so sorry I didn't link to your short story in early December. I actually have the post started and saved and then I fell of the blogging planet! But I read it and loved it. You've done great things in 2006. Your goals seem reasonable and doable. I'm sure your book will sell this year. I'm looking for a new agent as mine went on a second matern. leave...ugh, square one stinks! Great post. Hope the kitty is good.

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