Friday, December 28, 2007

So, what's on your list?


Susan Goodwill writes the Kate London Mystery Series. BrigaDOOM was released in 2007, the second in the series, Little Shop of Murders, is available for pre-order now and in stores in March. Both from Midnight Ink, of course.
It's that time of year again. In the stores, prices have been slashed 70% on the singing Christmas tree, the gift-boxed earwax remover kit, and of course, that essential automotive accessory, the Rudolph nose and antler kit. To think these were things we couldn’t live without a few short days ago…

Now, we have plastic organizer boxes featured on Target's endcaps. Closet shoe racks and day planners are displayed prominently at Macy's.

The message is clear.
Get it together, people! It's a New Year!

Come January second, the gyms will be packed. Starbuck's even slashes their orders of heavy cream and caramel sauce for January to accommodate our resolve to get skinny. (They go back to regular ordering procedures in February.)

Okay, I have to admit. I love the New Year. I love the fresh feel, the chance to get it right, to make the changes. I stumbled upon a few of my old New Year's resolution lists a while back and was astonished to realize I'd accomplished some of the big things. Maybe not right away, maybe not in one year, but I moved forward, and now they are checked off. I was once told, resolutions and goals are like navigational devices. Subconsciously as well as consciously, we aim our sites at the path we have mapped out for ourselves.

So, I'll play—

Here's my list for 2008.

1. To write 250 words every single day. (I'll probably do more, but I want this doable with day job requirements.)
2. To finish La Cage aux Foul Play.
3. To effectively promote Little Shop of Murders and BrigaDOOM.
4. To find and hire a manager to assist in P.R., website work, etc.
5. To land appropriate day-job (referred to above.)
6. To hire cleaning lady to free time up for writing.
7. To maintain weight loss (from last year's list.)
8. To make my writing an event of making a joyful noise for myself and others.

So, what's on your list?

8 comments:

Sue Ann Jaffarian said...

Yes, it is time for the LIST, isn't it. I posted my 2007 list last year on my blog and am happy that I accomplished half of it. Next week I'll post another on my blog. But for now:

Have book 5 of Odelia Grey series done by October 1st, instead of scrambling at year end.

Have book 1 of new Granny Apple series completed by July 4th.

Spend more time taking care of myself.

Here's to a successful, healthy and productive New Year! Oh, and fun, too!

Mark Combes said...

Susan~

I'm not much of a list maker - but my morning shower is my time for a little "creative visualization." Ever since the early 80's and Magnum PI, I've been thinking about a red Ferrari and I know I'll own one some day. It might be the day before I die, but there ya go....

Susan Goodwill said...

Spending more time taking care of one's self is a great resolution, Sue Ann. And Mark, keep focused on that red Ferrari--I can hear it roaring toward you.
VROOM!

Candy Calvert said...

I love lists; I make lists to organize my lists. Seriously.

And I have a sense that 2008 is is going to be a stellar year across the board, folks. For all of us.

I'm planning to:

1) Find just the right publisher for my inspirational romance series . . . then make it shine!
2) Write a proposal for a YA mystery
3) Continue my growth in the areas of creativity, spirituality and health
4) Take every opportunity to enjoy old friends, make new friends, explore new adventures . . . and laugh!

5) Find more ways (other than my writing) that I can contribute/make a difference in my local community--and beyond . . .

Gad, I'm thinking all I need to do now, is add a postscript to personally end Global Warming! ;-)


Hey, do we get a ride in the Ferrari, Mark?

Keith Raffel said...

You are an ambitious woman, Susan. Hmm. How fast should I resolve to get Book #3 done? I have resolved to start (again) on January 3.

Felicia Donovan said...

I'll confess that I make lists for food shopping because I'm likely to get everything but that one most necessary item.

As for the LIST, it kind of feels like that outline we talked about a while ago and if I felt constrained by an outline, you can just imagine what the list does to me.

I will continue to live by the credo, "The people aboard the Titanic deeply regretted having passed up the dessert tray."

In other words, I'll enjoy today and try not to sink. But if I was absolutely forced to produce a list, it would say "Eat more chocolate!" Now that I can live by...

Bill Cameron said...

1. Find a publisher who doesn't give up on me before my book even comes out.
2. ...

T.C. Robson said...

I don't have a long list myself, but I do have one, consisting of just two things:

1. Write a book - somewhere around 300 words a day.
2. Walk every single day. I've been wanting to do that for a while. Has nothing to do with books, but I guess I can read while I do it. :)