2013, eh?

Happy New Year!

2013, eh? How did that happen? One moment it's 1986 and I'm starting school, full of the joys of life, full of wonder and excitement, full of possibility, and the next it's now, and I'm full of cake and coffee and stress. And a bit of chocolate.

But despite having grown up into the person I never intended to be, I'm bound and determined to make the most of 2013. I am not ashamed to admit that I didn't do that in 2012. Or 2011. Or 2010, actually. And I'm pretty sure 2009 was the same. I just let the days and weeks and months roll by accepted that this was it.

Perhaps I should be ashamed to admit that.

I'm not saying I've not done anything for the past few years. I have. I've done a few things. The most important of all - the most life changing - was giving birth to my daughter in 2010. But apart from that, on a writing theme, 2012 was the best year I've had: I had a short story collection published by a small press (Dark Hall Press). I completed a 110,000 word novel, and then a 70,000 word one. I wrote over 80 short stories. I published 25 of them in various anthologies. I edited a book and got it into two local bookshops.

I worked hard. And I have things to show for it.

But I want more. Am I being greedy? I don't believe so. I think I'm being ambitious. I think I'm allowing my true self to emerge. I think that this will all pay off in a big way. Don't we all? They key is to believe it.

So I have set myself writing goals for 2013. Simple and, I hope, achievable. If they're not, I'll still be giving them my best shot. Here they are:

1. Find an agent to represent me (and through them publish At Peace).
2. Get Mother's Helper/Over The Bridge/Some Body's At The Door into bookshops.
3. Complete my horror novel called Hell for Leather (estimate 80,000 words).
4. Complete my children's horror called Wanderal Woods (estimate 40,000 words).
5. Write and submit stories to at least 5 anthologies (estimate 20,000 words).

That's it. Anything else, such as writing more words than I did in 2012 (the number to beat is 352,472), is a bonus.

It may not seem like a lot, especially when compared to my 2012 output, but that's where the rest of my goals lie. In my life outside of writing. I want to spend more time with my family. I want to have more fun, explore new places, go out for walks just for the hell of it even if - especially if - it's raining. I want to enjoy life.

So here's to 2013 - the best one yet!