New Year’s Day is, of course, the day we make our New Year’s Resolutions.  As most of you have found, I’m sure, the fewer resolutions, the greater the chance of keeping at least one of them.  Therefore, this year I’m limiting myself to three, and they are completely different than any other resolutions I have made before.  No more “I will lose weight.”  If I do, I do.  A resolution on it has not helped in the past.  No more “I will eat healthier.”  This one I sort of do anyway (except for an addiction to butter and chocolate, but they’re supposed to be good for you in moderation, right?).

This year my resolutions revolve around my writing, which is the passion of my life right now.  And, as romance readers and writers already know, passions usually produce problems.  So my New Year’s Resolutions are designed to address and conquer the problems brought about by my incessent penchant for writing.

Resolution #1:  By the end of 2011 I will have received either 100 rejections (includes letters, emails, or no response) or a contract from an agent or publisher.

I am serious about getting my worked published and this is the year I will do it.  That’s a nice bold statement, full of confidence and committment.  Will it happen?  Truth is no one knows.  That’s why I’ve given myself an alternative.  If I am not published, but I have garnered 100 rejections  I will know that I have done everything possible to get the work out there.  And if 100 agents or publishers have passed on it (and it really won’t take that many for me to get the message) then there is something wrong with what I’m putting out there.  Back to the drawing/crit board and find out where the hell I went wrong.  But I will be proactive about my writing. 

If that means attending more workshops, joining more writing groups, going to more conferences, then I will be there.  This is the year I will make it happen.

Resolution #2:  I will read outside my genre.

For the past two years I have almost literally read nothing but historical romance.  I love historical romance with a deep abiding passion.  It transports me to times and places I will never see and lets me experience (albeit vicariously) things I will never be able to do.  But as much as I have loved being immersed in it, I believe it is time to expand a little more again and see what else is available in the wide world of reading.  When I posted my reading list the other day, I was saddened to see that I had not read a Stephen King novel all year.  I used to LIVE for the publication of a Stephen King novel.  I was afraid that I would actually die before his Dark Tower series was finished and I wouldn’t be able to know what happened to Roland, Eddie, Suzannah, and Jake.  So I am determined to take the blinders off this year.  I will probably start with King’s Under the Dome, which as sat gathering dust since I got it for Christmas last year.  Right after I finish the HR I’m currently loving (Glee) on my new Kindle (also loving).  If anyone has suggestions for my 2011 list of books to read, please comment and tell me below!

Resolution #3:  Try to better balance writing time with family time.

This may be the toughest of my three resolutions.  I’m sure all you writers out there have struggled with this delimma.  I am so one-track-minded about writing I would rather deny my family than my muse.  And I have come to see that this is not working in my household.  My two teenaged girls need Mom more than ever, if not to go out and have fun with, at least to listen to them with their frivolous and serious issues.  Hubby is more understanding, except when he’s not.  He’s proud of what I’m doing–he tells all his friends about my historical novels and that I’m trying to get published.  But when I’ve let the house go (and I mean really Let It Go) because I just had to a) finish this chapter; b) crit another chapter; c) answer this email; d) research this particular phrase, he gets Annoyed and lets me know it.  So Resolution #3 is the one I’m going to try hardest to keep, to be there more for my real family than I am for my created family.  Wish me luck with that one.

So 2011 is going to be filled with challenges for me.  What is going to challenge you this year?  How will you resolve to change your life for the better?  Please leave a comment and let Jenna know!